5 Tips to Choose the Right Database Management Solutions for Small Business

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Shivam TechnologiesSuite 1209, 530 Little Collins Street

Melbourne Victoria 3000 Australia

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?

Database Management Solutions

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1. Business Size and Scalability

A small business may have limited database needs to start with, butthen it should consider that it will experience growth maybe after 6-12months. Let’s take an example, a start-up may be able to manage itsdatabase using MS Access from its desktop. However, as it startsgrowing in a few months, it will feel the need for a more robustdatabase that is hosted on a cloud server, and is accessible 24/7. Atthat time, database migration may eat away into precious time andenergy. So, database planning must be based on the medium-long term.

Choosing an Efficient Database Management System

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Large businesses that have 1,000s of computers shouldwork with mainframes(IBM, Oracle) while medium businesses can work with anopen source or packaged solution (cloud-based or in-houseserver-based). The database solution depends on the sizeand scalability of the business.

2. Database Type

A database must be designed for the business and it mustsupport various relations and interactions. It must berobust, flexible and speedy (for data retrieval). Databasescan be flat-file (limited scope, okay for small amounts ofdata), relational (mostly used by small-mediumbusinesses), object-oriented (which can handle differentmedia formats), hierarchical (mostly used on mainframesby large companies), and network databases (also mostlyused on mainframes). Every business owner musttherefore engage the technical folks working for thedatabase management system vendor, explain his business,and then choose the right database system. Else, he canalways hire a database consultant.

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3. Affordability

Today, it is possible to get a database system for acouple of hundred bucks. Complex systems costmore. Start-ups should buy a basic system and thenupgrade it when the need arises. Many companiesnow offer cloud-based SQL/NoSQL databasemanagement systems at low prices, and manybusiness owners are opting for such solutionsbecause of their efficiency and affordability. Plus, themaintenance and updates are taken care of by thecloud vendor, and that lifts a big financial burden offbusiness owners’ shoulders (because otherwise theywould have to hire a database maintenance crew).

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4. Vendor Quality

The database system developer must have a great trackrecord along with many satisfied customers. There’s nopoint compromising on the developer to save a fewdollars. Business owners must realise that databasesmust work efficiently and speedily on a 24/7 basis, andalso offer tight security. Therefore, it makes sense to buy adatabase management system from a quality vendor.Business owners who choose a cloud vendor must ensurethat the installed software is of high quality and that thevendor 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 yetmove smoothly, speedily and efficiently. A slow-moving database can ruin the userexperience, alienate customers and drive them into the competitors’ arms. Thedatabase also must be able to filter data and present concise reports that help themanagement take appropriate decisions. It should also present information in avariety of formats such as PDF, doc, spreadsheet, etc.

Every small business owner must take his time and choose the right softwarefrom the plethora of database management solutions available in the market. Thetips given above will help all business owners zero in on the right databasesystem.

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Shivam Technologies

Suite 1209, 530 Little Collins Street Melbourne Victoria 3000

Australia Phone: 1300 894 506Fax : (03) 9614 5858

Email: info@shivam.com.auWebsite: www.shivam.com.au