How to Choose a CRM for Your Small Business: A 10-Point Checklist
Choosing a CRM can feel like picking the right gym—big promises, lots of kit, and not always used. This straightforward guide shows you how to choose a CRM that actually fits your small business, with a practical checklist, a quick scoring sheet, and how popcorn CRM stacks up.
1) Define Your Needs, Not Your Wants
Start with the jobs your CRM must do today, not the shiny extras for “one day”. Common essentials for small teams:
- Keep all contacts, notes and emails together
- Simple follow-ups and reminders you’ll actually use
- Visual pipeline to see where money is stuck
- Light reporting so you can spot what’s working
Tip: If a feature won’t be used weekly, it’s probably a want, not a need.
2) Understand Your Team Culture (Especially if You’re Leaving Spreadsheets)
If you’ve been living in spreadsheets or Trello, jumping to an enterprise tool can backfire. Choose a CRM that feels familiar, visual, and low-friction to adopt. Ask:
- How much training will your team truly do?
- Do you need a clean, visual layout with timelines and tasks?
- Will people keep notes and follow-ups inside the CRM?
3) User Interface: Keep It Instinctive
You shouldn’t need a manual to find a lead. Look for drag-and-drop pipelines, clear “today” task lists, and fast search. If it takes longer than ten minutes to feel at home, it’s not the right fit.
4) Features That Solve Everyday Problems
- Contact & activity timeline
- Email integration and simple sending
- Follow-ups and reminders
- Website tracking and buying signals
- Deals / pipeline management
- Lightweight reporting
Leave complex automation trees for later—consistency beats complexity.
5) Support You Can Reach
When you’re busy, you need a real answer, fast. Prioritise quick responses, clear onboarding, and human help (ideally UK-based).
6) Pricing Without Surprises
Check what’s included, contact limits, and whether you can cancel or downgrade easily. Transparent pricing often saves money and stress in the long run.
7) Test with Real-World Tasks
Before you decide, try this five-minute flow:
- Add a lead and set a follow-up for tomorrow
- Send a quick email
- Move a deal through pipeline stages
- Open a “Today” view of tasks
- Skim a contact timeline (emails, site visits)
If that felt smooth, you’re on the right track.
8) Case Study: From Spreadsheets to Wins
Emma, a Birmingham consultancy owner, managed 300+ leads in Excel and missed follow-ups. After moving to popcorn CRM, everything sat in one timeline—emails, notes, and website visits. Within two months she closed more deals and finally knew where the next sale was coming from.
9) Example CRM Scoring Sheet
Copy this table and score each CRM. Weight what matters most to you.
| Criteria | CRM A | CRM B | CRM C | popcorn CRM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | ||||
| Key features | ||||
| Support | ||||
| Pricing transparency | ||||
| Integrations | ||||
| UK-based |
10) How popcorn CRM Meets the Checklist
- Simple & visual: built for teams moving from spreadsheets
- All the right tools: email, lead scoring, pipelines, website tracking
- Transparent pricing: no contracts, no setup fees & no hidden fees
- UK support: real people who get small business
- Grows with you: upgrade when ready— with a simple transparent pricing structure
