Is Customer Relationship Management Feasible for Small Businesses?

A few years ago, customer relationship management (CRM) was not feasible for small businesses. The CRM industry was dominated by large companies — Siebel, Oracle, SSA, and others — that primarily worked with other large companies to develop high-end CRM applications.

Today CRM applications are available for even the smallest business. Microsoft Outlook and Symantec ACT are popular contact managers that offer contact databases, calendars, and schedules. There are also competing Web-based sales-management tools that offer collaboration, lead-capturing, and management tools.

No matter what the vendor tells you, a CRM solution won't be of any use if you don't use it. But a well-implemented CRM solution will pay off immediately and improve productivity throughout your organization. Before you invest in a product, get to know all of your organization's processes and talk to your employees in order to assess their needs.