I just started using HubSpot for my construction company and I’m completely lost with CRM systems. I have the basic starter plan but don’t really understand how to use it properly. Can someone point me in the right direction for learning the fundamentals? What are the most important features I should focus on first as someone who runs a home construction business? I’m looking for beginner-friendly resources or tutorials that can help me get started. Also wondering what specific CRM concepts are most crucial for someone in the building industry to understand right away. Any advice on where to begin would be really helpful since I’m starting from zero knowledge here.
Start with your contact database - it’s the foundation for everything else. Import all your existing clients, subcontractors, and suppliers into HubSpot first. Then add custom properties for construction stuff like project type, square footage, and estimated value. The deals feature is perfect for tracking projects through stages: initial consultation, estimate sent, contract signed, project done. I’d spend time customizing those pipeline stages to match how your projects actually work. Once contacts and deals are running smooth, the reporting shows you which lead sources bring the best clients and helps track project profitability.
hubspot academy’s really helpful for newbies, and it’s free! focus on lead & contact tracking at first. then use the deal pipeline to manage projects from quote to finish. like, don’t worry 'bout the fancy stuff until you get the basics down.
Setup matters, but automation is what really changes the game. Manual data entry destroys productivity.
Start with contact management like others mentioned, but think bigger. You need workflows that automatically push leads through your pipeline when they hit triggers. Someone fills out a quote request? It should create the deal, assign it to you, and kick off follow-up emails automatically.
For construction, automate reminders for project milestones, permit deadlines, and client check-ins. Most CRMs make you handle this manually, which gets chaotic fast with multiple projects.
I’ve watched construction companies burn hours weekly on repetitive tasks that should run themselves. The real power comes from connecting HubSpot to your scheduling software, accounting systems, and project management apps.
Latenode crushes HubSpot’s native automation for these integrations. It connects everything without a developer and keeps your data synced across platforms. Makes the whole system work for you instead of creating more admin work.