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"I worked as an accountant for eight years, and worked with Microsoft Excel every day for several hours" commences Google Sheets as well as AppsScript professional teacher Ben L Collins. "Almost all my work was completed by using Excel however I didn't possess any prior experience. I had coded before, but I did not have any experience with spreadsheets.
"Pretty when I started my work, I was ordered by my boss to accomplish various tasks in Excel such as "Combine these tables" etc. And I was expected to complete everything manually!" His boss demonstrated the formulas he could use to cut down on time, and Ben was able to see that the most crucial skill to have in finance is the ability of modifying the information.
"The those who master it effectively are miles ahead of those who fail," Ben continues. I was thinking to myself "Right I'm going to improve my skills." I stumbled across several sites on the web, including mrexcel.com and chandoo.org They have the same capabilities as I do but in Excel around 15 years ago."
The more Ben looked into formulas and spreadsheets, the more fascinated he became: "It was this rabbit hole that was just entering deeper and darker darkness." He was aware that the programming training that he had received from his college provided could be combined with other programming languages that are used to build databases. This includes VBA.
Over the course of his time working as an accountant, he became more interested in the area of technology than in the accounting or finance fields. "After more than 8 years of being an accountant in the field of accounting, I thought"I'm done! I'm done!. I wasn't certain of next task to take on, however one of my initial thought was about the field of engineering." Ben tells me.
It's called yWYQFjXiawUjOZ9 Ben L Collins speaking at an event that took place at night.
He attended a couple of classes, and then started looking for work. "It wasn't a huge success in the beginning, however I created my own site as well as wrote essays. A few of my early pieces I wrote about Google Sheets and they're those which were eventually spotted in Google Search." The result was a variety of customers asking the services of freelancers and even paying them for it.
"In 2014 and in 2015, we had an inbound stream of visitors seeking help, "Hey, could I be assisted in creating that dashboard in Sheets?' or "Can you go through my Excel spreadsheets on behalf of our business and help me figure the most effective way to improve these formulas? ? '."
The job required Excel, Google Sheets, SQL and Tableau. "It was an ordinary job, but it gave me the chance to consider"Maybe it's a sign of something more. There is a possibility to become a freelancer without having to go back to my old job . I don't wish to go back to the accounting profession!" Ben smiles. "I would like to stay on top of my game in addition to my knowledge of the latest technology."
Goodbye accounting, hello education
The initial phase of the site to provide education General Assembly was just a start-up company with plans to launch advanced courses for programmers as well as data analysts. "They have launched an online course for data analysis which was part-time. Since I had taken a class in one of their classes designed for developers, I was familiar with the team that was there. At the time of their first launch this data-related course was when they began recruiting instructors. The course included Excel, SQL and Tableau," Ben continues. "I thought, 'Hey it's exactly what I've been doing over the past eight years. ! '." Ben was interviewed procedure and was offered the job. He also taught this course for several times.
"That inspired me to go back into teaching," Ben recalls. "I'd taught at college as a mentor to young students after I had finished my academic year." He also provided company-sponsored training through online classes, like the selling of courses and tutorials. "As I began to build the number of customers who were attracted to my work I decided to start my own course and test the waters."
) A course on the Query function within Google Sheets
The teaching of the course was popular. The course was so good that it could draw Ben to develop a brand new course. "I used a website named Teachable since I was trying to find a method of making the connection personal to my students, and to maintain the connection for myself rather than handing it over to a marketplace, such as Udemy."
I conducted some investigation and came across a names that kept appearing was that of the editor of Tech news magazine Stratechery, Ben Thompson. Ben Thompson is often referred to as"the OG!" Ben smiles. "I have signed up for a couple of subscriptions to look at how other businesses like Flowing Data and Craig Mod had been doing this." Ben has been reading their newsletters when he was young and I had a desire to learn how they build their businesses on membership. I was thinking "I would like my business to operate in the same way as they did.'. The sign-up process was so simple and straightforward and I was thinking"I want to have the same experience as a member..'
Going forward in a way that is sustainable
As a matter of fact, Ben's current subscription offer consists of premium (or "gated") material that is located on WordPress and an exclusive email newsletter delivered via email, using Kit (formerly ConvertKit). To provide information, the service is based upon Google Sheets and includes specific details on features for the product and updates as well as strategies to make the most of the product.
"The following newsletter will provide a deeper dives into the latest features Google has released in the last year," Ben adds. They're extremely useful tools for manipulating data. So you'll find a video tutorial of the capabilities and an option to download Google Sheet, a Google Sheet template that people are able to download. Additionally, he'll hold a live chat about the subject. "I make use of newsletters that provide details on the date, time, and location and in addition, I use the Google Meet link for the live chat."
When asked about the future of his business, Ben thinks membership could be the mainstay of his company. "I certainly want to get many more members, as I would like the membership to become the only product offered," he says. "I provide an assortment of content for free but you also have the option of being a member active in the premium version, and assist me get access to more information."
Playing a game of Chess using Google Sheets
He claims that he was capable of giving consults, and also incorporating ads in his publication, however the goal is to end the following: "if I can build the number of members sufficient, it would be great to rid of all the other stuff. There are a few minor concerns to take care of, but increasing the number of members is essential. "
He reveals that he's had various ideas for expanding the range of events he offers. "I've developed several ideas on how I can do a better job of hosting these events live and we've put together initiatives that will encourage new members in the coming year. The product itself will evolve. The product will not differ from what's expected, but it will remain live streaming of content."
A member further states that he'd like discover a better method for members to share their data issues they're working with and the issues they'd like to resolve at some point in the near future "That can be accomplished through "office timing" or through a method that is efficient to inquire" as long as the process is done in a durable, efficient and effective manner that is beneficial to everyone involved.
Ben affirms that, at the moment his interaction with his fans is done through emails. "I recommend that people reply with a message like 'Hey, tell me about the projects you're doing'. I enjoy it because it's manageable.
A forum chat could be available as well as "cohort classes" which would let students work on Google Sheets issues online together in a small group. "We have completed two of them in 2021 as they were in the forefront of technology. It worked really well However it was extremely intense during the initial five weeks of the program in which we participated in. It was an endless flow of questions. It's been a while when I've not been part of this group in the past as I'm afraid that, if I change it back and I'll be unable to shut it down. This is something I'd like consider, but how do I manage it in the long-term perspective?
"I did not have any live streams when I initially thought of thinking"Just go live and observe what the response is. Determine if it's enjoyable to go live, before I commit to the whole thing. The event is progressing well! The owner is looking forward adding live shows "They're entertaining and participants benefit from these sessions. It will be interesting to discover what will happen!"
Ben runs the Zoom Sessions for his guests.
"Right right now, I'm teaching topics that I'll select a topic which will then be discussed during the live course," he continues. For the cohort course this model was a public audience "People were able to drop in and tell me "Hey, I've got a problem that I'm having trouble with, I'm stuck on this formula and I'm struggling with this formula' and we'd talk about the issue during real-time. Others could also observe. We'll think about this during the next year. It's a great opportunity for everyone to take part."
He concludes that there's a possibility that the idea of a forum for Q&A is definitely an alternative, but he says: "I just want to be sure I'm in a position to complete the job in a manner that doesn't overwhelm me." This conversation indicates Ben has already begun the process of creating the foundation of a constant and strong relationship with his community. It is our opinion that maintaining a connection over time is essential to the longevity of a group "Little steps - we'll slowly expand!" He smiles.
More details
Ben Collins is an educator as well as a writer, programmer and co-founder of The Collins School of Data. Ben Collins develops online classes as well as write to Google Workspace. Google Workspace tools. My focus is the automating the analysis of data by using Google Sheets and Apps Script.
Ben L Collins' website
He enjoys creating lightweight software that is data-driven. It works alongside the Google stack: Google Sheets, Looker Studio, Google Apps Script, Forms, Docs, Gmail and more. For more details, visit benlcollins.com.
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