Custom CRM or off-the-shelf: how to decide

A CRM is simply the place where everything you know about your clients lives, and where each one stands. Many small businesses have it scattered: on a phone, in a spreadsheet and in somebody's head. When that person is away, nobody knows who had to be called or which quote was pending. The usual question is not whether you need a CRM, but which one.

Signs you already need one

• You have lost a quote because nobody followed up.
• To know where a client stands you have to ask a specific person.
• You copy the same details into two or three places.
• You do not know how many quotes are open or what they add up to.
• Reminders (renewals, check-ups, notices) depend on someone remembering.

Three routes

1. A well-organised spreadsheet

It works if you have few clients, one person uses it and there are few steps. It is free and quick to start. It falls short when several people edit it, tasks need reminders or you want to see the status at a glance.

2. An off-the-shelf CRM

Ready-made software you pay for per user per month. It works if the way you work is similar to most companies in your sector. It is quick to start and there is plenty of help. It falls short when adapting it to your steps costs more than it saves, you pay for features you do not use or the data ends up outside your control.

3. A custom CRM

One built around how you work: your fields, your steps, your reminders, connected to what you already use (email, WhatsApp, invoicing, website forms). It works if your process has particularities (for example case files, expiry dates, quotes with several versions or several people involved) or if you want to automate repetitive tasks. It does not pay off if your process is very standard and you have few clients: there, an off-the-shelf CRM or a good spreadsheet is better.

Questions to decide

1. How many people will use it every day?
2. Is your process typical for your sector or does it have steps of its own?
3. Which task takes the most time each week and could be automated?
4. What does it need to connect with?
5. Who do you want to own the data?
6. What would it cost you to pick the wrong tool and have to migrate?

What any CRM should have, whatever the type

• One place per client: contact, conversations, quotes and tasks.
• A clear status: where each client is and what the next step is.
• Reminders: something that tells you what is due, not your memory.
• A simple overview: how many clients are at each step and what is stalled.
• Export of your data whenever you want.

How to start without overspending

Before choosing anything, draw on a sheet the steps a client goes through, from the first message to becoming a client (or being lost). With that clear, the right CRM is usually obvious, and if you build it custom, it also tells you what to build first. Start with the step where you lose most and expand later.

Where what we do fits in

We build custom CRMs for businesses that want all their clients in one place, with reminders and automations over their real steps. If a custom one does not suit you, we will say so: sometimes a good spreadsheet or an off-the-shelf CRM is the right answer. Tell us how you work and we will look at it together.