Small business owners spin many plates to keep their customers front and center. From marketing and sales to customer support and retention, it’s a constant juggling act that requires a robust customer relationship management (CRM) platform to keep everything organized.
This blog covers the best CRMs for small business owners, the main features to look for, and how this technology supports your team. We’ll also introduce monday sales CRM to explore how it might be the perfect solution for your small business. (Spoiler alert: A free trial is available as a sneak peek!)
What are the benefits of using a small business CRM?
CRM software can give small businesses a competitive advantage by lowering production costs and boosting sales revenue. Here are some key benefits that a good CRM offers:
Single source of truth for your small business
Small and medium enterprise (SME) workers routinely waste time searching for information across different tools, leading to discrepancies, inaccuracies, and poorer business outcomes. With a CRM, everything you need lives on a single platform.
Enhanced data and reporting
A CRM aggregates all your sales and customer data into an easily accessible dashboard. With a customizable CRM, you can configure sales dashboards to pull customer data from any board part of your system, from lead and contact management to your sales pipeline and beyond, providing your team with instant performance insights.
Increased efficiency and productivity
Every minute counts in an SME. With centralized, accurate data, your team will get more done in less time. They can also use workflow automation features to boost efficiency and productivity.
Lower business expenses
When your team works more efficiently, business expenses decrease. It’s a no-brainer—you’ll close deals faster, generate more revenue, and create breathing room to let your business grow.
Better customer experience
When your sales, marketing, and customer service activities are more efficient, they deliver a better experience, ultimately leading to increased customer loyalty.
Essential qualities to look for when choosing a CRM for your small business
Certain qualities are non-negotiables when choosing a tool to grow with your operations. Make sure your small business CRM checks off all the following functionalities:
- Fully customizable: Your CRM should match your business processes, not the opposite. A quality CRM solution will let you manage sales activity, marketing campaigns, and any other facet of your customer experience in a way that makes sense for your business.
- Intuitive interface: No one wants to spend weeks learning a new tool. The right CRM will have a shallow learning curve that gets employees up to speed quickly.
- Flexible: Whether you need to manage more leads and sales or update your entire pipeline, your CRM should seamlessly adapt to your business. For instance, as you develop your sales funnel, you may find a need for tracking sales documents.
- Collaborative: A good CRM empowers your employees to work well together by providing simple methods of communication between teams to deliver the best customer experience. It should also play nicely with the rest of your tech stack to keep everything in one place.
- Cloud-based: A cloud-based system allows you to access your data from anywhere while providing ample storage as you add more leads and customers to your database.
Top 10 best CRMs for small businesses
Looking for a CRM to bolster your business operations and strengthen customer relationships? Check out top 10 CRM platforms and explore the main features, pricing, and benefits of each.
1. monday sales CRM
Best for small businesses who want a single source of truth for all their customer activities.
monday sales CRM offers a user-friendly interface and boards to organize projects and track customer activities. You can communicate with team members, visualize and analyze customer data, and use templates to simplify operations. monday sales CRM offers tons of scalability, enabling small businesses to run and manage any workflow.
Key features
- Built-in monday AI assistant to whip up customer emails in a flash
- Easy pipeline management
- Dashboards to view sales forecasting, performance, and team goals
Pros
- Customizable templates make it quick to get started
- Easy-build automations
- Straightforward to use with virtually no learning curve involved
Cons
- No free forever plan
- You’ll need to upgrade your plan for a higher automation/ integration limit
Pricing: From $7 per user/mo with annual plan. Free trial available.
Try monday sales CRM2. Pipedrive
Best for small businesses that want to focus on a strong visual sales pipeline.
Pipedrive is a CRM solution featuring drag-and-drop functionality to quickly respond to essential tasks and customizable fields to streamline existing systems and optimize processes. Its mobile app allows for convenient engagement with customers and team members from anywhere.
Key features
- Automatic call logging
- Contacts map
- Shareable dashboard links
Pros
- Helpful mobile CRM apps
- 24/7 email and chat support
Cons
- No free forever plan
- Functionality is limited for the price
Pricing: From $14.90 per user/mo with annual plan. Free trial available.
3. Salesforce
Best for small businesses that want an advanced CRM with comprehensive features and high levels of customization.
Salesforce is a household name in the CRM industry, known for its robust features and extensive customization options. However, it comes at a higher price point than other CRMs in the market.
Key features
- Pop-up wizard to personalize the user experience
- Einstein Activity Capture syncs data between Salesforce, email, and your calendar
- Intuitive app layout
Pros
- Access to Salesforce tech stack
- Great mobile apps to stay connected on the go
Cons
- High starting price without a free plan
- Steeper learning curve than other CRMs
Pricing: From $25 per user/mo with an annual plan.
4. Zoho CRM
Best for small businesses looking for a long-term free CRM solution.
Zoho enables users to increase leads, accelerate sales, and accurately measure performance in its CRM platform. Its mobile app and customizable dashboard allow for easy access to relevant data, making it easier to make informed decisions on the go.
Key features
- Built-in AI assistant Zia to predict leads and deals
- Trophy features are ideal for establishing camaraderie in distributed teams
- Charts available to display customer reports
Pros
- Conduct meetings and presentations from within the CRM
- Set alerts for remote workers
Cons
- Customer support is only available 24/5 on the free plan
- A lot of features are reserved for more expensive plans
Pricing: Free forever plan available.
5. FreshSales
Best for small businesses that need to make data-focused decisions.
FreshSales CRM software offers a variety of tools to enhance customer communication. It also has an AI assistant, Freddy, to help businesses gain insights into their customer base by analyzing historical sales data, activities, and engagement.
Key features
- Highlight cards to highlight activities, calls, and meetings for actionable insights
- Custom chatbots to reduce chat drop-off
- Holiday routing for voice calls
Pros
- Free forever plan available
- Built-in VOIP phone service
Cons
- Customer support only available 24/5 on the free plan
- A lot of features reserved for more expensive plans
Pricing: Free plan available.
6. HubSpot CRM
Best for B2B and B2C businesses looking for a scalable, all-in-one solution.
HubSpot CRM grows with small businesses to offer additional features like marketing automation and customer service. The CRM also integrates seamlessly with HubSpot’s suite of tools, making it easy to manage all aspects of the customer journey in one place.
Key features
- Ad management to track which promotions generate customers
- Predictive lead scoring
- List segmentation to personalize emails
Pros
- Foundational tools are available for free
- Breadth of features allow room for growth
Cons
- Free CRM features are limited in capability
- Paid plans are more expensive than competitors in the market
Pricing: Free plan available.
7. SugarCRM
Best for small businesses looking for a more complex CRM solution.
SugarCRM is a long-established platform founded in 2004. It offers advanced features embraced by small businesses with decent in-house technical skills.
Key features
- Guided selling tools
- Mail and calendar integration
- Geo-mapping
Pros
- Supports 30+ languages
- Offers cloud and on-premise solutions
Cons
- Significantly more expensive than other CRM solutions
- To access the CRM for free, users can watch a 3-minute demo
Pricing: From $49 per user/mo with an annual plan.
8. Zendesk Sell
Best for small businesses focused on sales automation.
Zendesk Sell is a web and mobile-based CRM system that helps small businesses manage customer relationships and sales processes. It has an intuitive interface, customizable views, and automation tools to streamline workflows.
Key features
- Built-in dialer and call recording
- API access
- Mobile app
Pros
- User-friendly interface
- Native integrations with other Zendesk products
Cons
- Limited sales pipelines
- No free plan
Pricing: From $19 per user/mo. Free trial available.
9. Keap
Best for fast-moving small businesses that plan to scale.
Keap offers startup and CRM automation software that saves time on repetitive tasks. The platform offers visibility into leads and opportunities and the ability to send personalized emails and follow-up tasks.
Key features
- Automated appointment booking
- Automated lead capture
- Mobile and desktop app
Pros
- Designed specifically for busy startups and entrepreneurs
- Visualize workflows on a canvas as you build them
Cons
- Significantly more expensive than other CRMs on the list
- No freemium version available beyond the trial
Pricing: From $159 per month with an annual plan. Free trial available.
10. Less Annoying CRM
Best for teams requiring simplicity and ease of use.
Less Annoying CRM is an uncomplicated software with only one price plan and no annual contract required. Contact, calendar, task details, and more are accessible from a single location.
Key features
- Simple search feature
- Mobile access
- Lead and pipeline management
Pros
- Free customer service
- Easy collaboration across your small business
Cons
- The potential to pay for more features than you need
- Reporting features are basic
Pricing: From $15 per user/mo plus tax. Free trial available.
monday sales CRM: A feature-rich CRM for small businesses
monday sales CRM empowers any business to build the precise tools they need to work effectively. Not every small business will require the same features, so turning to a fully customizable CRM like monday sales CRM makes it easy to get the functionality you need without sacrificing usability.
Here’s a closer look at some of the core features you can adapt to suit the specific needs of your small business.
Customizable dashboards
Every small business needs a cohesive overview of its performance. With monday sales CRM you can customize your dashboards using 25+ widgets to gain visibility into your projected revenue, real-time deal updates, and see how your team’s performance stacks up against company goals.
Customer activity management
It’s easy to track every interaction with your client base by syncing Gmail and Outlook to your CRM. From logging calls, emails, and meetings to receiving a response when a lead opens your email, you’ll understand the success of your customer communications.
Integrations
CRM integrations create a centralized hub for your small business, compiling everything in a single application and saving you time from switching back and forth between windows. monday sales CRM integrates with 72+ external tools, including:
- Communication tools like Slack, Outlook, and Microsoft Teams
- Sales tools like Salesforce, Shopify, and Pipedrive
- Marketing and social media tools like MailChimp, Hubspot, and Facebook Ads
- Project management tools like Asana, Trello, and Toggl
- File-sharing tools like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box.com
You’ll also find integrations for creative design processes, software development, and more. Depending on your needs, you can use these integrations to conduct your work from a single application or use them to import historical data from your old CRM or sales management software.
Read also: Data enrichment: Benefits and best practices
Automation
monday sales CRM enables small businesses to create their own custom automation to cut down on time and put manual tasks on autopilot. For example, you can use the CRM Gmail integration to trigger a desired action when a new email is opened or received. Alternatively, you might automate a workflow, such as updating your task list when a lead moves through the pipeline or setting reminders based on your timeline and milestones.
Team collaboration
Team collaboration is essential, especially in small businesses where individuals perform multiple roles. Use @ mentions, real-time board updates, and integrations with email and Slack channels to keep everyone in the loop.
Pipeline management
monday sales CRM displays your entire sales process so you can spot exactly where a prospect is in their buyer’s journey, when they got there, and anticipate what they might do next. Once you have this information, you can track customers, automate notifications to sales reps, and tailor your communication for follow-up or customer support.
Advanced data management
monday sales CRM allows you to merge and integrate your existing data from external sources, such as from an Excel sheet or an API. It’s easy to eliminate duplicate data and automatically enter lead capturing data to reduce the time you spend sorting through multiple sheets and apps.
Try monday sales CRMBuild the right CRM for your small business with monday sales CRM
The right CRM software will have a powerful impact on your small business by minimizing business expenses while increasing sales and revenue. Best of all? Both your customers and employees will be happier and more engaged.
Build a custom solution using monday sales CRM platform to meet the specific needs of your business and your customers. With tool integrations, workflow automation, and personalized communication available in a single interface, your CRM can adapt to match your sales process in its entirety. Start creating a simple CRM for your small business faster with our free trial, no credit card required, or check out our CRM pricing page.
FAQs
How can you choose a CRM for your small business?
To choose the best CRM for your small business, you need to first determine your needs, look at your budget, research different solutions, consider which integrations you’d need, and then finally test out different systems using free plans or free trials. This guide is also a great starting point for understanding the benefits and drawbacks of the leading CRMs.
How much is CRM software for small businesses?
Prices for a CRM for small businesses vary widely depending on your chosen CRM and the features you need. Some CRMs offer a free forever plan, while others only have a free trial. Generally, you can expect costs to fall between $10-100 per user.
Is a CRM useful for small businesses?
Yes, absolutely. A CRM enables small businesses to track customer interactions, manage customer data, and improve marketing and sales strategies. Additionally, a CRM streamlines processes, improves customer service, and develops better customer relationships.
Is there a fully free CRM?
Some CRMs are free, but they offer very limited features and capabilities compared to their paid counterparts. They’re useful for businesses that don’t plan to scale, and only want to get very basic use from a CRM. Zoho, Hubspot, and Freshsales offer basic free plans for up to three users. Some other options for free CRMs that can handle more users are Bitrix24, Vitiger and EngageBay.
What is the best CRM for small businesses?
It’s no surprise we think monday sales CRM is the overall best CRM for small businesses because of our diverse array of customizable, flexibie, and intuitive features. But some of our other top picks are:
-Pipedrive for ease of use
-Zoho for scalability features
-Zendesk Sales for sales automation
-Freshsales for making data-focused decisions
What’s the difference between small business and enterprise CRMs?
Enterprise CRMs are designed for large organizations with complex business processes and a high volume of data. They often come with a hefty price tag, making them less accessible for small businesses with limited budgets.
On the other hand, small business CRMs are specifically tailored to the needs of smaller organizations. They’re more affordable and offer user-friendly interfaces and customizable features that cater to the unique needs of small businesses.