1) Finding an Expert Excel Programmer

What do you do if you need to hire an expert Excel programmer, just how do you go about doing so? Well, there are a variety of ways to do so, some better than others. So what exactly is possibly the best way? Well I consider one of the best ways is to take the advice from an experienced expert Excel programmer, or even better yet, from a person that has owned and operated their own Excel programming firm. Like I said, this is not the only method, but it is one of the safest ones. And safety should be one of your top concerns.

So why is it that I mention safety as a concern? Simple, the reason I mention safety is that there are so many unqualified Excel programmers listed on the web. True, there are tens of thousands, if not more, of amazing Excel programmers on the internet. However there are those that are not really Excel programmers, they are really Excel users, however skilled they may be with Excel, they are users, not programmers, and there is a difference.

Even worse, when it comes to the web, anyone can call themselves anything, and they can attempt to make money doing so. For example, lets say that you stop reading this article now, and that you go to HostMonster.Com where you register a new web address with the words Excel programmer in it. To make it easy on you they also sign you up for a hosting package with them. They throw in a free starter web template to get you up and running right away. You then take a few minutes to sign up for a Google AdWords account so you can create an ad campaign, where you then create a single ad using the keywords words Excel programmer, with an ad budget of $10 a day. Viola, you are now an Excel Programmer! Pretty exciting stuff.

Shortly after setting up your new web based business you receive an e-mail from the form on your website, from your first lead, asking you to create a 2010 Excel PowerPivot. You quickly reply asking them to make a retainer payment of $100 in your Google CheckOut account. After the payment has been made you create an Excel 2007 pivot table and you send the workbook to your client. 15 minutes later you get an angry e-mail saying that the file is all wrong, that it does not do what they want it to, that they want a PowerPivot, not a pivot table. You say you created a power pivot table. They reply back, no, they want a PowerPivot, not a pivot table, and that they are not the same thing. The argument continues until you stop taking their e-mails. You angrily do not refund their money. Ultimately they did not get what they paid for because a PowerPivot and a PivotTable are not the same thing. So as you can see, anyone can call themselves an Excel programmer. Now this is an extreme example, but an example none the less. As such, safety should be a top priority.

Here is how I recommend you go about the process to hire an expert Excel programmer.

1. Go to Google.
2. Type in the phrase ‘hire excel programmer’
3. Look at the Google results.
4. Click one of the Google organic listings, not the Google AdWords paid ads.
1. Organic lists are preferred as these tend to show what Google believes to be the authorities on the topic.
2. Organic listings take time to achieve, and cannot be purchased.
5. Look at the sites that show up, do they look good?
6. If they do, take a look at the site. 
1. Look for testimonials. 
2. Do you see a written guarantee? 
3. See how long have they been in business. 
4. How many years experience do the Excel programmers have? 
5. Does the owner do the Excel programming part-time or full-time?
6.  Are the Microsoft Excel programmers part-time or full-time? 
7. Are any MVPs, teachers, authors, instructors, bloggers, etc? 
8. Do they have examples you can download? 
9. Do they have screen shots to look at? 
10. Do they display their full names, their LinkedIn profile, etc? 
11. Does the site look legit?
7. If everything on the site looks good to you, go ahead and contact the company, do so either via the phone, their form, or e-mail.
1. Let them know what you want Excel programming help.
8. You may want to contact up to five programming firms.
9. The speed at which the companies respond to you as well as the quality of their response should be taken into consideration.  Are they professional or young and inexperienced?  How they represent themselves on the call and in their e-mails could represent how they do their work.
10. Once they respond to you, what you will want to determine is what the total cost of the Excel project is, not what the hourly rate is.  The hourly rate only really only matters when you pay them by the hour.
1. Typically, when paying programmers by the hour, most of the quality firms start at $100 an hour and go up from there, some as high as $185 an hour.
2. The lower the rate the lower the quality, in most cases, so be careful.
11. In addition to the project cost, make sure to get a 100% money back guarantee.
1. You will also want to make sure in advance that you will be given the password, if there is one, once the final payment has been made.
1. Often files are protected while the project is active, to protect both parties.
12. If you have contacted several firms you will have one or more estimates for your Excel project.  You will need to determine if any of these are within your budget, both in terms of time and money, as both are important. 
1. You will now need to decide which firm to award the Excel project.
1. Do not take this lightly.
2. Please note, it should come down to more than financial cost.  Excel workbooks are not commodities, but rather custom applications and they will not be alike.  They may look similar, but behind the scenes they will be built differently.  So there is much more to this than cost.
3. One additional and very important aspect to consider is which firm you want to deal with if your file breaks.
4. And remember, sometimes you do get what you pay for, and sometimes you get even less.  So be careful here.
13. After you have made your selection you need to tell them.  They may require a retainer.  If so it may be as much as 100%, dependent on the size of the project.  This may or may not be negotiable.
1. Retainers often exist because in the past some clients have not paid.
1. Web firms require retainers as well.
2. Payments are made via PayPal, Google CheckOut, credit cards, wire transfers, and checks.
14. Programs such as GoToMeeting are often used for the consultation, product reviews, and so on, so that you can discuss your needs, review your files, etc., while both of you can view the documents in real time, sharing the mouse and keyboard if so desired. 
1. These are great programs and they allow you to work as if you are sitting side-by-side.
15. Once your project begins you will want to make sure you communicate with the Excel programmer frequently, and that your developer sets and meets deadlines, and that you make sure to review your Excel files as the project unfolds.  You always want to be a part of the programming process.  It is your Excel application and you need to make sure it does what you are paying the Excel programmer for it to do.
16. Before you make the final payment, try to test the file thoroughly.

If you take your time, and if you follow the detailed steps above, you will be able to hire an expert Excel programmer to do exactly what you need to have done, without spending a fortune.  The outcome of your Excel programming project for the most part depends on you, the steps you take, and on your willingness to take the time to find the right expert Excel programmer, as there are many wrong Excel programmers out there.  So take the time, do the proper research, do all of the interviews, always go with your gut feelings, and you too should be able to hire an expert Excel programmer for your Excel programming project.