Chapter 1
Introducing Big Data for Small Businesses
In This Chapter
Understanding what big data is and why it’s so important
Taking a peek at the different types of data
Putting big data to work in your business
Big data has been making big headlines over the last couple of years, but it’s much more than just a buzz phrase or the latest business fad. The phenomenon is very real and is producing concrete benefits in so many different areas – from business to medical research to national security.
The basic idea behind big data is that everything you do is increasingly leaving a digital trace (or data), which you (and others) can use and analyse. Big data therefore refers to that data being collected and the ability to make use of it.
In this chapter, I look at how this phenomenon is transforming the way you do business. I also look at what sorts of data are available these days and introduce my step-by-step processes for using big data in business.
Personally, I don’t love the term big data because I think it places far too much emphasis on the sheer volume of data, when, as I talk ...
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