>What is the best way to start creating eCommerce abilities for small (very small) businesses? Online database and secure credit card transactions are needed.

For putting a database online:
- look at UT knowledgebase articles
- WestWind articles at http://www.west-wind.com/Articles.asp

If you do a search here and on the WestWind board you will find some discussions on security. Good words are "secure", "ecommerce", "https".