Is Customer Relationship Management Feasible for Small Businesses?

A few years ago, the answer probably would have been no. The customer relationship management (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 do anything if you don't use it. But a well-implemented CRM solution will begin to pay off immediately with improved productivity throughout your organization. Before you invest in a product, get to know all of your organization's processes and talk to your employees to assess their needs.