right application?

[Guest]

This is a small business, and i'd like to be a reseller for marketing lists,
but also offer "database management" and custom reports from the database.
All info is currently in Excel. It works, but it's clumsy. Also, I can't
create custom reports in Excel. 1) Is Access the best software to use? I'm
relatively computer-illiterate. 2) Should I attempt to learn Access on my
own, or is it better to get training? If so, what type? Any info would help!

 

[Aaron Kempf]

I'd reccomend SQL Server, Access is a little bit obsolete

This is a small business, and i'd like to be a reseller for marketing lists,
but also offer "database management" and custom reports from the database.
All info is currently in Excel. It works, but it's clumsy. Also, I can't
create custom reports in Excel. 1) Is Access the best software to use? I'm
relatively computer-illiterate. 2) Should I attempt to learn Access on my
own, or is it better to get training? If so, what type? Any info would

help!

 

[Aaron Kempf]

if you're in the Seattle area-- then I'd reccomend SqlSoft.. if you're
elsewhere; you should go to the closest community college and see what they
offer

don't get me wrong-- Access isn't awful-

but if you want a long-term solution including reporting and stability?
then you're best off lookign at SQL Server

This is a small business, and i'd like to be a reseller for marketing lists,
but also offer "database management" and custom reports from the database.
All info is currently in Excel. It works, but it's clumsy. Also, I can't
create custom reports in Excel. 1) Is Access the best software to use? I'm
relatively computer-illiterate. 2) Should I attempt to learn Access on my
own, or is it better to get training? If so, what type? Any info would

help!

 

[John W. Vinson]

This is a small business, and i'd like to be a reseller for marketing lists,
but also offer "database management" and custom reports from the database.
All info is currently in Excel. It works, but it's clumsy. Also, I can't
create custom reports in Excel. 1) Is Access the best software to use? I'm
relatively computer-illiterate. 2) Should I attempt to learn Access on my
own, or is it better to get training? If so, what type? Any info would help!

Access is very capable of making marketing lists... but it's got a much
steeper learning curve than Excel. If you want to market yourself as providing
database management, prepare to spend a good deal of time (and even more skull
sweat) learning how to do it right (it's VERY easy to do it wrong, even easier
if you're experienced with Excel since it's a very different environment!)

There are lots of resources for learning Access; two places to start looking
are

Jeff Conrad's resources page:
http://www.accessmvp.com/JConrad/accessjunkie/resources.html

The Access Web resources page:
http://www.mvps.org/access/resources/index.html

You may also want to consider hiring or working with someone already
experienced in Access, at least to get started.

John W. Vinson [MVP]

 

[Ed Metcalfe]

This is a small business, and i'd like to be a reseller for marketing
lists,
but also offer "database management" and custom reports from the database.
All info is currently in Excel. It works, but it's clumsy. Also, I can't
create custom reports in Excel. 1) Is Access the best software to use?
I'm
relatively computer-illiterate. 2) Should I attempt to learn Access on my
own, or is it better to get training? If so, what type? Any info would
help!

Brenda,

If this is your first experience of database work I would strongly suggest
there is one thing you need to learn before you start learning the specifics
of MS Access (or any other relational database management system) -
normalisation (or "normalization", dependant on where you're from!).
Understanding this is absolutely paramount. You can be the best Access VBA
person in the world; if you don't understand the basics of normalisation
your databases will still be pants.

Ed Metcalfe.

 

[Joseph Meehan]

This is a small business, and i'd like to be a reseller for marketing
lists, but also offer "database management" and custom reports from
the database. All info is currently in Excel. It works, but it's
clumsy. Also, I can't create custom reports in Excel. 1) Is Access
the best software to use? I'm relatively computer-illiterate. 2)
Should I attempt to learn Access on my own, or is it better to get
training? If so, what type? Any info would help!

I believe Access would be a good tool for what you describe, but I also
suggest that there is a very steep learning curve with Access. I would
suggest looking for a local introductory class in Access (even if you know
another database program) and I would suggest getting to know what
"Normalizing Data" means very well. Do this before you try to start your
project.

Once you get past that first hump you will never look back at using
Excel for your application. Excel is a good tool, but not for the type of
work you describe.

Good Luck