15 Great Microsoft Office Optimization Tools

Excel Downloads

You don't need to be a spreadsheet pro if you want to get more out of Excel. With the following downloads, you can create a calendar, and get hundreds of new functions for managing your business.

Excel Calendar Template

This program's name says it all: It's a template for Excel that lets you create a calendar. Included are 2008, 2009, and 2010, as well as several past years. The calendar covers popular holidays, and is elegant and easy to read; each month gets its own tab. It's great for printing, or for using right inside Excel.

You can customize the calendar's look by changing the color scheme. In addition to a month-by-month calendar, you also get a year at a glance, including a space for notes.

Download Excel Calendar Template | Price: Free

Business Functions

Looking to use Excel to run your business? Then you'll want this free add-in, which has 500 functions to help with just about any business analysis, budgeting, or tracking you require. Need functions specifically for real estate, such as those having to do with rent? They're in here. So are functions for other specific industries, as well as hundreds of general-purpose functions.

No need to run this program separately; it integrates directly with Excel, and is available as menu options. No matter what you desire for your business, it probably has something for you, including a nifty time-chart creator and much more.

Download Business Functions | Price: Free