Free CRM For Small Business: How to Get Started

Small and medium business (SMB) owners need every tool at their disposal in order to succeed in an increasingly competitive market.

If you’re looking to unify customer and company data from multiple sources, and even use AI (artificial intelligence) to help better manage relationships across the entire customer lifecycle, a free customer relationship management (CRM) system could be the solution you’re seeking.

Imagine having every customer interaction – every sales opportunity – neatly organised in one central, accessible place. There will be no more missed follow-ups or fragmented conversations with your customers or team members. You’ll work more efficiently, and collaborate more intelligently, without high upfront costs.

Let's explore this opportunity. In this article, we’ll share more about our free CRM and how it can benefit your SMB.

• What is a free CRM?
• What are the benefits of a free CRM?
• Features included in a free CRM for small business
• Get started with a free CRM

A free CRM is a ‌CRM for small business that helps SMBs and solopreneurs organise and grow their customer relationships without a hefty price tag. This CRM provides basic features like contact and lead management, sales tracking, customer service, and follow-up reminders.

Whether you’re a small business that needs to do more with less, a growing business that needs to scale, or a nimble and efficient startup, if you communicate with customers, a free CRM system is a useful tool for your business. It replaces scattered spreadsheets and ad hoc systems, organising your information into one location.

According to our Small and Medium Business Trends Report , a growing SMB’s top priorities include improving or implementing new technology. Our research reveals that technology is the cornerstone of building strong customer relationships while growing sustainably.

So, whether you want to start big or start small, getting started with a free CRM is more important (and easier) than you might think.

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A free CRM gives you one simple superpower: everything about your customers is now in one place. You don’t have to dig through emails or hunt for phone numbers or contacts. Your customer details, sales data, and business insights are right where you need them, whenever you need them.

Salesforce Free Suite is a free CRM for small businesses and startup founders like you. With its out-of-the-box features and built-in guidance for onboarding, even entrepreneurs without any technical skills can easily get started. This free CRM allows two users per account.

Here are the top five benefits of Salesforce Free Suite:

1. Improved sales efficiency: Gain better visibility into your leads and deals from first contact to deal closure.
2. Personalised customer support: Easily access all of your customer information and preferences to deliver contextual, tailored support.
3. Faster email marketing: Set up your email marketing campaigns using prebuilt templates and tools. Also, AI assists you every step of the way.
4. Consistency with knowledge management: Maintain a repository of frequently asked questions (FAQs), troubleshooting guides, and best practices to resolve customer concerns quickly. This can dramatically improve customer satisfaction.
5. Data-driven decision-making: Access out-of-the-box dashboards to monitor key metrics and gain insights into your business performance.
6. Save more time: Automate various business processes to boost your productivity. This includes routine tasks like data entry and record updates, without even writing code.

Our free CRM is packed with useful features to help you run your business more efficiently and effectively. Here are a few of the top features you can utilise:

Quick setup: Free Suite is packed with built-in guidance and straightforward interface to help you set up and launch your business in no time.

Lead management: Track and convert potential leads into sales opportunities. This process helps you ‌nurture leads and improve your sales cycle.

Contact management: Store and organise all of your customer information, conversation history, and notes in one place. This way, you’ll have up-to-date information, helping you to tailor communication appropriately.

Case and knowledge management: You’ll be able to access a centralised dashboard for all your customer inquiries and a knowledge base that equips you with the latest information to address concerns. This helps deliver prompt, contextual service.

Email marketing: Use out-of-the-box templates to create, segment, and personalise your email campaigns for your target audience. Send emails that get higher engagement and conversion rates.

Reporting and analytics: Make data-driven decisions and analyse your business performance and trends using a single, customisable dashboard.

Flows: Automate basic and repetitive tasks like follow-up communication, data entry, and updating contacts. Focus on more strategic tasks like customer acquisition and growth.

Selecting a free CRM for your growing SMB hinges on your industry, location, and team size. Always prioritise integration with your existing tools; it's key to seamless data flow and improved productivity. When looking for a CRM that fits your unique needs, here are few key questions to consider:

• Ease of use: Does it offer an intuitive interface with minimal training?
• Customisation: Can you tailor the CRM to your specific business needs?
• Integration: Is it compatible with your existing tools?
• Scalability: Can it handle your volume and growth as you scale?
• Support: Does it offer resources and timely customer service?

Excited to put your spreadsheets away and get Free Suite for your small business? You’re a few simple steps away.

• Visit Salesforce for Small Business and click "Try for free" in the top right corner.
• Fill in the contact form with your business details (your data is safe with us).
• Check your inbox for log-in instructions.
• Follow the onboarding and in-app guidance to start using your free CRM.

Now you’re all set! Bring your people, business, and data together to operate like a well-oiled machine at no additional cost to your business.

When you’re ready to scale, upgrade to Salesforce Starter Suite. We’ve kept it cost-effective and simple so SMBs can get started easily. If you’re looking for more customisation, explore Pro Suite.

Already a Salesforce customer? Activate Foundations and try out Agentforce today.