CRM Budgeting for Small Business
There’s no wonder that small businesses are investing in CRM systems, given the advantages of technology in data management, social integration and other capabilities that can improve processes. For small businesses, this means saving person-hours and supporting potential growth.
There’s a financial incentive too. A study by Nucleus Research suggests that CRM pays back at least $5.60 for every dollar spent. But to ensure ROI, building an accurate budget is essential.
Invest time in gathering your requirements
Before selecting your perfex crm setup, you must understand how the technology will function within your small business. Investigating your requirements is vital in minimising purchasing risks and other costly mistakes that might harm an organisation more than reasonable.
As well as assessing tools and functionality, it’s essential to consider how your potential new CRM system aligns with your company values and long-term strategic goals.
Begin by identifying problems in your current situation, for example, poor workflow or inefficient processes. By establishing what outcomes you wish to bring about first, you can work towards gathering a list of requirements.
Build in contingency for unanticipated costs
No matter the scale of the project or how meticulous your research is before implementation, there could be unforeseen expenses. For example, some CRM systems have implementation fees, and the costs rise if your CRM requires fine-tuning to fit your business needs better. However, there are options available that you can easily customise yourself and where implementation and support are free.
Training is another area often overlooked when it comes to future-proofing your finances. Often these costs are unavoidable, so it’s best to plan for them from the outset or find a CRM that is easy to use and where you can train your team in minutes.
For small businesses, you would rarely need to bring in a Gravity Form wordpress consultant. This is unlikely to be a cost-effective solution. But you might consider budgeting for an in-house staff member to manage CRM admin if you feel it’s warranted.
Consider the need for continued user training.
User adoption rates are integral to the success or failure of a CRM implementation project. When selecting a CRM, establish if the vendor provides any learning resources. Look out for live training webinars, videos and online chats to help.
There should be a plan in place to fund continuous learning, from onboarding for new employees to refresher training. Even a small number of staff need to be provided with the optimal support. Regardless of the size of your workforce, users should have access to the tools they need to embrace your CRM system fully.
