Intro: Why I’m Writing This Series
This is for people like me who may have seen what Power Query could do early on but felt too intimidated to try.
Back when I first saw it in action, I was impressed—but (wrongly) assumed it was beyond my capabilities. (Spoiler alert: it’s not. It’s actually super user-friendly.)
So instead, I did the silly thing and tried working with macros & VBA instead (ha). That didn’t last long. I quickly discovered that although powerful, it was clunky, slow, increased file sizes to ridiculous amounts, and was too complex for the average user to get started on right away.
I can't quite recall what made me approach Power Query on my own, but I think I just wanted something that helped me get my repetitive work done faster so that I could take on more challenging work. You know, the kind that actually makes you think. (No idea why I like doing that, I guess I should probably get that checked out.)
I’m also a huge advocate for saving time in general, especially when it comes to absolutely annihilating what one of my prior coworkers once called, "monkey work". That is to say: simple tasks that a monkey could accomplish.
(Do I believe apes will one day take over? Perhaps. I will pay for my insolence then, in full ‘Planet of the Apes’ fashion.)
And yet, even with that motivator, I remember how slow-going and confusing it was at the beginning. Power Query felt like a foreign language, and I needed a translator, specifically for the tasks I was attempting to accomplish.
That’s why I created this series: to offer the kind of step-by-step guide I wish I’d had. Something that walks through an accounting process from start to finish—and translates regular Excel-speak into Power Query-speak.
It will be project based. It will be broken down into small, digestible steps, that once put together will give you a real automation that does the ‘monkey work’ for you.
We will start with automating simple journal entries, then more complex ones, and eventually work up to reconciliations.
Along the way, I will demonstrate how even beginner skills can help you create complex automations. (Don’t worry—I’ll still share plenty of intermediate and advanced tips as we go.)
This is the series I wish I had: a place to start, build confidence, and grow your skills the right way (if you’re someone with in an accounting position or even a small business owner who would like to create automations for their own bookkeeping process).
Hope it helps! Here we go.
Posts:
(if not yet a link, the post is not yet available but can be expected soon)
- How to Get Started
- Translating Excel Functions to Power Query Functions