One of the fundamental differences between large and small businesses are the ways they manage their budgets. Of course, a local retailer has far less financial wiggle room to invest in new technology than a global corporation, therefore, one may assume it's best for the small business to make the most of what it has. President of SurePayroll Michael Alter says, however, that the truth is quite the contrary.

In an article for Inc.com, Alter said that small business owners rely on "organization, a solid business model and an ability to adapt," and while a system that's been in place for years may still be functioning, it could be nearing the end of its lifespan and there's probably a better one available anyway.

Alter explained that there are a few specific processes that small business owners should put serious thought into upgrading. The first is data storage. Many businesses may still be saving their information on a local server, a hard drive or even a filing cabinet, but not only can these options be very pricey and require a lot of maintenance, they don't protect any data in the instance of a fire or theft. Remote storage in the cloud is cost-effective, in that it only requires users to pay for the amount of space they are currently using, and it's safe.

Alter said that small businesses should also look into changing their customer relationship management system. Oftentimes, companies use spreadsheet software to keep track of customer information, but those programs are vulnerable to inaccuracies and are difficult to manage.

If your business stores its important information in a system that is outdated and you think you may be ready for an upgrade, talk to a FileMaker consultant and explain what data your operation relies on. With that information, FileMaker developers can use custom database software to build a user-friendly and reliable program for your business.