Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I plan to market to my customers and prospects using email, mail, face to face--ahhh, the normal methods of creating TOMA in a business to business sales relationship.

I want to establish a database for keeping customer info and tickle files in my computer. Is Outlook the best solution--yep, budget is limited.

I have used:

•  An early version of FileMaker and found it reluctant to intregrate with MS programs
• GoldMine but had really little experience to judge it
• MS Access, I would need a programer for that, even the "dummies" book was not helpful to get me up and running on my own

Thanks again in advance for your advice and opinions.

 

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"If you`ve got a frog to swallow, don`t look at it too long. And if you`ve got more than one to swallow, swallow the biggest one first"--Danny Cox

Outlook, Goldmine, and Access are each viable platforms to do what you`re looking for.

Outlook
Note - we`re not talking about Outlook Express

Pros:
* You`re likely already using it every day and thus you already know how to use it
* Integrates pretty well with other MS Office apps you`re likely to use
Cons:
* Absent 3rd party add-ins or your own development of processes, does not implement some basic but useful CRM functions - for example: multi-step campaigns, managed blast email, etc.

You should at least look at some of the Outlook add-ins that create a structure for CRM within Outlook itself as an alternative to Goldmine or Access.

Goldmine
Pros:
* The latest versions are very full functioned
* Learning to use the product and it`s capabilities may lead you to more effective marketing
* Enhancements are developed and delivered whether you ask for them or not

Cons:
* You have to buy it
* Integration with Outlook and other MS Office Apps may be clunky
* Enhancements are developed and delivered whether you ask for them or not

Access
Pros:
* Many template databases are available to get a jump start
* Completely customizable to respond to your particular business priorities / processes
* Very good integration with MS Office Apps, including Outlook
Cons:
* You have to buy it, unless you already had Office Professional
* While you may not need a programmer, per se, you will definitely need to have a qualified technical person to make changes to the `application`
* Enhancements never happen unless you initiate and pay for them.

Unless you have some unusually sophisticated marketing in mind as you launch, I have to believe that using Outlook until you`re sure you`ve outgrown it makes the most fiscal sense. (You`ll know you`ve outgrown it when you stop feeling frustrated at not knowing how to get some task done and start feeling frustrated at knowing the task you want to get done is not possible.)

I hope this helps.

Steven

Another app you might want to look into is ACT! It`s designed for small businesses, integrates with MS Office and has lots of other features. Yes, you have to buy it, but it`s pretty easy to use -- my husband is not at all "techy" and has used it for years -- mostly as a "tickler" and to keep track of his sales prospects.

http://www.act.com/products/2007/index.cfm

 

I`ve always used Outlook and found it to be acceptable as a customer info database.  It has a lot of nice little features that allow you to categorize contacts into your own custom groups and such. 

Lotus Approach, part of SmartSuite, is also a good choice. It`s fairly easy to learn, it`s relational, and there`s a fair amount of online help. The downside is that it`s been left orphaned by IBM. They have some good support forums, but there are very few books you can buy these days that get into the nuts and bolts.

Still, for a Windows database, it`s very powerful and, as I said, fairly easy to learn.

I`ve used Sugar CRM, and it works quite well. It is quite capable at doing e-mail lists, and handling inquiries automatically (it can check a mail box for you, and you sort the incoming stuff, and assign it to people for follow up). The propescting side of it is a bit limited, and it`s almost useless for managing a cold-call campaign (I resorted to printing out the list, and crossing this off by hand). Since I`m in a prospecting mode right now, this is generally holding me up.

I`m currently (today) installing Centric CRM on a virtual machine to see if it`s any better.

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Dan Afonso Business computing made simple -- Enfold IT

I use Microsoft Business Contact Manager and it intergrates with Outlook and yes it does cost.

A little info about Centric... it seems to work great, although the server requirements are a bit more annoying that I like to see. It does just about everything I need it to do. The binary version on the site is good for 5 users, and there`s  free version that`s for unlimited users, but you`ll need to compile and install it yourself. Not too bad, but a little annoying.

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Dan Afonso Business computing made simple -- Enfold IT

My money is on ACTS

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Leonard Campbell
Dir. Business Development
leonard.campbell@gmail.com