How to choose a CRM for your small business

Start with the problem

Write down what is going wrong today: leads falling through the cracks, no history of past conversations, or no view of what is likely to close. Pick a CRM that fixes those, not the one with the longest feature list.

What to prioritize

• Ease of use, because adoption decides everything
• A pipeline view that matches how you sell
• Email and calendar integration so data is logged automatically
• Integrations with your accounting, email marketing and forms
• Clear limits on contacts, users and automation at each plan

HubSpot versus Pipedrive

HubSpot is a good starting point if you want a free CRM and room to add marketing tools later, though costs rise as you add modules. Pipedrive is simpler and built around the sales pipeline, and may suit a small sales-led team better, but it has no free plan and charges for some add-ons.

Common mistakes

Buying too much too early, importing messy data, and not agreeing on who updates what. Start small, clean your contact list before importing, and set simple rules for entering information.