Choose the right tool

Storing names and addresses is one of the ways that a computer can help with the running of a small organisation. If you've got this information on a PC then you'll find it easier to produce customer lists, to print envelopes or mailing labels, or just to retrieve someone's phone number.

You've three ways of approaching the problem. Make sure you pick the right one.

Word Processor

The simplest way is just to type the names into a word processor. This is quick and easy but you'll find it difficult to do anything useful once you've got more than a few pages of entries. A list of names and numbers can be displayed in a neat format in Word but there is little scope for arithmetic or analysis.

Spreadsheet

The next step up is to use a spreadsheet. Use one column each for name, address, phone number etc and put each customer's details on a new row. It's not really what the spreadsheet was invented for but you'll be able to search through the entries, sort them into alphabetical or date order, and use the spreadsheet as the basis for printing a run of labels or form letters.

This can be a good solution for a small number of entries.

Database

The disadvantage with spreadsheets is that you're stuck with the rows and columns. You'll spend a lot of time scrolling up and down the screen to find the entry you want and then you'll have to scroll side-to-side because the screen isn't wide enough to show an entire address. A database gets around this problem.

A database is more difficult to set up because you've got to define a structure for the data before you start. Once you've got the structure though, you can use it to display the information you want in the format that you want. You can have one screen that shows a full list of names, another that shows names and addresses one at a time, and another that only shows overdue invoices.

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