Small Business Design Resources

Secrets of Data Organization for Small Businesses

Are you still storing your business contact info in your e-mail program or on your cell phone? Or, worse yet, is your “database” a collection of business cards stashed in a shoe box? Stunning as it may seem, a significant number of small business owners still use outdated methods to store important business contact information.

“No matter their size or the sum of their annual receipts, businesses live or die on data,” says Tom Stearns, a data organization expert with CardScan. “For small businesses that rarely have access to advanced IT support, successfully organizing and protecting contact information can mean the difference between success and disaster.”

Organized contact information provides numerous benefits to small business owners, including less time spent developing mailing lists for marketing materials, and improved customer service. Paper documents, such as business cards, can get lost or damaged and are difficult to organize. Putting information on a computer hard drive can help organize information and make accessing it easier, but may also put it at risk if your desktop crashes or your laptop is stolen.

Stearns offers the following tips for small business owners looking to organize their contact data:

* If you haven’t already done so, consider putting your collection of business contact information into an electronic format. Readily available software makes it easy to capture and organize information.

* Look for programs, like CardScan software, that make it easy to input data. You’ll want to be able to scan hard copy business cards, but also be able to consolidate data from other software applications such as Outlook. The easier the better, too; CardScan actually allows you to highlight contact information in an e-mail or on a Web page, then drag and drop it into the CardScan program. The software automatically recognizes data fields and organizes them accordingly.

* Applications like Outlook are capable of helping you store and organize data, but aren’t dedicated to the task. Consider software that is specifically designed for data organization, especially one that is made with small businesses in mind.

* Be sure your database software can be synced with your other electronic devices or software, such as your mobile device, BlackBerry, smart phone or e-mail application. This ability will help ensure information remains current across all applications and devices you may use to access it.

* Backup your data regularly. There are a number of ways to backup data, but backing up to an online service offers several unique advantages, Stearns says. For example, users of CardScan At Your Service can opt to have their data backed up automatically on a regular basis. Further, the service automatically updates whenever you add or change information.

* When scanning business cards, opt for an application that prompts you to check the accuracy of information. “It may seem convenient to use software that directly captures information into an e-mail application like Outlook, but that can create data errors and duplications,” says Stearns. Choose software, like CardScan, that recognizes potential errors and duplications, and prompts you to verify information before it’s incorporated into your address book. “CardScan software interacts with the user during the capture process, so when it flags a potential duplication, you will actually see an alert that highlights the dupe and helps you reconcile any new information.”

To learn more about data organization for small businesses, visit www.cardscan.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent