Short answer
Start from your own work, not from feature lists: write down what you need weekly (contacts, pipeline, quotes, invoices, web form, booking, website). Then compare the total cost over three years including team growth, add-ons and setup; check that you can export all your data; check where data is stored and that a data processing agreement is offered; and find out who sets it up and who answers support questions.
Start with what you do every week
Before looking at any product, write down the jobs your CRM must do. For many small service businesses the list looks like this: keep companies and contacts, track enquiries and deals, send quotes, send invoices, capture enquiries from the website, and maybe take bookings. Anything outside your list is a nice extra, not a reason to choose.
The checklist
- Does it cover your weekly jobs without add-ons? Quotes, invoices and web forms are often separate paid add-ons or separate products.
- How is it priced? Per user (“seat”), per feature tier, or a flat price for the whole team. Per-user pricing is cheap for one person and grows with every hire.
- What does it cost over three years? Use the worksheet below, with the team size you expect – not today’s.
- Are there one-off fees? Onboarding, setup or migration fees can be required on some plans.
- What happens at renewal? Is the price fixed for a period, or can it rise to the then-current list price? Can you leave monthly?
- Can you export everything? Companies, contacts, deals, quotes and invoices, in a common format such as CSV. This is your way out if it does not work.
- Where is the data stored, and is there a DPA? Under the GDPR your CRM provider processes personal data for you, so you need a data processing agreement and a list of its sub-processors.
- Who sets it up? Self-service suits people who enjoy configuring software. If you do not, ask whether setup and data import are included.
- Who answers support, and how fast? Ask for the response time in writing, and whether you reach the people who build the product.
- Does it work on your phone? At least for tasks, contacts and new enquiries.
- Does it connect to what you already use? Email, calendar, accounting, or tools like Zapier and Make through webhooks.
- Can you try it with realistic data? A trial or demo with sample data shows more than a feature list.
A three-year cost worksheet
Fill in your own numbers. The example shows how per-user pricing grows with a team; the prices in it are illustrative, not quotes from any vendor.
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| People using the CRM | 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Per-user plan at €40 a user a month | €1,440 | €2,400 | €3,360 |
| Add-ons (quotes, forms) you would need | … | … | … |
| One-off setup or onboarding | … | – | – |
| Total | … | … | … |
Do the same for a flat-price option and compare the three-year totals, not the first month.
When a big platform is the better choice
If you need advanced marketing automation, hundreds of integrations or very large teams with complex permissions, the large CRM platforms are built for that. If you are one person and only need a contact list, a free plan may be enough. Choose for the next two or three years, not for an imagined future.
How GETCORVIDS answers these questions
GETCORVIDS is priced per module with unlimited users: the CRM is €49 a month (excl. VAT) and includes quotes, invoices and a website enquiry form; website and booking are modules of their own. Setup and your data import are done for you, from €590 once. The monthly price is locked for 12 months, you can leave at the end of any month, and you can export your data as CSV. Data is stored in Frankfurt, Germany, a data processing agreement is part of the terms, and every question gets a written answer within one business day. You can work out your price or compare it with HubSpot and Pipedrive.
Questions
What is the best CRM for a small business?
The one that covers your weekly work without add-ons, fits your budget over three years as the team grows, lets you export your data, and that your team will actually keep up to date.
Is a free CRM good enough?
For one or two people with simple needs, often yes. Check the limits on users, contacts and features, and what the paid plan costs once you outgrow them.
How long does it take to set up a CRM?
For a small business, a basic setup with imported contacts can be done in a few days. It takes longer if you need custom fields, documents or automations – ask the provider whether they set it up for you.
Thomas Krajecz builds GETCORVIDS at Digital Supportly. Questions about this guide? Write to hello@getcorvids.com – a person replies within one business day. Follow Thomas on LinkedIn.