Attendees building a Power BI dashboard during a training session

Power BI Essentials Course

Learn the fundamentals of Power BI and build clear, interactive reports and dashboards with confidence.

5 Star Rated

In-House Training

Public Courses

1 Day Course

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Trainer showing a group how to build visuals in Power BI

Why Power BI Skills Matter

Power BI is one of the most valuable data skills in modern business.

Organisations are collecting more data than ever - but without the ability to turn it into clear insights, it often sits unused in spreadsheets, reports, or disconnected systems.

Power BI helps you bring data together, clean it, analyse it, and present it through interactive dashboards and reports that make decision-making faster and clearer.

But many beginners feel overwhelmed at the start - especially by data modelling, relationships, measures, and choosing the right visuals.

This Power BI Essentials course makes it simple.

It’s practical, step-by-step training that shows you how Power BI works and how to build reports that are clean, usable and genuinely helpful in the real world.

You’ll learn how to:

Import and transform data using Power Query
Build a simple data model and understand relationships
Create key visuals (charts, tables, cards and slicers)
Build a clear, interactive report page layout
Understand basic DAX measures (in plain English)
Publish and share reports confidently (with best practice in mind)

Whether you’re working in finance, operations, HR, sales, project teams or leadership, Power BI skills help you work smarter and communicate insights more clearly.

Microsoft Power BI Essentials Course Content

For in-house training the course can be tailored to your specific requirements.

Every participant receives:

A comprehensive course workbook packed with notes, exercises, and templates.
Step-by-step frameworks and templates to apply what you've learned.
Practical examples that can be applied to real workplace challenges straight away.
Certificate of Completion after the course.

Introduction to Power BI

An accessible introduction to Power BI and how it fits into the modern Microsoft data ecosystem.

This module shows you where Power BI adds value compared to tools like Excel.

What Power BI is and where it fits within Microsoft 365
Understanding the difference between Power BI Desktop, Service, Mobile and Pro licences
Exploring the typical Power BI workflow: Get Data → Transform → Model → Visualise → Publish
Identifying practical examples where Power BI is more suitable than Excel

Getting to Know the Power BI Desktop Environment

Get to know Power BI Desktop to help you feel comfortable navigating the interface before building reports.

Touring the Power BI Desktop interface
Understanding the three core views: Report, Data and Model
Seeing where Power Query fits into the overall workflow
Using the Fields pane, Visualisations pane and Filters pane
Understanding file types: PBIX vs PBIT and when to use each

Getting and Connecting to Data

Learn how to connect Power BI to different data sources and make smart choices about what data to load.

Understanding Import vs DirectQuery in simple, practical terms
Connecting to Excel files
Connecting to CSV and text files
Connecting to a simple database using a pre-prepared SQL example
Navigating the Navigator pane effectively
Choosing which tables, sheets and data to load

Querying & Shaping Data with Power Query

This module focuses on cleaning and preparing data so it’s ready for analysis and reporting.

Understanding what Power Query is and why clean data matters
Using the Applied Steps pane to track and manage changes
Changing data types correctly and understanding why this is critical
Removing, splitting and merging columns and renaming fields clearly
Filtering and sorting data efficiently
Creating Custom Columns using simple M expressions
Replacing errors and handling messy data

Building a Simple Data Model

A crucial module that explains how Power BI relationships work and why data modelling matters for accurate reporting.

Understanding why relationships are essential in Power BI
Exploring one-to-many and many-to-one relationships
Understanding why many-to-many relationships can cause problems
Introducing primary keys and surrogate keys (light explanation)
Understanding relationship direction and its impact
Introducing the Star Schema using a simple visual example
Checking, creating and editing relationships in Power BI

Introduction to DAX & Measures

A beginner-friendly introduction to DAX that focuses on understanding rather than memorisation.

Understanding what DAX is and how it differs from Power Query and Excel formulas
Learning the difference between calculated columns and measures
Creating your first measures using SUM
Counting rows using COUNTROWS
Creating a simple percentage measure using DIVIDE
Understanding why measures are dynamic and model-driven
Viewing measure results in visuals
Formatting measures as currency and percentages

Visualisations in Power BI

Learn how to turn data into clear, meaningful visuals that answer real business questions.

Choosing the right visual for the right message
Creating charts, tables and matrices
Using maps and avoiding common mapping mistakes
Adding slicers for numeric, categorical and date-based filtering
Using basic tooltips to add context
Sorting visuals correctly and avoiding misleading charts
Applying conditional formatting using colour scales and data bars

Report Layout & Formatting

This module focuses on making reports look clean, professional and easy to use.

Applying report styling using colour themes and consistent formatting
Aligning visuals for clarity and readability
Using shapes, text boxes and images effectively
Setting page size and backgrounds appropriately
Creating simple bookmarks (time permitting)
Understanding page-level, visual-level and report-level filters
Hiding pages and creating basic navigation buttons

Output, Sharing & Publishing

The final module shows how to share and distribute reports realistically and responsibly.

Exporting data from tables and visuals
Exporting report pages to PDF
Publishing reports to the Power BI Service (demo if accounts are unavailable)
Understanding workspaces at a high level
Exploring basic sharing options and understanding Pro licence requirements

Course Delivery

In-House Training

Private in-house courses are available by contacting me. Delivered in-person at your site or another location of your choice. Training can also take place online via Teams.

In-house sessions allow me to tailor the content to your organisation’s specific goals, culture, and challenges.

Public Courses

Regular public courses available to everyone. Live, online training classes delivered via Microsoft Teams.

Perfect for individuals or a small number of attendees. Interactive and engaging to give you the classroom experience while building your skills and confidence.

Public Course Dates

Book instantly onto one of my regular public courses below. Online Microsoft Power BI courses are delivered as live instructor-led training via Microsoft Teams.

Looking for Microsoft Power BI in-person or remote training for your team?

Please contact me to discuss in-house training options.

Who Is This Course For?

This Power BI Essentials course is designed for professionals who want to analyse data more effectively and present insights clearly using interactive dashboards and reports.

You don’t need any prior Power BI experience, but you should be comfortable working with data in Excel, such as using formulas, tables, filters, and basic analysis.

I recommend at least having Beginner Excel skills, or even Intermediate.

This course is especially valuable for:

Professionals working with data – who want to move beyond spreadsheets and create clearer, more visual insights
Managers and team leaders – who need dashboards and reports to support better decision-making
Finance, HR and operations teams – who regularly analyse and report on performance data
Analysts and aspiring analysts – who want a strong foundation in Power BI and data modelling
Confident Excel users – who want to take the next step into modern BI tools
Business owners and project teams – who want visibility and insight without relying on complex systems

Whether you’re exploring Power BI for the first time or want to understand how it really works under the hood, this course gives you a clear, practical starting point.

Trainer leading a Power BI course about dashboards

Why Choose Mark Baglow Training

Practical & Interactive

Every course is full of real examples, and designed so you can apply what you learn immediately. No meaningless dry theory!

Courses are highly interactive and engaging with discussions, group work and practical exercises.

Results-Focused

I don’t just teach skills - I help you achieve outcomes. I provide you with guidance for continued learning and development after the course.

Detailed course workbooks provide you with comprehensive information on everything we cover and how to put it into action.

Flexible Delivery

Training available in-person across the UK or online via Microsoft Teams. Public and in-house options available.

In-house courses are tailored to your specific needs. Content and length to suit your requirements.

No off-the-shelf learning - just the learning you need.

Proven Track Record

Trusted by organisations nationwide, with consistent 5-star feedback and repeat clients who value practical, impactful learning.

Over 10 years’ experience designing and delivering management and communication training across sectors including education, software, and financial services.

Mark recently came to visit us to provide our management teams with some vital tools to enable us to navigate all possible scenarios we could face in day to day management of teams and individuals.