Customer relationship management databases

Some customer relationship management databases come with the basics only; others offer a lot of bells and whistles that you may not need. Poll your sales teams and customer service employees who will use the database software on a daily basis to find out what features are must-have items.

I recommend: Act! Premium database software is a leader in CRM and sales force automation and can be customized to fit your specific needs.  Biz-Tech Customer Database Software works well for small businesses that need to track sales, have a customer contact database and mail merge to that list. Entellium offers several web-based database software solutions to help with CRM and sales force automation.

Server based databases

Server based databases are ideal for large companies or small businesses that have multiple users or staff who log on from remote locations. By centralizing server based databases to one server, you enable the IT department to keep tabs on access privileges and maintenance.

I recommend: Oracle Database software, Microsoft SQL Server database software, FileMaker Server software and IBM's DB2 dbase software are all good solutions for small and large companies that need server based databases. WebOffice by WebEx allows you to build a database that is hosted online so that you don’t have to have a dedicated server for your database.

Desktop based databases

For many small businesses, desktop based databases are sufficient. They allow you to share the database on a local network or by purchasing multi-user licenses.

I recommend: AlphaFive and FileMaker are user-friendly desktop based databases that are easy to build and customize. Microsoft Office Access and IBM Lotus Approach also allow you to build your own desktop based databases. PrimaSoft PC database software comes with more than 100 ready-to-use database templates.

Database software programming tools

Programming tools can help you customize your database software.

I recommend: Check out tools on Microsoft’s website to assist in writing code and building your Visual FoxPro database. The Scriptology Theme Library offers templates and layouts for FileMaker Pro. EMS SQL Management Studio offers database administration and development tools for Microsoft SQL database software.

Custom databases

If off-the-shelf database programs don't meet your needs, hire an IT consulting firm that creates custom databases.

I recommend: The Zodeca Company specializes in creating custom databases and in customizing existing database programs.