5 Tips to Choose the Right Database Management Solutions for Small Business
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Shivam Technologies Suite 1209, 530 Little Collins Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Australia
www.shivam.com.au
Database Management Solutions Every business, one-man-show, small, medium or large, must work with databases if it has to survive and thrive in the ecommerce era. Databases hold just about everything – content, blogs, email lists, inventory, customer lists, prospects’ lists, requests to customer service, and more. Databases enable transactions and help business owners better understand existing and potential customers. Without databases, there can be no ecommerce, no MIS, no data mining, and even no Web 2.0 or 3.0 or 4.0+. So, if a small business owner has to work with databases, how should he choose from the multiple database management solutions available in the market?
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Choosing an Efficient Database Management System 1. Business Size and Scalability A small business may have limited database needs to start with, but then it should consider that it will experience growth maybe after 6-12 months. Let’s take an example, a start-up may be able to manage its database using MS Access from its desktop. However, as it starts growing in a few months, it will feel the need for a more robust database that is hosted on a cloud server, and is accessible 24/7. At that time, database migration may eat away into precious time and energy. So, database planning must be based on the medium-long term.
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Large businesses that have 1,000s of computers should work with mainframes (IBM, Oracle) while medium businesses can work with an open source or packaged solution (cloud-based or in-house server-based). The database solution depends on the size and scalability of the business. 2. Database Type A database must be designed for the business and it must support various relations and interactions. It must be robust, flexible and speedy (for data retrieval). Databases can be flat-file (limited scope, okay for small amounts of data), relational (mostly used by small-medium businesses), object-oriented (which can handle different media formats), hierarchical (mostly used on mainframes by large companies), and network databases (also mostly used on mainframes). Every business owner must therefore engage the technical folks working for the database management system vendor, explain his business, and then choose the right database system. Else, he can always hire a database consultant.
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3. Affordability Today, it is possible to get a database system for a couple of hundred bucks. Complex systems cost more. Start-ups should buy a basic system and then upgrade it when the need arises. Many companies now offer cloud-based SQL/NoSQL database management systems at low prices, and many business owners are opting for such solutions because of their efficiency and affordability. Plus, the maintenance and updates are taken care of by the cloud vendor, and that lifts a big financial burden off business owners’ shoulders (because otherwise they 2 would have to hire a database maintenance crew).
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4. Vendor Quality
The database system developer must have a great track record along with many satisfied customers. There’s no point compromising on the developer to save a few dollars. Business owners must realise that databases must work efficiently and speedily on a 24/7 basis, and also offer tight security. Therefore, it makes sense to buy a database management system from a quality vendor. Business owners who choose a cloud vendor must ensure that the installed software is of high quality and that the vendor running the cloud is reputed and experienced.
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5. Retrieval and Interaction The database should hold complex data across different business areas and yet move smoothly, speedily and efficiently. A slow-moving database can ruin the user experience, alienate customers and drive them into the competitors’ arms. The database also must be able to filter data and present concise reports that help the management take appropriate decisions. It should also present information in a variety of formats such as PDF, doc, spreadsheet, etc. Every small business owner must take his time and choose the right software from the plethora of database management solutions available in the market. The tips given above will help all business owners zero in on the right database system. www.shivam.com.au
Shivam Technologies Suite 1209, 530 Little Collins Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Australia Phone: 1300 894 506 Fax : (03) 9614 5858 Email: info@shivam.com.au Website: www.shivam.com.au