Most small businesses have a MySQL database lurking somewhere in their hosting plan — a lonely little data vault sitting in cPanel next to “Email Accounts” and “PHPMyAdmin.” And most of them never touch it. Which is a shame, because that database is capable of powering a real, functioning business app — without paying Airtable or Quickbase $50 per seat for the privilege.
Here’s how you can dust off that forgotten database and make it actually useful with InfoLobby.
Step 1: Dig Out That Database
If you have a website hosted with GoDaddy, Bluehost, HostGator, or any of the usual suspects, you almost certainly already have MySQL installed. In fact, over 70% of the world’s websites run on MySQL (W3Techs) — so chances are, you do too.
Log into cPanel and grab the credentials for your database. That’s usually just:
- Host
- Database name
- Username
- Password
If you don’t have a database yet, don’t panic — you can create one in about 30 seconds in cPanel. It’s as easy as naming a pet.
Step 2: Connect It to InfoLobby
Head over to InfoLobby and connect your database. There’s no migration, no copying, no black box magic — InfoLobby talks directly to your MySQL. That means your data stays where it is, and you’re never locked into anyone’s platform.
Once connected, you’ll instantly see your tables. From here, you can:
- Add new tables with a drag-and-drop builder
- Invite team members with admin, read/write, or read-only access
- Search, filter, and edit rows without touching SQL
It’s like phpMyAdmin grew up, put on a suit, and learned how to talk to humans.
Step 3: Make It Useful
This is where the fun begins. You can now treat your MySQL database like an internal business app:
- Build a simple CRM from your
contactstable - Track projects or inventory with table views
- Share data with your team without giving them direct DB access
You can even add related sub-tables — for example, tasks attached to projects or line items on invoices — and view them inline. It feels less like a database and more like a proper product.
Step 4: Add Some Brains With Automations
Right now, InfoLobby is more than just a GUI. It includes code-based automations that can run on-create, on-update, on-delete, or on a schedule. These scripts can query data, and update records.
For example:
- When a new lead is added, set some defaults
- Every night, update a “status” field based on the day’s activity
- When an order is marked “Paid,” generate an invoice record
Think of automations as your invisible intern — one who doesn’t complain, take breaks, or mysteriously stop showing up on Mondays.
Step 5: Scale It Without Losing Sleep
Here’s the kicker: because InfoLobby connects directly to your MySQL, there’s no arbitrary row limit. You’re not stuck paying more when you pass 125,000 records like Airtable’s free tier (Airtable Pricing). MySQL can handle millions of rows without breaking a sweat — and so can InfoLobby.
And since you’re in control of the database, you can access your data at any time, even if you stop using InfoLobby. No ransom notes. No export headaches.
The Bottom Line
If you’ve been sitting on a cPanel MySQL database like a dragon on a hoard of gold, InfoLobby is the pickaxe that turns it into treasure. In under 10 minutes, you can go from “I have a database I never use” to “I just built a custom business app for my team.”
It’s the fastest way to squeeze real value out of something you’re already paying for — and it might just make you wonder why you ever considered paying $500/month for a glorified spreadsheet.