FAQ: Simple Profit & Loss

Most of the time, it’s because the folder hasn’t been unzipped yet. Files opened from inside a ZIP folder may not open or save properly.

1. On Windows: right-click the downloaded ZIP folder and choose Extract All.
2. On a Mac: double-click the ZIP folder to unzip it.
3. Open the tracker from the new, unzipped folder.
4. If Excel shows a yellow Protected View bar at the top, click Enable Editing.

This tracker uses fonts that are included in your download. Installing them makes sure everything displays the way it’s designed to.

1. Close Excel completely. If the tracker is open while you install, the fonts may not apply correctly.
2. Open the Excel Files folder in your download, then the Install Fonts subfolder.
3. Double-click each font file and click Install.
4. Once all the fonts are installed, open your tracker and the formatting will display correctly.

Using Google Sheets? There’s nothing to install, the fonts are already built in.

Google Sheets runs in your web browser, so there’s nothing to install. You just need a free Google account.

1. Sign in to Google. If you have a Gmail address, you already have a Google account. If not, create one for free at accounts.google.com.
2. Open your Start Here PDF and click the Google Sheets link.
3. Click Make a copy. This saves your own copy of the tracker to your Google Drive.
4. That’s it! Your copy saves automatically as you work. To find it again, go to sheets.google.com or your Google Drive, on any device.

Always work in your own copy. Please don’t request edit access to the original link, since your copy is the one that’s yours to keep.

Yes, both. Your download includes the Excel file and a link to the Google Sheets version. They work the same way, so pick whichever you already use.

Yes. The Excel version works on both Mac and PC, and Google Sheets works on any device with a web browser.

The tracker isn’t compatible with Apple Numbers, since it doesn’t support all of the formulas. On a Mac, use Excel or Google Sheets instead.

The blank file is yours to fill in. The EXAMPLE file is fully populated so you can see how everything flows together. Use it for reference only and enter your own numbers in the blank file.

Not at all. If you know your monthly income and expenses, you’re ready. The setup guide walks you through every tab, and helper notes in the workbook guide you as you go.

Those cells are locked to protect the formulas and automated links. Only the white cells are for your inputs. Blue cells calculate automatically.

We recommend keeping protection on so nothing breaks by accident. If you do need to make a change, here’s how.

In Excel

1. Click the tab you want to unprotect at the bottom of the workbook.
2. Go to the Review tab in the ribbon at the top of the screen.
3. Click Unprotect Sheet.
4. When you’re done, go back to Review and click Protect Sheet to turn protection back on.

Protection is set separately for each tab, so repeat these steps for every tab you want to change.

In Google Sheets

1. Go to Data in the menu at the top, then click Protect sheets and ranges.
2. A panel opens on the right side of the screen, listing each protected tab.
3. Click the tab you want to unprotect.
4. Click the trash can icon next to its name, then click Remove to confirm.

To protect it again, open the same panel, click Add a sheet or range, choose the Sheet option, select the tab and click Set permissions.

Just need a quick edit? You don’t have to remove the protection. When you try to type in a protected cell, a Heads up! message will appear. Click OK and you can make your change. To skip the message while you work, tick Don’t show this again for 5 minutes before clicking OK.

The Dashboard fills in once there are numbers on your Profit & Loss tab. If you’ve entered numbers and it’s still blank, check that the year on the Setup tab matches the year you’re tracking.

Try Undo first (Ctrl + Z, or Cmd + Z on a Mac). If that doesn’t fix it, copy your numbers into a fresh copy of the blank template from your download folder.

Go to the Setup tab and type your new names in the 4 main expense category cells. Your Profit & Loss and Dashboard update automatically.

On the Profit & Loss tab, type them in the white cells below each main category header. You can add up to 15 subcategories for revenue and up to 15 for each main expense category.

The Profit & Loss shows the first 7 rows of each section by default. Click the + in the left margin to expand the section and reveal the extra rows.

Enter them as negative numbers. Revenue and expenses are entered as positive values, and anything that reduces them, like discounts, returns or recoveries, is entered as a negative.

Yes. On the Setup tab, select your starting month from the drop down menu. The months on your Profit & Loss and Dashboard follow it automatically.

Yes. On the Setup tab, replace the dollar symbol with your currency symbol and it updates throughout the workbook.

Save a copy of your file for the new year. In Excel, use File, then Save As. In Google Sheets, use File, then Make a copy. Then update the year on the Setup tab and clear last year’s monthly totals.

No. The Dashboard updates automatically from your Profit & Loss tab. The only thing you can add is your own commentary in the Notes section.

On the Setup tab, type YES (Excel) or tick the checkbox (Google Sheets) in the Hide Helper Notes cell. All notes disappear at once. Clear it any time to bring them back.

Hide the helper notes first for a clean view. Then go to File, then Print and choose landscape and fit to one page. To share it, save or download it as a PDF.