I. Introduction
Calculating percent increase is an important skill to have in Excel, especially for financial analysts, business owners, and students. This skill can help you analyze business growth, track price changes, and evaluate investment opportunities. In this article, we will explore different approaches to calculating percent increase in Excel.
II. A Tutorial-Based Approach
Let’s say you want to calculate the percent increase in sales from one quarter to the next. The formula for calculating percent increase in Excel is (new value – old value) / old value * 100. To apply this formula, you need to follow these steps:
- Enter the old value and the new value in adjacent cells in Excel
- Subtract the old value from the new value
- Divide the result by the old value
- Multiply the result by 100 to get the percentage
Let’s say your sales were $50,000 in Q1 and $60,000 in Q2. You can apply the formula as follows:
- Enter 50,000 in cell A1 and 60,000 in cell B1
- Enter =B1-A1 in cell C1
- Enter =C1/A1 in cell D1
- Enter =D1*100 in cell E1
Your final result will be 20%, which means that your sales increased by 20% from Q1 to Q2.
III. Problem-Based Approach
Let’s say you want to determine the percent increase in the price of oil over the past year. You can collect the necessary data from a reliable source, such as the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), and input it into Excel. Here are the steps to follow:
- Open Excel and create a new workbook
- Copy and paste the date and price data for the past year into adjacent cells
- Select the last and first prices in the cells, and use the formula in step 2 of the tutorial-based approach to calculate the absolute increase
- Use the formula in step 3 of the tutorial-based approach to calculate the percentage increase
For example, let’s say the price of a barrel of oil was $60 on January 1st, 2020, and it increased to $80 on December 31st, 2020. You can apply the formulas as follows:
- Enter 60 in cell A1 and 80 in cell A365
- Enter =A365-A1 in cell B1
- Enter =B1/A1 in cell C1
- Enter =C1*100 in cell D1
Your final result will be 33.33%, which means that the price of oil increased by 33.33% over the past year.
IV. Video Tutorial
If you prefer a visual demonstration, you can watch a video tutorial that walks you through the process of calculating percent increase in Excel. The video can include real-life examples, such as calculating your monthly budget or monitoring your website traffic, to make the tutorial more relevant to your needs. Visual aids, such as screen recordings and annotations, can also guide you through the process.
V. Quick Tips Article
If you’re short on time or prefer a quick reference guide, you can read a quick tips article on calculating percent increase in Excel. This article can include keyboard shortcuts, such as CTRL+SHIFT+% for formatting as a percentage, and tricks to remember formulas, such as applying the absolute cell reference ($) to fix the reference points. It can also outline common mistakes to avoid, such as using the wrong cell references or forgetting to multiply by 100.
VI. Infographic-Based Approach
For a more visual approach, you can view an infographic that explains the steps for calculating percent increase in Excel. The infographic can include examples and/or scenarios to make the information more relevant to your needs. It can also provide a call-to-action for you to download or share the infographic to help others learn the same skill.
VII. Conclusion
Calculating percent increase in Excel is an important skill that can help you make informed decisions in various fields. In this article, we covered different approaches to calculating percent increase, including tutorial-based, problem-based, video tutorial, quick tips, and infographic-based approaches. Each approach has its advantages and can help you learn or refresh this useful skill in Excel. We encourage you to practice these approaches and continue learning about Excel to improve your productivity and effectiveness.
