Customer relationship management software, or CRM, is all the rage in business circles these days. In today’s interconnected world it is integral that businesses keep track of the relationships they have with current and future customers, but what CRM software is best for small business? There are big name vendors with all-encompassing platforms that cost thousands of dollars in installation and monthly user fees, but these CRM solutions are designed for enterprises with hundreds or even thousands of employees. They are ill-suited for the day-to-day needs of small and medium-sized businesses. It is incumbent on business owners to explore the all the CRM options available in order to find a solution that solves their business needs–without being too simple or complex–for a reasonable price.
Work[etc] is an affordable CRM platform designed for the specific needs of small and medium-sized businesses. In fact, it is used in over 1200 such businesses across 14 countries. Work[etc] combines CRM and project management tools into one platform that can be accessed via its website or smartphones and tables with its Android and iOS applications. The Work[etc] platform can help business owners manage projects, billing, and customer service functions. It also has robust reporting abilities to help keep track of measurables including revenue and sales projections.
The platform’s online CRM and project management software is adaptable to the particular needs of a variety of small businesses. Take the case of VitalSmarts Australia & New Zealand, a corporate training firm that hosts multiple marketing and training events throughout the year. Prior to implementing Work[etc], the company struggled with managing and mapping out each of the many events they hold throughout the year. The biggest challenge the company faced was making sure that each employee had access to the particular data they needed about individual events. Complicating the problem is the fact that VitalSmarts Australia & New Zealand has multiple virtual team members that work form remote locations Work[etc]’s all-in-one functionality gave employees access to the information they needed when they needed it. Work[etc] was able to manage the company’s event campaigns and while also tracking costs and revenue for the individual events. The accessibility and features of Work[etc] later allowed VitalSmarts to expand their operations to the Philippines.
Another business that has benefited from Work[etc] is English Garden Group, a design-led landscape company that has three separate divisions. The company began as a simple nursery, but later expanded into firm that handles landscape construction and garden architecture and design. As the company grew, its owners found that its existing CRM was no longer able to integrate and effectively track customers relationships as individual customers interacted with the more and more parts of the business. Work [etc] streamlined communications and made them easy to follow. The company was also able to set up customized alerts that would automatically update interested parties within the company on the status of important events and tasks. English Garden Group’s internal communication problems almost overnight after implementing Work[etc], which allowed the business to run more smoothly.
In the crowded world of CRM software, Work[etc] stands out as a great solution for small businesses. But it is important that business owners do their own research before making a substantial investment in something so important as customer relationship management. Some things to consider when choosing a CRM solution for your business are:
What are the specific problems you need to solve? Do you need to organize and make available information to hundreds of employees across multiple office locations? Or do you need a solution that can track and project revenue growth for your small business?
How scalable is the software? How much growth do you envision for your company in the next year? The next five years? Is the CRM platform robust enough to fulfill the needs of a company twice your size? Ten times? Choosing CRM software is a large investment in terms of price and man-hours necessary to set up and train employees on the system.
How well does the CRM software integrate with other systems you have in place? For example, does it easily integrate with your current accounting system? Will you have to design custom software just to make your new CRM “talk to” your current accounting system? If your new CRM does not contain project management, how will it interface with your current project management system? Will you have to ditch your current infrastructure and completely port over to the new CRM?
Asking these questions now will save you a lot of headache down the line.
