Using excel for variable data with InDesign

Someone referred me to this site. Hope this is the right place. Two issues.

Issue 1:

I created a 6-column excel file to place into a 6-up event ticket template (actually 8-up but I didn't use last two positions)

When you view the video you'll see that the data merge begins with 1. Yet when I merged, the final document starts with #2. #1, 36, 71, 106, 141, 176 are missing from the printed tickets. Should I be starting my excel file at 0?

http://www.pelhamprint.com/uploads/RAFFLEMOVIE.mov

Here is the jpg of my excel file: http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2002281983166983272

 Issue 2:

I'm doing a data merge (again with InDesign). Business name, person, address. In some cases, I have a person's name but no business and in others I have the business name but no contact person. How do I get the merged document to not skip a line if there is no business name? The order of info is Contact, Business, Address, City State Zip. Thx. 

grmgroup

I am a bit stumped on the mac, but I suspect the issue is more around InDesign, with which I have no experience.

Couple of things I would look at

1. It looks like there should be a setting in InDesign that is using the first row as 'Headers' which you don't have. I would therefore just insert a row as if they were there, (probably best to name the headers, just column1, column2...etc. will do). I would also name the data range. I always use the range name 'Database' as this seems to help Excel find it's data. (Insert>Name>Define).
2. The setting to suppress blank lines must be a setting in InDesign, as it would be in MS Word for example. This would never be a setting in the data source. Although you should make sure that the data has no leading or trailing blanks that you can't see as InDesign will likely not see those cells as blank.

HTH

Thanks for responding. I put the headers in which should fix the numbering. I'll have to figure out the contact/business thing.

Another problem. I want to start a new column. I type in 3 or 4 entries and am trying to get the rest of the column to autofill. Here's a QT link to what I'm trying to do and the instructions I was given on the right side. I have Excel for Mac.

http://pelhamprint.com/uploads/ExcelScreenSnapz001.mov 

Just select the bottom two entries (214 and 215) and then, in the bottom right corner of the selection is a small square. (The fill handle), double click it and the data will fill based on the 'series pattern' of the selection. (In this case step 1)