Looking for the best CRM software for a small startup? Discover why CRMs are so important for businesses and our review of some of the popular CRMs out there.
Most businesses go head first into utilizing a CRM without understanding their needs or what value a CRM brings to the table. The CRM core features for supporting a business may vary from business to business, but I can tell you that out of all the things businesses have in common, saving money and generating revenue is always at the top of the list. Keep reading to learn more about the best CRM software for a small startup.
Businesses want to automate all aspects of their business
We took a deep dive into how businesses integrate and connect applications together with a software developer. These APIs are fundamental for getting completely independent applications to begin talking to each other and sharing information. Neglecting system creation and automating many aspects of those processes will decide a lot of your sales and marketing fate.
CRM sources for accumulating contacts
A business accumulates contacts all the time. To save money and generate revenue, a CRM software for a small startup should consider how those contacts are processed and what you actually do with them. Here are a few ways of managing those contacts:
- Manual entry: Nobody wants to do this. Conventions allow you to grab the QR code of attendees. Ultimately, these should immediately be uploaded from a CSV to your CRM. See more below on automating the process of adding more contacts to your CRM.
- Front desk – answering service: Again, too much precious time is spent on this method. We discussed in depth in our Business Operations Consultant post about creating an API to automate contacts from the answering service to your CRM.
- Website – webforms – contact forms: This should be at the core of your marketing strategy. A business finds your site, likes what you have to say, and finds a Call to Action (CTA) to inquire further about your product or services.
- Prospecting: This may be cold calling or utilizing platforms such as Sales Navigator, but they all require sorting through a lead list and adding them as a prospect to your CRM or your Sales Engagement Platform.
Choosing Your CRM
Ok, so you now know that an ideal CRM software for a small startup will keep automation at top of mind. There are quite a few avenues for accumulating contacts, but perhaps you are new to the sales and marketing game and more context is needed to fully grasp why one CRM is good over the other. Select from the following CRMs and get their background story of our likes and dislikes for their product.
CapsuleCRM
Price: Free for two users, or $12/month per user with the Professional version
Support: 2.5/5
Software ease of use: 5/5
Good value for the average Joe: Yes
Sideline commentary: The average Joe will love the price and ease of use. The CRM is definitely a good start for businesses just getting off the ground but falls short once you start accumulating contacts. You may want to consider a more advanced platform if you know what you are doing.
Check out our article on Capsule CRM here.
ACT! CRM
Price: Free trial available, or $30/user/month.
Support: 1/5
Software ease of use: 3. 1/5
Good value for the average Joe: No
Sideline commentary: Great for small to midsize businesses looking for a lot of customization, but longtime users have not been happy about the switch to the more expensive subscription-based pricing.
For more information, click here.
Want more ACT! CRM support? Check out our other articles to get all the answers you need.
- The Best Invoicing Platform & Sales Proposal Software – This article reviews some of the options for choosing the best invoicing & proposal platform out there.
- How to Go Remote with ACT! CRM – Learn how to sync the ACT! CRM database remotely and about the best mobile app for using ACT! CRM on the go.
- How to Create Tasks and Activities in ACT! CRM – In the second part of this 3-part tutorial series on setting up ACT! CRM, you’ll learn how to create an ACT! task, manage the calendar, and more.
- How to Manage ACT! CRM Users and Contacts – A guide to adding users and contacts in ACT! CRM, plus everything you need to manage your client relationships.
HubSpot CRM
Price: Free for basic, then starts at $45/mo.
Support: 3/5
Software ease of use: 4/5
Good value for the average Joe: Yes, but it can get expensive as business scales up.
Sideline commentary: Their free version has an abundance of features, but this can be overwhelming for a business unless your employees are tech savvy. As CRM software for a small startup, it doesn’t sort contacts well at all.
Find out more about HubSpot here.
PipeDrive CRM
Price: Free for basic, then starts at $45/mo.
Support: 5/5
Software ease of use: 4/5
Good value for the average Joe: Better value for the more advanced user. It’s certainly cheaper and more user-friendly than Hubspot, but it too can get a wee bit expensive as the business scales up.
Sideline commentary: Graduate from Capsule CRM to this if you don’t know your workflow yet. You will most likely commit to an advanced license type and the LeadBooster addon.
Learn more about PipeDrive here.
Which CRM is Best For Your Business Summary
Minimizing expenditures and maximizing sales is at the core of any business model, and is especially important to keep in mind for business owners who are still developing their workflow. When choosing which CRM software for a small startup is best for you, consider your business’ trajectory and needs while also prioritizing automation. We hope this article was helpful!
