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Don't Overload Your Small Business

Adam Groff

October 21, 2014

When it comes to big data, there's a difference between useful information and an influx of data that overloads your small business.

Luckily, there are some pretty clear signs to look for when too much data becomes a problem.

With big data deluges in mind, here are 4 signs that your small business might just be experiencing a data overload:

1. Too Much Data to Process

You've probably used the acronym TMI, or too much information, but did you know the same phrase can be applied to your business's data processing? When your business receives too much data, it results in processing errors and important data that isn't utilized.

One sign that your business is experiencing a data overload is backlogged data sets. When your business has backlogged data from multiple sources, it slows processing speeds across the board. This results in a lack in overall data performance and a decrease in storage capabilities.

2. An Absence of Insight

Big data is all about providing your small business with valuable insights. Raw data is just that until it's properly processed. The data your business collects should provide insightful answers like which products are most popular with your customers and which areas of customer service need to improve.

When your big data game plan no longer provides your small business with these insights, it's probably a sign of data overload. As mentioned before, too much data slows processing, which also results in an absence of insight. Without insight, your business misses out on the true value of big data.

3. Out of Control Data Sources

When your small business suffers from information overload, it becomes close to impossible to control how your data gets to you.

As the following article shows, this idea of out of control data is just one of “4 signs of big data information overload.” Extracting data from the right sources is just as important as collecting and storing it.

An influx in data could turn the extraction process on its head.

Although many big data proponents will tell you all data makes a difference, trying to gather data from multiple sources will result in an overload and cause a major headache for your business.

4. Problematic Integration

Along the same lines as data extraction, properly integrating the data your business collects is an important aspect of big data. Sure, integrating multiple feeds of data is key, but if all that information bogs down the process, then you're likely experiencing an information overload.

If your small business's digital domain can't integrate multiple data sets, then it can't interpret, analyze, or manage all of that information. Much like the overload issues above, a sign of problematic integration is data that longer makes sense and thus ceases to help your business achieve its data management goals.

How to Remedy the Problem

Big data won't do your small business any good without a little analytics thrown in the mix.

Taking an analytical approach to your big data will help your small business extract insights and knowledge from your data. This allows your business to do more with the data it already has as opposed to taking on more data than it can handle.

By keeping in mind the pointers above, your small business will better balance its data and avoid problematic overloads.

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