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Build and share a working business dashboard

The capstone project for Excel, Google Sheets & Business Dashboards — a free Data & Tech course. Pass it and you earn a certificate anyone can verify.

Start the course free Download the project workbook

The project unlocks once you complete the lessons. The workbook is free to download now so you can see exactly what is expected.

What you will submit

A shareable Google Sheets link (set to Viewer access for anyone with the link) containing the Data, Calcs and Dashboard tabs described above, with the written explanation visible on the Dashboard tab.

What to do, step by step

  1. Create a new Google Sheet with three tabs named Data, Calcs and Dashboard. In the Data tab, enter at least 40 rows of realistic sales for one small Nigerian business (a provisions shop, salon, phone-accessories stall, or 'mama put'), with clean headers: Date, Item, Quantity, Unit Price (₦), Total (₦), and Payment Method (Cash/POS/Transfer). Use a Data validation dropdown for the Payment Method column so entries stay clean.
  2. Clean your data using the techniques from Lesson 4: use TRIM/PROPER on text columns, force all amounts to real numbers (no ₦ signs or commas inside cells), put every date in DD/MM/YYYY format, and remove any duplicate rows.
  3. On the Calcs tab, build at least one PivotTable summarising sales by product (Item in Rows, Total in Values as SUM) and use SUMIF to total sales by Payment Method. Use a formula to calculate total sales, total expenses (add a small expenses list), profit (sales minus expenses) and profit margin as a percentage.
  4. On the Dashboard tab, show the headline KPIs as big bold naira-formatted cells (total sales, total expenses, profit, profit margin), apply conditional formatting so any negative profit shows red, add a low-stock REORDER flag with IF, and add at least two charts with clear titles: a bar chart of top products and a pie or bar of payment-method share.
  5. Set sharing so the link opens to anyone as a Viewer (for grading), then copy the share link.
  6. Write a short explanation (150-250 words) of what your dashboard shows, the single most useful insight in it, and one concrete recommendation you would give the business owner based on the numbers. Put this explanation in a text box or a clearly labelled section on the Dashboard tab.

Files to work with

Project workbook (fill in, then submit)The whole brief, an evidence checklist, the grading rubric as a self-check and the link-sharing steps in one file. Opens in Word, Google Docs or WPS.Word · 6 KB

How it is graded

CriterionWeight
Clean, well-structured data: separate tabs, clear headers, real numbers, consistent DD/MM/YYYY dates, dropdown validation and no duplicates20%
Correct use of formulas and at least one working PivotTable (SUM/SUMIF, profit and profit-margin calculations that compute correctly)25%
A clear, decision-ready dashboard: headline KPIs, conditional formatting for negatives, a working low-stock flag, and at least two well-titled charts30%
Sharing set correctly so the link opens as Viewer, and the sheet is genuinely usable by a shop owner15%
A clear written explanation with one real insight and one concrete, actionable recommendation10%

You need 65% overall to pass. A failed submission comes back with feedback and can be revised and resubmitted.

Before you submit: make your link public

If your work lives in Google Drive or Google Docs, open Share → General access and change “Restricted” to “Anyone with the link” (Viewer). Then paste the link into a private browser window: if it opens without sign-in, you are ready. A private link cannot be graded — it is the single most common reason a good project fails.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to finish Excel, Google Sheets & Business Dashboards before submitting the project?

Yes. The submission screen opens once every lesson in Excel, Google Sheets & Business Dashboards is marked complete. The lessons are where the methods, the Nigerian context and the worked examples the project depends on are taught.

How is the project graded?

An examiner scores each rubric criterion from 0 to 100 and weights them as shown on this page; you need 65% overall to pass. Most submissions are graded within minutes and you get written feedback on what was strong and what to improve.

Can I resubmit if I fail?

Yes. A failed project comes back with feedback; revise the weak parts and resubmit. A passed project is final — the certificate is issued and cannot be re-rolled.

What do I actually submit?

A write-up of what you did (under 5,000 characters) plus a public link to your work — a Google Drive folder, Google Doc, spreadsheet, GitHub repository or video. The link must open without sign-in; a private link cannot be graded. The free project workbook on this page walks you through all 6 steps.

Is the certificate real?

Yes. Passing this project issues a certificate with a unique verification code. Anyone — an employer, a client, a school — can open the verification page and see that the certificate is genuine and which project earned it.

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Excel, Google Sheets & Business Dashboards is free and self-paced. Finish the lessons, complete this project, and the certificate is yours to share.

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