Chapter 3

Setting Up Your Data

Decide what records you need and how they connect, choose fields worth filling in, clean and import your spreadsheet, keep duplicates out, and settle who can see what.

8 lessons · about 53 minutes of reading

Lessons

1. 1The Records You Need and How They RelateMost small businesses need four or five kinds of record. Get the links between them right and the rest of your setup gets much easier.6 min read
2. 2How Records LinkTwo questions tell you how any two records connect. Then meet the record that sits in between, and find out what happens to children when a parent is deleted.7 min read
3. 3Plan Records Around What You DoStart from the work your business repeats, not from a list of nouns. Three signs tell you when something needs its own record instead of a field.7 min read
4. 4Data Models for Different BusinessesFour worked models for four very different businesses, what they share, where they differ, and a planner you can use to sketch one for yours.8 min read
5. 5Fields Worth Having and Fields to SkipEvery field is a small tax on your team. Three questions tell you which ones earn their place, and a short list keeps the data you do collect honest.6 min read
6. 6Cleaning and Importing a SpreadsheetAn import moves your mess into a place where it is harder to fix. Here is how to clean first, test with a few rows, and keep a way back.7 min read
7. 7Duplicates and Naming RulesDuplicates split a customer's history across records, and they multiply quietly. A short naming rule and a monthly cleanup keep them under control.6 min read
8. 8Who Can See WhatIn a small team, most people should see most things. Here is how to work out the few limits that matter, and what to do when someone leaves.6 min read