No Software, No Problem: Simple Bookkeeping in Excel
Background
Sometimes a really small business asks us for help. This case study is about one of those — a brilliant one-person business, juggling everything and occasionally dropping a few balls along the way. Bookkeeping was one of the things getting dropped.
Without an accounts system in place, and with no desire to take on the extra monthly cost of one, the business owner needed a simple, low-cost solution. We set out to design an easy-to-use Excel cashbook template that could be picked up and updated whenever time allowed — yet still comprehensive enough to hand straight to the accountant at tax return time.
Our Approach
At first, the idea of creating a manual cashbook template felt like a step back in time — but it’s something we’ve built and used in practice many times before. We knew our experience could make it both practical and insightful.
We began by understanding:
The client’s goals – what they needed the report for.
Their Excel confidence level – how comfortable they were using formulas and tabs.
Transaction volume – to define what reporting was realistic.
This gave us a “wish list” of what the template needed to deliver.
Next, we reviewed the source data: Would there be imports or would it be manual? Was there more than one bank account?
And finally, we asked — what could we do to make it really sing for the client?
Actions Taken
We started with a completely blank workbook. The data review confirmed it would be fully manual entry across two bank accounts, so we built in:
Transaction types and project references
A running balance to aid reconciliation
Automated reporting via lookup formulas
We then designed a set of worksheets to separate data entry from reporting:
Entry sheets left open and flexible
Reports locked and protected to keep calculations safe
Reports included a Profit & Loss and Project Costing summary, which could be refreshed instantly by changing a single reference.
Because our client wasn’t a finance professional, we kept everything intuitive — using plain language, familiar terminology, and colour coding to make navigation and understanding easy (and yes, it was a bit bright, but it worked for them!).
To wrap up, we created a comprehensive user guide using screenshots and colour references and delivered face-to-face training to ensure confidence and understanding.
Outcomes
A business that once had no visibility over cash flow now has a clear picture of what’s coming in and going out.
Projects that previously ran on “hope” are now supported by simple, clear financial insights.
Most importantly, we helped the client overcome their fear of accounting.
They’d been nervous about “systems” — but we gave them a tool that fit their size and comfort level perfectly.
While this Excel template isn’t a replacement for software like Xero or QuickBooks, it was the right first step for this micro-business — building confidence and control, ready for the day they make that move.
Porterdale Comments
This client was a joy to work with. We had honesty from the start and great communication throughout. When the opening line is ‘I don’t want to use or pay for Xero’, you know you’ve got to pull something special out of the bag.
The beauty of this project was in its simplicity. From one data entry sheet with eight columns, we built a suite of useful, intuitive reports. Back to basics — with a flourish of Excel magic.
Whilst this isn’t our usual kind of project, it shows exactly what we do best: take a problem and resolve it.
Get in touch with us today if you’ve got something similar – Contact us.
Words by Lindsey Owen