Excel like a finance pro.
Work backwards to the number you need
AltA, W, GTables & dataTell Excel the answer you want and it finds the input that gets you there.
Difficulty
1What it does
"What revenue gets us to breakeven?" is a question most people answer by typing guesses into a cell until the number looks right. Goal Seek does that for you: you name the cell you want to hit, the value you want it to hit, and the input it's allowed to change. It only works on one input at a time and the target cell has to be a FORMULA that depends on it — but within that, it turns ten minutes of trial and error into two seconds.
2The shortcut
- 1Press
Alt + A, thenW, thenGto open Goal Seek. - 2**Set cell:** the formula you want to control — net income, say.
- 3**To value:** the number you want it to reach. **By changing cell:** the input, which must be a typed number, not a formula.
3Before → after
Press the shortcut to play it on a sample sheet.
Before — revenue is a guess
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Revenue | $486,000 |
| 2 | Gross margin % | 38.0% |
| 3 | Operating expenses | $164,000 |
| 4 | Net income | $20,680 |
Set the net income you want, then press Goal Seek. B4 is a formula that depends on B1, which is what makes this work — Goal Seek can only move a typed number.
4When you use it
- Find the revenue that produces breakeven at your current cost base.
- Work out the price that hits a target gross margin.
- Find the payment that clears a loan by a date you've promised.
Want these moves already done for you? Wauvel's free tools download as branded, formula-driven Excel models — Tables, named ranges, and all.
Learn the moves here — or let Wauvel run them on your numbers.
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