I’m managing a small business by myself and getting frustrated with customer management software options.
My main issue is that platforms like Salesforce, Zoho, and HubSpot seem built for large companies with dedicated teams. These systems have tons of features that I don’t need as a solo business owner. The setup process takes forever, the monthly costs add up quickly, and most functionality goes unused.
What I’m looking for instead:
Quick setup that doesn’t require weeks of configuration
Budget-friendly pricing without unnecessary premium features
Easy integration with tools I already use like Gmail and Google Sheets
Simple customization options for my specific workflow
For other small business owners out there:
What systems do you use to track customer information?
Do mainstream CRM solutions feel overwhelming to you too?
What’s the most important feature you need in a customer management tool?
I feel you on this! Tried Zoho last year and it was like rocket science just to add a contact. Went back to Airtable instead - gives you that database feel but way simpler than full CRMs. Works great with Gmail and you can customize it without a computer science degree.
You’re absolutely right - those big CRM platforms are way too much for solo work. Had the exact same problem when I started consulting on the side.
The real kicker isn’t just complexity. These systems make you follow their workflows instead of working how you naturally do.
Game changer for me was building my own lightweight setup with automation. Connected Gmail, Google Sheets, and tools I already had. Now it captures leads, updates customer info, sends follow-ups, and tracks deals automatically.
Took 2 hours to set up instead of 2 weeks. Costs almost nothing vs monthly subscriptions. Best part? It works how I think, not how enterprise software thinks I should.
You can pull customer emails into sheets, trigger responses based on deal stages, sync with your calendar, generate reports. All the CRM stuff you need, none of the junk.
For custom automation that connects your existing tools perfectly, Latenode makes setting up these workflows super easy without coding: https://latenode.com
Been running my consulting business solo for 4 years and went through this exact struggle. Started with Salesforce because everyone recommended it, but honestly felt like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. The interface was cluttered and I spent more time figuring out basic tasks than actually managing customers. Switched to Pipedrive about two years ago. Setup took maybe an hour instead of days, and the pricing’s reasonable for what you get. Still has all the core stuff you need - contact management, deal tracking, email integration - without the enterprise bloat. Biggest game changer was finding something that syncs with my Gmail workflow instead of trying to replace it entirely. Most big platforms want you to completely change how you work, which just creates more friction when you’re already juggling everything yourself.