Practical Margin
Free starter resource · Excel workbook

One owner.
One next action.
A clear due date.

Give every enquiry a useful next step. This simple tracker helps you see what needs attention, what is waiting, and which records need a little more detail.

Download the blank tracker Try the worked example

Free .xlsx files. No signup. The Guide is inside each workbook.

Inside the fictional worked exampleReference date: 8 November 2026
Practical Margin Enquiry Tracker showing seven fictional records. One is overdue, one is due today and three need their input details checked.
This is a calculated render of the supplied worked example, not a live customer dashboard. All businesses and enquiries shown are fictional. Its fixed reference date keeps the practice exercise repeatable.

Small details that make the next step clear.

The worked example shows how an owner, an action and a date fit together. It also includes incomplete records so you can practise fixing them.

Rendered workbook detail: the Owner column contains Owner 1, Owner 2 and Owner 3 for fictional enquiries.

Give it an owner.

“Demo Studio A” belongs to Owner 1. An open enquiry needs someone responsible for its next step; a blank owner is flagged for checking.

Calculated workbook render · Fictional data
Rendered workbook detail: specific next actions include Prepare a draft quote and Confirm the required dimensions.

Make the action specific.

“Prepare a draft quote” tells someone what to do. Update the next action after each contact instead of relying on a vague “deal with this”.

Calculated workbook render · Fictional data
Rendered workbook detail: an open enquiry due 7 November is overdue, and a waiting enquiry due 8 November is due today at the example's reference date.

Work from the due date.

At the example’s 8 November reference date, 7 November is overdue. Waiting remains active, so a waiting item due on the reference date is still due today.

Calculated workbook render · Fictional data

Two files. Clear instructions.

Start clean, or practise first. Both workbooks include a Tracker sheet and a Guide with instructions and an editable owner list.

01 · Blank workbook

Your own enquiries

A clean copy with prepared input rows and calculated checks. Its reference date uses TODAY(); recalculate or reopen the file each day to refresh it.

Download blank Excel workbook ↓enquiry-tracker.xlsx
02 · Worked example

Practise with fictional data

Seven invented records show different statuses and three missing details: due date, owner and next action. The fixed 8 November 2026 reference date makes the examples repeatable.

Download worked example ↓enquiry-tracker-example.xlsx
03 · Guide in both files

Know what the fields mean

Instructions cover the daily routine, flags, required inputs, dates, optional estimates and limitations. Use the owner list in the Guide to adapt the workbook to your process.

Read the starting steps below ↓Open the Guide tab inside either workbook.

Start with one enquiry.

Use the worked example if you want to explore before entering your own details.

  1. Download and save your copy.

    Open the .xlsx file in Microsoft Excel, then read the Guide. Keep a clean copy before adapting the workbook.

  2. Set up the owner list.

    Edit the owner names in the Guide. Use the clean Tracker for your own enquiries; every example business in the separate practice file is fictional.

  3. Add the next step.

    Enter one enquiry per prepared row, using rows 11–210. Fill the required details, including owner, next action and due date. Pale yellow cells are inputs; grey G:H and N cells contain formulas.

  4. Check, review and save.

    Fix any “Check inputs” issue. Filter Due flag to Overdue and Due today, then sort Due date oldest first. Update the next action and due date after contact, and save the file.

Review input issues as well as due work. A record with an input issue is excluded from due counts. Check the “Check inputs” total and the row’s Input check before relying on a filtered list.

A manual tracker, with clear limits.

  • It does not send emails, issue alerts, connect to an inbox, sync with a CRM or follow up automatically.
  • The prepared range supports 200 enquiries, in rows 11–210. Do not extend it by adding rows without updating and testing the formulas.
  • Dates use calendar days. Times of day are ignored. “Complete” means the enquiry is closed, not that a sale or payment happened.
  • Estimated values are optional, unweighted estimates. They are not booked revenue or forecasts.

Keep your file in your care.

  • Download and save the workbook locally. Your changes live in your saved copy; keep backups and share customer information carefully.
  • Formulas are not password-protected. Pasting can bypass validation, so keep an eye on input checks.
  • This starter is for Microsoft Excel. Google Sheets import and compatibility have not been verified.
  • Formula and saved-file checks and visual review have been completed. Native Excel dropdown, filter and sort interaction has not yet been exercised.

Better systems. Less busywork.

Watch the first Practical Margin Short for the three questions behind the tracker: who owns it, what happens next and when is it due?

Watch the three-field Short

Try a clearer next step.

Choose a clean file or a fictional example. No signup required.

Download blank tracker Download worked example