Databases for Small Business

Databases for Small Business: Essentials of Database Management, Data Analysis, and Staff Training for Entrepreneurs and Professionals

This book covers the practical aspects of database design, data cleansing, data analysis, and data protection, among others. The focus is on what you really need to know to create the right database for your small business and to leverage it most effectively to spur growth and revenue.

Databases for Small Business is a practical handbook for entrepreneurs, managers, staff, and professionals in small organizations who are not IT specialists but who recognize the need to ramp up their small organizations’ use of data and to round out their own business expertise and office skills with basic database proficiency.

Anna Manning―a data scientist who has worked on database design and data analysis in a computer science university research lab, her own small business, and a nonprofit―walks you through the progression of steps that will enable you to extract actionable intelligence and maximum value from your business data in terms of marketing, sales, customer relations, decision making, and business strategy.

Dr. Manning illustrates the steps in the book with four running case studies of a small online business, an engineering startup, a small legal firm, and a nonprofit organization.

Databases for Small Business teaches non-techie entrepreneurs and professionals how to:

• Design a small business database from scratch
• Extract the maximum profit from your data
• Follow guidance on data protection law
• Effectively use data collection and data cleansing techniques
• Train staff to leverage your data

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: How Data Can Benefit Your Small Business
Chapter 2: A Small Engineering Company: Case Study
Chapter 3: A Small Law Firm: Case Study
Chapter 4: A Small Nonprofit: Case Study
Chapter 5: Aligning Your Database With the Goals of Your Small Business
Chapter 6: Choosing Between Spreadsheets and Databases
Chapter 7: Designing Your Small Business Database
Chapter 8: Data Protection, Security, and Privacy Policy
Chapter 9: Collecting Your Data
Chapter 10: Cleansing Your Data
Chapter 11: Maintaining Your Database
Chapter 12: Searching Your Database
Chapter 13: Analyzing Your Data
Chapter 14: Reporting Your Small Business Data Analysis
Chapter 15: Acting on Reports
Chapter 16: Acting on Outside Requests
Chapter 17: Archiving Your Database
Chapter 18: Storing Your Database in the Cloud
Chapter 19: Searching Online Databases
Chapter 20: Training Your Staff