Microsoft Excel - Adding a Plus at the Start of Numbers

I was recently asked if there was any way in Microsoft Excel to have a plus (+) in front of numbers. It's super easy to get the minus (-) symbol in place, but the plus (+) is not automatic. Here's my super quick solution to this common problem!

---

Here's our data. You'll see we've worked out the variance between the actual and the target figures. We have both positive and negative results in the variance column, but there are no plus (+) symbols in front of the positive numbers seen in the before table, below.

To add them, follow the instructions below:

1. Select all of the figures in the variance column.

2. Use the following keyboard shortcut to open the Format Cells Menu: CTRL + 1

3. In the menu that opens, select the Number tab and select custom from the menu on the left.

4. In the window on the right, scroll all the way down to the bottom and select the option: +###;-### (See the image below)

5. Click OK and your plus symbols (and minus symbols) should be in place!

---

There is always a solution in Excel! I hope you found this one useful!