litemotif

I don't even know where to begin, it's so confusing. Okay, here's what's up. I'm trying to create a database for a research project for online companies. Keeping track of various products that are sold, cards accepted, etc. Not gotten very far past fields and tabs. The help desk people tell me not to use templates, start from scratch but I want file tabs and such. Wonder if anyone out there is doing a similar project who could let me see how they went about it, perhaps explain features used.