Finding a solid contact management system can make or break your business efforts. We use systems to organize and track our work, which is especially important when running a business. The right contact management system can eliminate hours of unnecessary paperwork and reduce stress.
I’ve taken the time to list what I consider to be the top contact management resources to help you stay organized and keep your business model efficient so you can focus your energies on building relationships and increasing your revenue.
- VTIGER (www.vtiger.com) - I personally use this one and love it because it’s an open source software that you can install on your server for free. It’s great for maintaining all sorts of contacts for leads, marketing, sales, etc. You can also email your contacts directly within it and track all contacts, attach files, etc. If you run a small business with employees or if you need to give others access, you can do so and limit the information they are able to view.
- SUGAR CRM (www.sugarcrm.com) - Another great open source software that’s free, unless you want the pro version, which I don’t think is necessary for small businesses and freelancers. The free version works just fine. I love that this program allows you to delete duplicates, which is important if you’re new to contact management and have a huge list to sort through. It’s also extremely easy to use.
- ZOHO (www.zoho.com) - I recommend this for the web newbies who are not tech-savvy or brave enough to take on an open source application and install it on your web server. This is hosted on zoho.com and offers the same features as most contact management systems. You can give up to 3 users access before you have to start paying monthly fees.
- PLAXO (www.plaxo.com) - Think LinkedIn meets Facebook. Plaxo has improved its features by integrating a social networking aspect to its’ site. Sync your other email accounts to it and it will update your calendar, address book and to-do list.
- HIGHRISE HQ (www.highrisehq.com) - Another excellent contact management system that links with other services such as web chats, project management, etc. The solo plan is only $29 a month and is great for the solopreneurs who need to stay organized and on top of their game.
Other systems include:
May 21st, 2008 at 6:28 pm
im personally more a fan of integrated productivity solutions. contact management is just a peice of the producitvity puzzle. we use http://www.hyperoffice.com which is an integrated solution where contact management ties with email, intranet pages, calendars etc.