CRM brief

Leads and customers

• Where do leads come from: website forms, calls, Google Business Profile, Facebook and Instagram, referrals, marketplaces?
• About how many new inquiries do you get a month, and how many become customers?
• What happens to an inquiry today, step by step, and where do leads get lost?
• Do customers come back? Are there repeat services, maintenance plans or subscriptions?

Team and daily work

• How many people will use the CRM, and what does each one need to see or do?
• Do they work at a desk, in the field or mostly on their phones?
• Which reminders, tasks or messages should happen automatically: follow-ups, appointment reminders, review requests?
• Do you text customers? Marketing texts in the US need prior written consent and opt-out handling under the TCPA, and business texting usually requires 10DLC registration. Check the details with your attorney.

Tools, data and budget

• Which tools are you using now: spreadsheets, email, a booking system, accounting software, phone system?
• What must connect to the CRM, and what data needs to move over from old systems?
• Would you rather pay a monthly per-user subscription, or own a system built for you?
• When do you need it running, and what budget do you have in mind?

From your answers I'll recommend one of two routes. A ready-made CRM setup on HubSpot, Pipedrive or Zoho costs $3,000. A custom CRM built for your process costs $6,000 and takes about 15 days, with the code owned by you. If you also want a chatbot answering inquiries, the Leads under control package is $4,900. Prices are in US dollars. Before deciding, how to choose a CRM for a small business may help.