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Robert (Bob) Steele

If we are a business owner or accounting professional who would like to get a better understanding of what our accounting software is doing

Or

An accounting student or student in general that would like to get a better understanding of what our accounting textbook is doing

This course is a course for us.

Business owners, accounting professionals, and accounting students often have the same problem with accounting. . .

Read more

If we are a business owner or accounting professional who would like to get a better understanding of what our accounting software is doing

Or

An accounting student or student in general that would like to get a better understanding of what our accounting textbook is doing

This course is a course for us.

Business owners, accounting professionals, and accounting students often have the same problem with accounting. . .

that we are focused on one small component of the accounting process and not able to make all the necessary connections to other components of the accounting process to fully benefit from an understanding of how the business runs.

Business owners focus on cash flow and revenue, accounting professionals focus on their component of the accounting department and enter data into the accounting software, and accounting students focus on the topic they are currently working on.

Accounting professional often focus on one component of the accounting cycle like accounts receivable, accounts payable, or payroll often not having much time to consider the relationship with other areas of the accounting cycle.

Accounting software helps simplify the data entry process, but the simplification also restricts us from seeing how the data is being processed into the end product, into financial statements and reports.

Students are focused on one component of the accounting cycle at a time following an accounting textbook that is putting the pieces of the accounting puzzle together one step at a time.

As students zoom their focus into the current topic, they often lose sight of it fits into the larger objective and this loss of sight causes students to question the relevance of what they are losing. Student’s questioning the relevance of what they are learning causes students to lose interest. A loss of student interest causes students grades to fall.

Part of the reason accounting textbooks have a difficult time incorporating the current topic into the big picture is that a textbook is restricted by what can fit on a page and the problems a textbook provides are restricted by what a student can accomplish with paper and pencil.

The use of instructional video providing a step by step process along with Excel that allows students to sum up large columns of numbers in a short time provides the tools to create a comprehensive problem that will demonstrate current topics in the context of the entire accounting process.

Why Take This Course?

We will learn the accounting cycle in a comprehensive way and learn the fundamental of Excel.

Learning the accounting process without Excel or Excel without accounting is a waste of time and not an efficient way to learn either topic.

Like assets being equivalent to liabilities and equity, accounting is equivalent to Excel in many ways and therefore learning Excel will accelerate our learning of accounting and make what we learn more applicable.

Accounting is also the perfect tool to learn Excel. This course will not provide a broad overview of everything Excel can do because that is not a way to learn. Courses attempting to demonstrate all the functions Excel fail to create value for learners because learners will not retain what they learn without a foundation of core concepts and a reason for learning each new function.

This course will cover the fundamentals of Excel, those components used 99% of the time, and the components needed as a foundation for learning more about Excel.

The core components of Excel we will learn include adding, subtracting, and summing up columns of numbers.

We will learn the core concept of Excel through demonstration, repetition, and application to practical problems.

What Will Be Included in This Course?

We will complete a comprehensive problem using both instructional video and application.

Although the course offers much more than just instructional video, it does include over 20 hours of instructional video.

We also include an Excel worksheet with just about every presentation allowing us to both see the completed answer and work through the problems step by step along with the video.

Each Excel workbook includes at least two tabs. One tab will have the answer so that we can see how the completed worksheet is constructed and the second tab will provide us the opportunity to enter the data along with the instructional video.

Who Will We Be Learning From?

We will be learning from somebody who has practical accounting experience as a practicing CPA, teaching experience, curriculum design experience.

Credentials include:

We are learning from someone who has both instruction and curriculum development experience needed to construct comprehensive courses of a technical nature in a way that meets students’ needs and expectations.

What Will We Learn?

We will learn how to complete the components of the accounting cycle and the fundamental of Excel including addition, subtraction, and the sum function.

Below is a short list of what is included in the accounting cycle and what we will cover in the course:

  • Journalizing journal entries
  • Posting to the general ledger
  • Create a trial balance
  • Adjusting entries
  • Bank reconciliations
  • Financial statement generation
  • Closing entries
  • Reversing entries

How Will We Be Taught?

We will learn through viewing and then doing.

We will demonstrate each component of the problem in small digestible parts using both a completed Excel worksheet and instructional video.

We will provide an Excel worksheet that can be filled in along with the instructional video or after watching the instructional video.

Please join us in learning Accounting, Excel, debits, and credits.

It will be Great

Course Content Includes:

  • Start a New Business Section of Accounting & Excel Course
  • 05 Set up New Company Worksheet
  • 10 Set Up Inventory Items
  • 15 Set Up Customer Balances
  • 20 Set Up Vendors Beginning Balances
  • 25 Enter Opening Account Balances
  • Accounting Concepts Section of Accounting & Excel Course
  • 135 Cash Method vs Accrual Method
  • 132 Balance Sheet & Income Statement Relationship
  • 155 Financial Transaction Rules
  • 160 Financial Transaction Thought Process
  • Enter Data for First Month Section of Accounting & Excel Course
  • 05 Owner Deposit & Loan Deposit
  • 10 Purchase Furniture & Record Investment
  • 20 Part 1 Invoice Transaction
  • 20 Part Two Create on Invoice Transaction
  • 25 Receive Payment Part 1
  • 25 Receive Payment Part 2
  • 25 Receive Payment Part 3
  • 30 Cash Sales Transaction Part 1
  • 30 Cash Sales Part 2
  • 35 Deposit Part 1
  • 35 Deposit Part 2
  • 40 Part 1 Inventory Payment
  • 40 Part 2 Inventory Payment
  • 45 Invoice for Preordered Item Part 1.
  • 45 Invoice for Pre-ordered Item Part 2
  • 50 Receive Payment & Make Deposit
  • 55 Part 1 Write Check
  • 55 Part 2 Write Check Part 2
  • 60 Pay Bills
  • 65 Customer Jobs
  • 70 Payroll
  • 75 Job Sales Receipt
  • 80 Financial Statements & Reports
  • 90 Closing Process January
  • 92 Worksheet Month Two
  • Enter Data for Second Month Section of Accounting & Excel Course
  • 05 Make Loan Payments
  • 10 Short Term Investment
  • 20 Receive Inventory With Bill
  • 20 Receive Inventory With Bill Part 2
  • 25 Sales Receipt & Deposit
  • 25 Part 2 Sales Receipt & Deposit
  • 30 Advanced Payment From Customer
  • 35 Apply Credit to Invoice
  • 40 Record Sales on Account
  • 45 Advance Customer Payment
  • 50 Bills Track & Pay
  • 55 Customer Payment on Account
  • 60 Pay Sales Tax
  • 65 Pay Payroll Tax
  • 70 Enter Bills & Pay Bills
  • 75 Service Item & Invoices
  • 77 Purchase Equipment with Debt
  • 80 Payroll
  • 90 Rental Income
  • 95 Financial Statements
  • Bank Reconciliations Section of Accounting & Excel Course
  • 10 Bank Reconciliation January
  • 12 Bank Reconciliation Adjusting Entries January
  • 15 Bank Reconciliation February
  • 20 Bank Reconciliation Feb. Adjusting Entries
  • Adjusting Entries & Financial Statement Section of Accounting & Excel Course
  • 10 Loan Payable Adjusting Entry Part 1
  • 15 Loan Payable Adjusting Entry Part 2
  • 20 Accrued Interest Adjusting Entry
  • 25 Invoice Adjusting Entry
  • 40 Prepaid Insurance Adjusting Journal Entry
  • 45 Depreciation Adjusting Entry
  • 50 Unearned Revenue Adjusting Entry
  • 60 Financial Statements
  • 65 Closing Process February
  • 300 Accrued Interest Reversing Entry
  • 350 Accounts Receivable Reversing Entry
  • 550 Unearned Revenue Reversing Entry
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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Accounting cycle
  • Debits & credits
  • Excel fundamentals - add, subtract, sum function
  • Journalize journal entries
  • Post journal entries to general ledger
  • Create trial balance from general ledger
  • Adjusting entries
  • Bank reconciliations
  • Financial statement generation
  • Closing journal entries
  • Reversing journal entries

Syllabus

Introduction
Course Outline
We will be able to navigate through an Excel worksheet and enter financial transaction for setting up a new business
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Covers the accounting cycle comprehensively, which is essential knowledge for accounting students to understand the flow of financial information
Explores the relationship between different areas of the accounting cycle, which helps accounting professionals understand the impact of their work on other departments
Teaches the fundamentals of Excel, which helps business owners manage their finances and make informed decisions based on financial data
Includes over 20 instructional videos, which can help students learn at their own pace and review concepts as needed
Requires learners to have access to Excel, which may require purchasing a license or subscription if they do not already have it
Uses Excel to solve accounting problems, which may not be applicable to students who are learning accounting using other software or methods

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Reviews summary

Practical accounting & excel integration

According to learners, this course offers a highly practical and comprehensive approach to understanding the accounting cycle by effectively integrating it with Excel. Many find the combination of learning accounting concepts simultaneously with their application in Excel to be a major strength and incredibly useful for real-world scenarios. The structure, which includes downloadable Excel files to follow along, is frequently cited as a helpful resource. While the course is considered excellent for beginners and those needing a solid foundation, some more experienced learners noted that the pace can occasionally feel a bit slow or repetitive. Overall, students appreciate the clear instruction and feel it builds strong confidence in their accounting and Excel skills.
Pace is good for beginners, potentially slow for others.
"Perfect pace if you are new to accounting or need a thorough refresher on the fundamentals."
"Sometimes felt a bit slow due to repetition, especially if I grasped the concept quickly the first time."
"While good for ensuring understanding, the repetition could be trimmed slightly for those with some prior knowledge."
Instructor explains concepts clearly and is easy to follow.
"The instructor is very clear and easy to follow, breaking down complex ideas into manageable parts."
"His explanations are thorough, and the way he walks through the Excel examples makes everything click."
"I found the teaching style engaging and easy to understand, even for challenging topics."
Covers the full accounting cycle step-by-step.
"I appreciated how the course walked through the entire accounting cycle step-by-step, from journal entries to closing."
"It covers everything needed to understand how financial statements are generated from source transactions."
"From journal entries to closing entries and financial statements, it provides a complete picture of the process."
Downloadable Excel files enhance the learning.
"Working with the provided Excel files alongside the videos was essential for active learning."
"The practice files allowed me to apply concepts immediately and check my work against the completed versions."
"Having the completed and blank worksheets for each section was incredibly helpful for practice and understanding."
Applies accounting concepts to real-world scenarios.
"This course provided me with practical accounting skills I can use immediately in my work."
"I learned how to handle real business transactions using accounting principles and see the impact."
"It felt like I was working through actual company financials step-by-step, which is very helpful."
"The focus on practical problems makes this course incredibly valuable for job seekers and professionals."
Effectively teaches accounting using Excel as the tool.
"Learning accounting *through* Excel was incredibly effective and practical, it reinforced both skills at once."
"The way accounting concepts were demonstrated and applied in Excel made them easy to grasp and remember."
"This combination of accounting and Excel is exactly what I needed for my job; it's a perfect blend."
"I appreciated learning the accounting cycle not just theoretically, but by building it out in Excel."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Financial Accounting & Excel–Comprehensive Accounting Course with these activities:
Review Accounting Principles
Solidify your understanding of fundamental accounting principles before diving into the course material.
Show steps
  • Review the basic accounting equation.
  • Study the definitions of assets, liabilities, and equity.
  • Understand the revenue recognition principle.
Practice Basic Excel Functions
Sharpen your Excel skills, focusing on addition, subtraction, and the SUM function, to prepare for the course's practical exercises.
Browse courses on Excel Formulas
Show steps
  • Create a simple spreadsheet with numerical data.
  • Practice using the SUM function to add columns and rows.
  • Experiment with subtraction and other basic formulas.
Review 'Accounting for Dummies'
Supplement your learning with a beginner-friendly guide to accounting principles.
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on financial statements.
  • Complete the practice questions at the end of each chapter.
  • Take notes on key concepts and definitions.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Review 'Excel All-in-One For Dummies'
Supplement your learning with a beginner-friendly guide to Excel.
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on formulas and functions.
  • Complete the practice exercises at the end of each chapter.
  • Take notes on key concepts and definitions.
Journal Entry Exercises
Reinforce your understanding of journal entries by working through a series of practice problems.
Show steps
  • Find a set of accounting exercises online.
  • Record transactions using debits and credits.
  • Check your answers against the solutions.
Create a Financial Statement Template
Develop a deeper understanding of financial statements by creating your own template in Excel.
Show steps
  • Research the structure of income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.
  • Design an Excel template for each statement.
  • Populate the templates with sample data.
Analyze a Public Company's Financials
Apply your knowledge by analyzing the financial statements of a real-world company.
Show steps
  • Choose a publicly traded company.
  • Download their annual report (10-K) from the SEC website.
  • Analyze their income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.
  • Write a brief report summarizing your findings.

Career center

Learners who complete Financial Accounting & Excel–Comprehensive Accounting Course will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Accountant
An accountant is responsible for preparing and analyzing financial records. This course helps build a strong foundation in the accounting cycle, covering journal entries, general ledger postings, trial balances, adjusting entries, and financial statement generation. Accountants benefit from a comprehensive understanding of how different accounting components connect, which this course provides by demonstrating the entire accounting process. The course's focus on practical application in Excel is beneficial, as accountants frequently use spreadsheet software for data analysis and reporting. This course is useful for those seeking to enter the field of accounting.
Staff Accountant
A staff accountant is responsible for various accounting tasks such as preparing journal entries, reconciling accounts, and assisting with month-end close. This course helps build a strong understanding of the accounting cycle, covering journal entries, general ledger postings, trial balances, adjusting entries, and financial statement generation. The course's focus on practical application in Excel is highly relevant, as staff accountants frequently use spreadsheet software for data analysis and reporting. This course is useful for those seeking a career as a staff accountant.
Bookkeeper
A bookkeeper is responsible for recording financial transactions, including purchases, sales, receipts, and payments. This course helps build a strong understanding of the accounting cycle, covering journal entries, general ledger postings, and bank reconciliations, all essential for bookkeeping. The comprehensive approach of the course, along with its practical application using Excel, will be helpful to bookkeepers. This course demonstrates how data entry affects financial statements and provides the opportunity to practice these skills, making it invaluable for those who want to become bookkeepers.
Accounting Clerk
An accounting clerk performs routine accounting tasks, such as data entry, invoice processing, and account reconciliation. This course helps build a strong understanding of the accounting cycle, covering journal entries, general ledger postings, and bank reconciliations. The practical application of these concepts using Excel is particularly relevant, as accounting clerks often work with spreadsheet software. This course is designed for those seeking to enter the field of accounting and is useful for aspiring accounting clerks.
Accounts Payable Specialist
An accounts payable specialist is responsible for processing invoices, managing payments to vendors, and ensuring accurate record-keeping. This course provides a comprehensive understanding of the accounting cycle, focusing on journal entries, general ledger postings, and the management of financial transactions. Since the course uses Excel to apply accounting principles, individuals will be prepared to manage and analyze accounts payable data more effectively. This course is useful for aspiring accounts payable specialists.
Accounts Receivable Specialist
An accounts receivable specialist manages customer accounts, processes payments, and ensures timely collection of outstanding invoices. This course provides a comprehensive understanding of the accounting cycle, including journal entries, general ledger postings, and financial statement generation. The course uses Excel to demonstrate transactions and processes, so this course is useful for individuals seeking to manage accounts receivable with greater efficiency and accuracy. This knowledge is valuable for anyone aiming to become an accounts receivable specialist.
Business Owner
A business owner manages all aspects of a company’s operations, including financial management and oversight. Business owners benefit from a comprehensive understanding of the accounting cycle, financial statement generation, and Excel fundamentals. This course helps build these skills and provides practical experience using Excel for managing financial data. With a better understanding of business financials, owners may make better decisions. This course is useful for business owners looking to improve their financial literacy.
Auditor
An auditor examines financial records to ensure accuracy and compliance with regulations. This course, which covers the entire accounting cycle and bank reconciliations, provides a solid understanding of how financial data flows through a company. Auditors must understand financial statement generation, which is taught in this course. The Excel component is also helpful, as auditors often use spreadsheet software to analyze data. Taking this course may enhance the ability to perform audit procedures effectively.
Financial Analyst
A financial analyst analyzes financial data to provide insights and recommendations for investment decisions. While this course is not focused exclusively on financial analysis, it does help build a foundation in understanding financial statements and the accounting cycle, which are critical for effective analysis. The Excel skills taught, including adding, subtracting, and summing functions, are also crucial for analyzing financial data. This course may be helpful for those seeking a career as a financial analyst.
Tax Preparer
A tax preparer assists individuals and businesses in preparing and filing tax returns. While this course does not focus specifically on tax law, it provides a strong understanding of financial statements and the underlying accounting principles. An understanding of the accounting cycle, taught in this course, helps inform tax preparation. The Excel component can be useful for organizing and calculating financial data for tax purposes. This course may be useful for tax preparers.
Payroll Specialist
A payroll specialist manages the payroll process, ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time. While this course does not focus exclusively on payroll, the course covers journalizing transactions, posting to the general ledger, and understanding the accounting cycle. The Excel skills taught in this course, such as adding, subtracting, and summing functions, are valuable for payroll calculations and reporting. This course may be useful for those seeking to become payroll specialists.
Cost Accountant
A cost accountant analyzes production costs to assist in pricing, budgeting, and cost control decisions. Cost accountants benefit from a comprehensive understanding of the accounting cycle, which includes journal entries, posting to the general ledger, and creating financial statements. This course helps build these skills while providing practical experience using Excel for data analysis. Cost accounting roles often benefit from advanced degrees in accounting (master's). This course may be useful for those interested in cost accounting.
Budget Analyst
A budget analyst is responsible for developing and monitoring budgets. While this course does not focus exclusively on budgeting, it provides a foundation in key accounting principles, including the creation of financial statements and understanding the accounting cycle. The Excel skills taught within the course are valuable for creating and managing budgets. Budgeting is a role that often requires advanced degrees (master's). This course may provide foundational skills for a budget analyst.
Treasurer
A treasurer oversees a company's financial health, manages investments, and ensures the organization's financial stability. This course focuses on the accounting cycle and the use of Excel, offering practical experience in setting up company worksheets, managing inventory items, and handling customer and vendor balances. These skills are crucial for effective financial oversight, making this course useful for those aspiring to be treasurers.
Controller
A controller manages a company’s accounting and financial reporting, ensuring accuracy and compliance. This course offers a comprehensive understanding of the accounting cycle and the use of Excel, helping to build a solid foundation in essential accounting tasks like journalizing entries, posting to the general ledger, and creating trial balances. Controllers often hold advanced degrees (master's). Since the course uses Excel to apply accounting principles, this course may be useful for controllers.

Featured in The Course Notes

This course is mentioned in our blog, The Course Notes. Read one article that features Financial Accounting & Excel–Comprehensive Accounting Course:

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Financial Accounting & Excel–Comprehensive Accounting Course.
Provides a solid foundation in accounting principles for beginners. It explains complex concepts in a simple and easy-to-understand manner. It is particularly helpful for students who need a refresher on basic accounting concepts. This book can be used as a reference text throughout the course.
Provides a comprehensive guide to Microsoft Excel. It covers a wide range of topics, from basic functions to advanced features. It is particularly helpful for students who want to improve their Excel skills. This book can be used as a reference text throughout the course.

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