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Most businesses are already sitting on useful data, but it is often hidden away in spreadsheets, CRMs, accounts systems or other tools that do not always talk to each other.

This practical beginner’s workshop will show you how to start using Microsoft Power BI to bring your data together, build simple dashboards, and make better decisions based on clear information rather than guesswork, gut feeling, or the mysterious spreadsheet someone built in 2017 and nobody dares touch.

The session is designed for business owners, managers and team members who want to understand their data better but are not sure where to start.

You do not need to be a data expert. The workshop will start from the basics, using Excel tables as the starting point, before showing how that data can be connected into Power BI and turned into a working dashboard.

During the workshop, we will cover:

What data your business actually needs

Before building any reports, we will look at how to identify the information that is genuinely useful to your business. This includes understanding what questions you want your data to answer, what information helps with decision-making, and what data may simply be adding noise.

Getting your data ready

We will look at how to prepare simple Excel tables so they can be used properly in Power BI. This will include the importance of clean, consistent data and how small improvements at the source can make reporting much easier.

Connecting data to Power BI

You will see how Power BI can connect to Excel and other common data sources, helping you understand how information from different systems can be brought together in one place.

Building a simple dashboard

We will walk through how to create a basic working dashboard, including useful visuals, summaries and filters. The focus will be on creating something that answers real business questions, rather than just producing charts that look impressive but do not help anyone make a decision.

Refreshing and updating your dashboard

We will cover how Power BI reports can be refreshed and updated, so your dashboard can continue to be useful after the session and does not become another manual task quietly waiting to be forgotten.

Using data to make better business decisions

The session will also include practical guidance on how to interpret what your dashboard is showing, spot trends, and use the information to support better decisions.

By the end of the workshop, you will have a clearer understanding of how Power BI works, how it can connect to your existing data, and how dashboards can help you see what is really happening in your business.

You will also receive a practical handout to refer back to after the session, so you can revisit the steps covered and continue building your confidence once you are back at your desk.

This workshop is ideal for:

Business owners who want better visibility of their numbers

Managers who rely on spreadsheets but want clearer reporting

Teams who want to reduce manual reporting and duplication

Anyone who wants to understand how Power BI can help them make better use of existing business data

No previous Power BI experience is needed.

Suggested session outcome:

Attendees will leave with a practical understanding of how to connect data to Power BI, build a simple dashboard, and use that dashboard to support clearer, more confident business decisions.

Meet the Trainer

Adam Thacker – Sustained Innovation Ltd

Adam has spent much of his career quietly questioning why capable businesses so often make things more complicated than they need to be. You have likely seen it too: spreadsheets battling for control, a filing system only Colin from Accounts truly understands, or processes so convoluted they would leave the Minotaur politely asking for a map.

What Adam excels at is spotting that kind of nonsense, unpicking it, and showing that working smarter does not have to involve stress, disruption, or yet another bit of software no one asked for.

He has worked with organisations such as Aviva, Verisk, and Ardonagh, as well as a wide range of growing local businesses across Norfolk and beyond. Regardless of size or sector, the pattern tends to repeat itself. Clearer processes, better use of data, and happier people will always outperform chaos and crossed fingers.

That is Sustained Innovation. Less friction, more clarity, and businesses that actually feel good to run. Because when things work properly, people do too. And when people do well, business stops feeling like a constant uphill battle.

Eligibility:

These small group workshops are funded by Norfolk County Council, Suffolk County Council, and The Department of Business and Trade and are open to any trading business, freelancer, or charity based in Norfolk or Suffolk, UK.

By registering for this workshop you are agreeing to our terms and conditions.

New Anglia Growth Hub T&Cs

Due to funding restrictions, only one ticket per company is available initially. If a workshop is not fully booked, a second ticket may be requested the day before the event by contacting jo.barnard@newangliagrowthhub.co.uk