Best CRM for Small Business

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The fortune is in the follow up. If you don’t have a system to keep up with your prospects and customers, you are losing business.

Small Business Owner Using Wix To Build A Website

What is CRM software?

CRM software, short for customer relationship management software, is a type of software that helps businesses manage their customer relationships.

CRM helps keep track of customers’ contact information, orders, and interactions with the company.

CRM software can also help businesses automate customer service and sales tasks.

Many different CRM software options are available, so it’s important to research which option is best for your business. You need one that’s cloud-based. If your computer crashes, you can access your contacts from anywhere. Sales can continue.

You need one that’s cloud-based. If your computer crashes, you can access your contacts from anywhere. Sales can continue.

How to choose the best CRM for you.

Before diving into different CRM software platforms, it’s essential to think about your needs. Various tools have different CRM features.

If you work alone, have a small number of clients, and have a somewhat personal relationship with them all, you can probably use just a basic spreadsheet. I’ll share some suggestions about that a bit later in this article.

If you have a bigger business, you need a legitimate CRM system to do an excellent job with sales and customer service.

If you work alone, have a small number of clients, and have a somewhat personal relationship with them all, you can probably use just a basic spreadsheet. I’ll share some suggestions about that a bit later in this article.

You need one if you have a long sales process.

With a long sales process, you probably have different prospects in different phases of your sales pipeline. It can be hard to keep up with everyone, but the right CRM software will help you with your lead management, especially if you have a sales team.

What don’t you need from your business CRM solution?

Depending on your mindset, you may want to invest in the “best” CRM. Most people would say that is Salesforce. Salesforce is great because it can do just about anything you need.

The problem with Salesforce for small businesses is that it can be hard to do the basic tasks you need because you can do so much.

There are professionals you can hire to help you manage Salesforce. But unless you have a lot of budget, you will drive yourself crazy. I will get into Salesforce a bit more later in this article.

HubSpot CRM for small businesses

HubSpot has a free and a paid version, and it’s a well-known CRM platform.

According to Hubspot, their free CRM solutions powers your customer support, sales, and marketing with easy-to-use features like live chat, meeting scheduling, and email tracking.

I use the free version of Hubspot. Here’s what I like about it.
  • It’s free.  
  • I like that Hubspot integrates with Gmail. This makes it very easy to keep track of my email conversations with customers and prospects.
  • I love their feature that allows me to track when people have opened an email I sent to them.
  • Hubspot also has a nifty “sidekick” feature that pops up information about the person you’re emailing as you type their name in your email.
  • The interface is clean and easy to use.
  • I also like that Hubspot offers a lot of integrations with other software platforms. That can really help your small business.
What I don’t like about Hubspot
  • The free version of Hubspot is limited. You can only have up to 1,000 contacts in your database. For many people, that is perfectly fine. But if you are the type to do a lot of face-to-face networking and collect business cards, you may reach that limit pretty quickly.
  • The paid versions of Hubspot start at $45 per month. That’s not too bad if you make money from your face-to-face networking, but it can add up quickly.

Zoho CRM for small businesses

Zoho also has a free and paid version. Their paid version starts at $49 per month.

The free version is very similar to Hubspot’s free CRM. It includes features like email tracking, contact management, and integrations with Google apps. Several years ago, I dabbled in Zoho. I found it a bit like Salesforce (more on that in a minute). I decided it was “more” than I needed and switched to HubSpot.

What I like about Zoho
  • Zoho has a free version that doesn’t have any limits on the number of contacts you can have in your database.
  • I also like that Zoho’s interface is clean and easy to use.
What I don’t like about Zoho
  • Zoho’s email tracking feature isn’t as user-friendly as some other CRMs. With Zoho, you have to remember to BCC every email conversation. That’s not a big deal, but it’s an extra step that I didn’t like.
  • I also found Zoho to be a bit more complex than Hubspot. Again, that could be because I was using the free version and didn’t have access to all the features. I was fortunate to have a Zoho expert friend, so she walked me through some of the tool’s nuances. But I didn’t like that I needed an expert to figure out Zoho.

Pipedrive CRM for small businesses

Pipedrive is a CRM that is for salespeople. It starts at $14.90 per month. I got to know Pipedrive while consulting for a high-end mergers and acquisitions brokerage.

What I like about Pipedrive
  • Pipedrive has a simple and clean interface.
  • I also like that Pipedrive integrates with Gmail. This makes it very easy to keep track of my email conversations with customers and prospects.
What I don’t like about Pipedrive
  • Pipedrive’s email tracking feature isn’t as user-friendly as some other CRMs. With Pipedrive, you have to remember to BCC every email conversation. Just like with Zoho, it’s just one little thing that is easy to forget.
  • Pipedrive also doesn’t have a free version. So, if you’re on a tight budget, Pipedrive may not be the right CRM for you.

What about Salesforce for Small Business?

Salesforce is the big daddy of CRMs. It’s also the most complex and expensive. Salesforce for small business is called Salesforce Essentials. It starts at $25 per month per person. 

I used Salesforce when I was employed by Constant Contact. It’s a potent tool, and many (if not most) enterprise-level businesses use Salesforce.

I could list what I like and don’t like about Salesforce for small business. But I won’t. Let’s just say unless you’re a very sophisticated business, with tens of thousands of contacts and a pretty big staff; Salesforce isn’t what you need.

The only reason why I’d recommend Salesforce for small business is if the owner has prior experience using it. What if an employee leaves? Employees come and go. Just because your current employee knows how to use Salesforce doesn’t mean your next one will.

Can you use a spreadsheet for your CRM?

I’ve heard small business owners say they use a spreadsheet for their contacts. And, yes, you can do that.

Should you use a spreadsheet for your CRM?

Maybe. In special circumstances. Under certain conditions.

If you are a solo-entrepreneur, have less than 50-ish clients or prospects, and bill your clients through Venmo, PayPal, etc., and don’t use true accounting software, you can probably get away with a spreadsheet.

When using a spreadsheet, keep each individual piece of data in its own column. Those are things like:

  • First Name
  • Middle Initial
  • Last Name
  • Street Address
  • City
  • State
  • Zip/Postal Code

Eventually, you’ll want to do a mail merge, or upload your spreadsheet to another tool. Trust me, having these pieces of data in separate columns will save your small business a lot of frustration in the future.

The bottom line on choosing the best CRM for small business

There are a lot of CRM options out there that can help your small business. And the one you choose should be based on your specific needs.

If you’re just starting out and money is tight, go with a free CRM like Hubspot. If you’re selling products or services, and need something sales-focused, go with Pipedrive.

The only CRM I wouldn’t recommend to small businesses is Salesforce. Unless you have someone on staff who is already familiar with the platform, you will be better off with one of the other CRMs on this list.

And, if you’re a solo-entrepreneur, with a small client base and don’t use true accounting software, you might be able to get away with using a spreadsheet as your CRM. But, eventually, you will want to upgrade to a more robust solution.

No matter which CRM you choose, keep your data clean and in separate columns. That will save you a lot of headaches down the road.

What CRM do I recommend?

If you’re looking to try a CRM for your small business, I recommend HubSpot. Start with the free version, and only upgrade if you decide you need more power.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase a paid product or service. These are items I’ve personally used and stand behind. This site is not intended to provide financial advice and is for entertainment only.

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