Anna Manning is a founding director of an engineering startup company, having worked for eight years as a data scientist at Manchester University. A specialist in data mining and data protection, she contributed to the development of software for protecting confidential data now used by national statistics agencies worldwide. She served as a data analyst and database administrator for large and small law firms and for a nonprofit organization. Dr Manning’s papers in the field of data mining have been published in various research journals. She has a PhD in data mining and a Master’s degree in Informatics from the University of Manchester, an honors degree in Law from the University of Law, and a BA Hons. in Mathematics from Trinity College, Dublin.
Databases for Small Business: Essentials of Database Management, Data Analysis, and Staff Training for Entrepreneurs and Professionals
by Anna ManningView All Available Formats & Editions
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
Overview
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.
What you’ll learn
- 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
Who this book is for
Databases for Small Business is a practical handbook for entrepreneurs, managers, staff, and professionals in any small organization who are not IT specialists but who recognize the need to ramp up their small organization's use of data and to round out their own and their staff's business expertise and office skills with basic database proficiency.
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 Laws and Your Data 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 and Retrieving Your Small Business Data
Chapter 18. Storing Your Database in the Cloud
Chapter 19. Searching Online Databases for Your Small Business Needs
Chapter 20. Training Your Staff
Appendix
Product Details
- ISBN-13:
- 9781484202784
- Publisher:
- Apress
- Publication date:
- 11/19/2015
- Edition description:
- 1st ed. 2015
- Pages:
- 318
- Product dimensions:
- 6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)
Meet the Author
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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I write as one who has both worked for a small business and helped other businesses, large and small, organize and make productive use of their data. As I read "Databases for Small Business" I am impressed at how clearly the author explains the benefits of databases for even the smallest business. In spite of her expertise as a specialist in data mining she avoids technical jargon and makes her points with admirable clarity. I recommend this book for any small or start-up business which desires to take full advantage of the information it is creating and using.
The book begins with a brief discussion of the potential benefits for even a small business of storing its data in a database, rather than using spreadsheets. Three sample scenarios are given of different types of enterprises: a small manufacturing company, a law office, and a non-profit. The information goals and needs of each are examined and practical examples given to assist in the design of a stable and successful relational database. In addition, considerations of security, privacy, and integrity of the enterprise’s information are given practical and detailed examination. Finally, the author underlines the importance of frequent back-ups and the benefits of using the Cloud for this purpose.
This is a book that is indispensable for anyone planning to start or develop a new business. It needs to be read carefully and with attention, but its value as a resource cannot be overstated.
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