If you’re still tracking everything in a spreadsheet, I need you to stop everything and read this post right now. I’m not here to shame you, but I want to educate you on how important it is to have a home for your business.
Listen, a spreadsheet works until it doesn’t. And for a lot of business owners, when that spreadsheet stops working, that’s the signal they’ve hit their breaking point. That’s when things start to pick up in their business, and they’re on the verge of burnout from doing everything themselves.
So let’s talk about what a CRM is, why you need one, and how to find the right one for you based on how you actually work.
What is a CRM?
A CRM is a customer relationship manager. At its core, it’s a system that keeps track of everything and everyone your business touches—leads, current and past clients, and vendors you partner with. Plus, it holds the details that matter: where each contact came from, what stage they’re at, what’s been shared and communicated, what’s been sold, and what still needs to happen.
Think of it as a home base for your business. Instead of piecing together who’s who from your inbox, Notes app, and three other systems, a CRM puts everything in one place.
Why a Spreadsheet Only Gets You So Far
I love a good spreadsheet because it’s great for capturing information. But I don’t think they’re great for managing relationships, automating follow-ups, tracking pipeline stages, or giving you a real-time picture of how your business is doing.
A spreadsheet is a static tool. But a CRM—that’s a tool that lives.
When a lead comes in, a CRM can automatically log it, send a welcome email, create a task for you to follow up, and move that person through your pipeline as they progress—without you having to do a thing! When you want ot know how many Discovery Calls turned into paying clients last quarter, a CRM tells you in seconds.
With a spreadsheet, you have to manually update the contact row every time you talk to someone and do the math when you want your Discovery Call conversions. And no one really likes math, do they? Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think so.
I feel strongly about having an actual CRM because it’s where you can see how your business is really running. It’s not in the vanity metrics on social media or in the revenue spreadsheet you’re manually updating every month. Your CRM shows you everything. And the visibility a CRM gives you is one of the most valuable things you can build into your business. The problem is, most people wait too long to create one.
How to Pick the Right CRM
There are hundreds of CRMs out there, and there really is no right one. But there is a CRM that will work for you and where your business is right now. Here’s what I recommend:
If you’re just starting, check out HubSpot. It has a free tier that is genuinely good. I used it when my spreadsheet was no longer working, and it did all the things I needed in the beginning—manage contacts, track deals, log emails, and even send my email newsletter. The interface is clean and easy to use, which matters when you’re new to a CRM and don’t want a steep learning curve eating your time.
Found a founder who’s never used a CRM before and wants to build the habit before investing in a more extensive platform, HubSpot is where I point people to first.
If you’re thinking more long-term, use GoHighLevel. Lovingly known as GHL, this platform is a powerhouse for a reasonable price. Think of it like a step up from HubSpot. It goes beyond contact management and provides full marketing and operations support. From email marketing to SMS, automations, landing pages, calendars, pipelines, a membership/community, and more under one roof.
It does have a learning curve, though. But if your business is starting to scale and you want to stop paying for five separate tools that don’t talk to each other without a third-party platform, then it’s worth looking into. This is the tool I moved onto when HubSpot was no longer working for me. I use it daily, recommend it to clients who are serious about their operations, and even have a service where I can manage the platform for you.
Other Options Worth Knowing About
Dubsado
It’s built for service-based businesses, especially those in the creative industries, and handles a lot of things: proposals, contracts, invoices, questionnaires, client portals, and automations. And it’s customizable so everything can be branded to match your aesthetic. I’ve worked with it in the past, and while the setup requires patience, it is a solid choice for photographers, designers, and coaches.
HoneyBook
It’s similar to Dubsado, but a bit simpler. If you’re a freelancer or solopreneur and want client management, contracts, scheduling, and payment collection in one place without a huge learning curve, HoneyBook is worth a look. It’s a good fit for people who want to streamline their operations quickly, without a lengthy setup process.
Zoho CRM
This one is better suited for businesses with a sales team or a more complex pipeline. It does have a free version and can grow with you, with features like lead scoring, multichannel outreach, and in-depth reporting. If you’re managing a high volume of leads across multiple channels, then Zoho has the infrastructure to handle it.
Notion
I want to mention this one because a lot of small business owners use it, but it’s technically not a CRM. It’s more of a workspace and organization tool. Yes, you can build a CRM-like system inside it, but if not designed specifically for that purpose. I’ve tried Notion, and for me, it was too freeform. So if you’re choosing between Notion and a real CRM, the dedicated CRM wins in my book every time.
The Most Important Thing
No CRM will be this magical being that changes your life instantly. If you don’t use it, it simply won’t work. The best one for you is the one that fits how your brain works, how your business runs, and how much you’re willing to invest in setup time upfront.
If you’re considering one, I say take a trial. Click around and see if the interface makes sense to you before you commit. A CRM you log into every day will always beat one that drains your bank account and collects dust.
If you need help choosing which one to go with, or are ready to set up your CRM, book a Discovery Call. This is really one of the things I nerd out on often, so I’d love to chat.
