Best CRMs for Freelancers
What is CRM and, as a freelancer or small business, do you even need it? CRM is a big umbrella term that covers your business relationships with your clients, all the information associated with them, and the way you manage those relationships and their surrounding data. Your freelance business is as individual as you are, and to get the most out of a CRM you have to be motivated to use it. Choose something that feels comfortable to you, no matter what ‘experts’ have to say on the matter.
As a freelancer or solopreneur, you have unique requirements when it comes to selecting a CRM software to manage your micro business. Here are some important features to look for:
Contact management:
A CRM solution should provide robust contact management features that allow you to store and organize contact information for your clients, prospects, and partners. This includes the ability to store contact details, notes, and communication history.
Task management:
As a freelancer or solopreneur, you need a CRM solution that helps you stay on top of your tasks and projects. Look for a solution that offers task management features, including the ability to create tasks, set reminders, and track progress.
Time tracking:
As a freelancer or solopreneur, time is your most valuable asset. Look for a CRM solution that offers time tracking features, including the ability to track billable and non-billable hours, create time logs, and generate reports.
Sales automation:
Look for a CRM solution that offers sales automation features, such as automated email campaigns, lead scoring, and sales pipeline management. These features can help you streamline your sales processes and close more deals.
Invoicing and billing:
Freelancers and solopreneurs need a CRM solution that can handle invoicing and billing. Look for a solution that allows you to create and send invoices, track payments, and generate financial reports.
Project management:
Many freelancers and solopreneurs work on multiple projects at the same time. Look for a CRM solution that offers project management features, including the ability to create and manage projects, assign tasks, track progress, and collaborate with clients and team members.
Mobile access:
As a freelancer or solopreneur, you may need to access your CRM solution while on the go. Look for a CRM solution that offers mobile access, including a mobile app or a responsive web interface.
In summary, when selecting a CRM software for your micro business, look for a solution that provides robust contact, task, and time management features, sales automation, invoicing and billing, project management, and mobile access. By selecting a CRM solution that meets these criteria, you can streamline your business operations and focus on delivering value to your clients.
BELOW IS A CROSS SECTION OF CRMs for FREELANDERS
Bigin by Zoho CRM
Bigin by Zoho CRM is an excellent CRM for freelancers due to its affordability, simplicity, and customization options. The platform offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for freelancers to manage their clients, leads, and tasks efficiently. It provides essential CRM functionalities such as contact management, lead tracking, and email automation, allowing freelancers to streamline their sales and marketing efforts. Additionally, Bigin by Zoho CRM offers customizable workflows and integrations with popular freelancing tools, empowering freelancers to tailor the CRM to their specific needs. Its cost-effective pricing and scalability make it an ideal CRM solution for freelancers looking to manage their client relationships effectively.
Capsule CRM
Capsule CRM is an excellent choice for freelancers due to its simplicity, affordability, and essential CRM functionalities. The platform offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for freelancers to manage their clients, leads, and tasks efficiently. Capsule CRM provides essential CRM features such as contact management, lead tracking, email automation, and customizable pipelines, enabling freelancers to stay organized and focused on their sales efforts. Its affordable pricing plans and scalability make it a cost-effective CRM solution for freelancers looking for a straightforward and reliable CRM to manage their client relationships effectively.
Less Annoying CRM
Less Annoying CRM is an excellent CRM for freelancers due to its simplicity, affordability, and versatility. The platform offers a straightforward interface that makes it easy for freelancers to manage their clients, leads, and tasks efficiently. It provides essential CRM functionalities such as contact management, lead tracking, and task management, allowing freelancers to stay organized and focused on their sales efforts. Additionally, Less Annoying CRM offers customizable pipelines and integrations with popular freelancing tools, making it a flexible and cost-effective CRM solution for freelancers seeking a straightforward and efficient CRM solution.
monday.com
monday.com is an excellent choice for freelancers due to its versatile project management and team collaboration features. The platform offers a visually appealing and user-friendly interface that makes it easy for freelancers to manage their projects, tasks, and deadlines efficiently. monday.com provides customizable workflows, task assignments, deadline reminders, and file sharing, allowing freelancers to stay organized and collaborate seamlessly with clients or team members. Additionally, monday.com offers integrations with popular freelancing tools, enabling freelancers to streamline their workflow and keep all their project-related information in one centralized location.
ConvertKit
As former freelancers themselves, the ConvertKit team is well-versed in seeking out creativity and inspiration. When you don’t have co-workers or a director to brainstorm ideas with or give you feedback, you can end up in a vacuum of your own ideas. Missing those opportunities for growth and collaboration could leave you fighting mental roadblocks that make you doubt your ability to deliver your best work. See how Convertkit can help.
RapidFunnel
RapidFunnel is an affordable and effective way to inspire your team to generate an endless supply of qualified leads, while systematically initiating ongoing conversations with your prospects about the products and services they need from you. RapidFunnel is a simple, easy to implement app that allows your team to effortlessly initiate customized email campaigns, or personalized resources, with your target customers with the tap of a button on their smart phone.
ThriveSolo
Freelancers use Solo’s software to give them a competitive edge while ensuring freelance projects run smoothly. Solo will also have a transformative effect on a freelancer’s workflow. Repetative monthly or weekly tasks, such as invoicing, can be taken care of with the click of button giving the freelancer the time to be creative and concentrate on clients. Solo is an all in one solution and productivity app. Pricing starts at $19 per month. A 14 day free trial is offered.
Funnel CRM
As a freelancer, your skills are your jobs but your business is people. This demands a set of skills that are beyond what’s needed for your next gig. A CRM for freelancers can help you with activities that are key to the success of your freelance practice such as contact management, lead nurturing, pipeline management, customer interactions, data automation and much more.
17 Hats
17hats aims to make the Freelancers life easier by eliminating the chaos and bringing order and organisation to their day to day business dealings. A standardized way of working is possible with 17hats allowing users to become professional, efficient, and consistent. 17hats aims to assist users so that existing clients are retained and new clients never slip through the cracks. Repetitive tasks are also automated. A 30 day free trial is available. For a complete breakdown of the pricing for 17hats please visit their website.
Azor CRM
Project / Workflow software for creative agencies: Manage all your projects, processes and customers for all employees in one solution. Azor is a central point for all information related to your projects. Get direct insight into project information such as budget, profitability, budgeting, involved participants, activities and costs. For a full breakdown of the pricing plans visit the website. A free trial is available
Dubsado
Dubsado, a Client Management system designed for creative entrepreneurs from photographers to web designers is a feature rich system. Covering everything from contract management, invoicing and brand promotion, it assists users to cover all things business in one system while doing away with complicated paper trails. Dubsado allows users to automate their client processes easily, striving to make it possible for creative freelances to focus on their business. Support and assistance by phone or through webinars is also available to users. Pricing starts at $35 per month. Free trials are offered with all the plans.
Insightly
Insightly was designed as a simple to use yet powerful CRM with integrations to Google Apps, Office 365, MailChimp and other free productivity tools such as Evernote and major social media sites. Insightly offers mobile apps for tablets and smart phones and easy access to a REST API for custom integration. Even if the user has only a handful of clients it can still be a valuable keeping track of communications with each one, while monitoring potential leads which is crucial for building the business. Insightly is a flexible CRM platform that allows the management of up to 2,500 contacts for free. Pricing starts at $12 per month per user with a 14 day free trial.
Ninjodo
Ninjodo is a simple CRM designed for Solopreneurs, Startups and SMBs, that helps businesses to increase their sales and conversions by empowering the relations with leads and clients. Ninjodo also offers a combination of email, tasks, CRM, sales pipeline & workflows. This feature rich system allows you to create highly effective marketing campaigns and track your entire pipeline in order to identify the number of sales for each campaign, analyzing monthly performance stats. The pricing plans are formulated to try and accommodate businesses of all sizes. Please visit the website for a full breakdown of these plants. A free trial is offered.
Plutio
Plutio is a project management tool that also doubles as a personal CRM. Designed for freelancers, Plutio provides the user with tools making productivity and collaboration through multiple apps unnecessary. Current apps can be connected with a click of a button and everything you need is in one place giving you access to valuable data quickly. Every aspect is re-envisioned and easily customizable to adapt to your way of working. A free trial is available.
Trello
Trello is similar to a digital noticeboard for pretty much whatever the user wants. Collect and collate ideas, set tasks, or use it as a functioning project management tool. It is based on the Kanban approach to development with the emphasis on lightweight visual process management, using a series of flexible ‘cards’ where due dates, notes, images and files can be added. Trello will never overwhelm users with features they won’t use. For those who want more out of their boards, there are Power-Ups like calendar, card aging, and voting, that can be turned on. It’s a way to offer more without cluttering things.