6 Best CRM for Small Business in Canada

It’s no secret by now that having a CRM system for your business is a necessity. But what is the best CRM for small business in Canada? How to choose from the wide choices that are available out there? No worries, we got you covered. We understand that selecting the best CRM for your small business is a big thing, and that is why we’re here to help you out.

In this article, we’re going to dive into 6 of the best CRM for small business in Canada. Why only 6? Because we want you to be focused on your search, rather than having a long list and getting lost in all of them. We firmly believe that any one of the 6 we have on our list will be beneficial for your business, and we invite you to even contact us if you want more consultancy services when it comes to CRM software selection.

Why do small businesses need a CRM software?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is one of the pillars upon which successful businesses are built. More than just hosting your client database, the best CRM for small business in Canada are robust software that helps in identifying potential leads and converting them into paying clients.

The benefits of a CRM software for small business in Canada can bring a high return on investment when done right. From having a 360-view of your client to automating repetitive tasks and making informed decisions based on data, a CRM for small business elevates your sales process. Thanks to the best CRM for small business in Canada, you can have an overview of the sales pipeline and understand where your business can put in more effort.

Key features of the best CRM for small business in Canada

When it comes to choosing the best CRM for small business in Canada, there are many factors that you need to keep in mind. Below are some of the features that we think are crucial when selecting a CRM for your small or medium enterprise:

• User-friendly interface: Make sure that the interface and the CRM platform is easy to use. A complicated CRM is a setback when you are trying to work, especially if this is your first time using one.
• Scalability: The best CRM for small business in Canada should be able to grow along with the business. As your enterprise grows, so will your needs and customer data, and you will need a CRM that can accommodate these new changes quickly, without any hurdle.
• Integration capabilities: As a business, you work with a wide range of tools and platforms, and you would want a CRM that can integrate and work with all your business solutions. For instance, Sales Management from Gestisoftworks with Office 365 and Teams, ensuring a clear workflow across different platforms.
• Affordable pricing structures: Affordability is a big factor when choosing the best CRM for small business in Canada. Having an affordable CRM means that you can also prioritize other aspects of your business. However, sometimes, a higher upfront investment in a good CRM can prove to be better in the long run and bring in a higher ROI.
• Robust customer support and training: Before starting to use your CRM, some customer support and training is necessary. This ensures that you can use the platform to its fullest and understand each feature. Hence, the best CRM for small business in Canada usually come with some training and support.

The best CRM for small business in Canada

Now that you know what to look out for when choosing the best CRM for small business in Canada, let’s explore the top 6 CRM that we have come up for you.

1. Sales Management App by Gestisoft powered by Microsoft Dynamics 365

Gestisoft offers the Sales Management module as part of their Dynamics 365 implementation services. This module enhances sales management with features such as account health dashboards, automated follow-up tasks, and integration with Office 365 and Teams.

Benefits of implementing Sales Management by Gestisoft

• Enhanced Sales Management: Built on the Dynamics 365 platform, the Sales Management app offers advanced sales management features like account health dashboards and automated follow-up tasks, providing deep insights into sales performance.
• Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem: Seamless integration with Office 365 and Teams facilitates collaboration and streamlines workflows, especially beneficial for businesses already using Microsoft products.
• Tailored Implementation: Gestisoft provides a structured implementation process, ensuring the CRM is customized to meet the specific needs of the business, which can lead to more effective adoption and utilization.
• Quick Deployment:The Sales Management app can be deployed to your business in less than 7 days (1 week), which makes it one of the best CRM for small business in Canada.

Challenges associated with Sales Management Application

• Dependency on Dynamics 365: This module necessitates a Dynamics 365 Sales Professional license for it to function properly. Additionally, businesses not already using Dynamics 365 may face integration challenges. But Gestisoft can assist you in the integration and implementation phases.

Pricing of Sales Management application

When it comes to pricing, there is a fixed one-time cost of $9,500 with additional Dynamics 365 Sales Professional license required at $88.20 per user per month. This is an initial investment that you are making to get access to one of the best CRM for small business in Canada.

2. Bigin by Zoho CRM

Designed specifically for small businesses, Bigin offers a user-friendly interface with essential features like contact management, pipeline tracking, and email integration.

Benefits of implementing Bigin by Zoho CRM

• User-Friendly Interface: Bigin is designed specifically for small businesses transitioning from spreadsheets, offering an intuitive and straightforward interface that requires minimal training.
• Affordable Pricing: With plans starting at $9 per user per month, Bigin provides essential CRM features without straining a small business's budget.
• Seamless Integration: Bigin integrates smoothly with popular applications like Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace, centralizing customer data and enhancing productivity.

Challenges associated with Bigin

• Limited Scalability: Designed primarily for small businesses, Bigin offers a simplified feature set. As your business grows, you might find the need to transition to a more robust CRM solution, which could involve data migration challenges.
• Integration Constraints: While Bigin integrates seamlessly with other Zoho products, its compatibility with third-party applications is somewhat limited. This could pose challenges if your business relies on a diverse set of tools.

Pricing of Bigin

• Free Plan: Single user with basic features.
• Express Plan: $7 per user per month (billed annually) or $9 per user per month (billed monthly). This plan includes features like multiple pipelines, workflow automation, and email integration.
• Premier Plan: $12 per user per month (billed annually) or $15 per user per month (billed monthly). It offers advanced features such as custom dashboards, increased record limits, and premium support.

3. HubSpot CRM

HubSpot provides a free CRM platform that includes tools for contact management, email tracking, and sales pipeline management. Its free tier is robust, making it ideal for startups and small businesses looking to minimize expenses.

Benefits of implementing HubSpot CRM

• Comprehensive Free Plan: HubSpot offers a robust free CRM that includes contact management, deal tracking, and email integration, making it accessible for startups and small businesses.
• Scalability: As businesses grow, HubSpot provides advanced tools and paid add-ons, allowing the CRM to scale alongside the company's needs.
• Integration Ecosystem: HubSpot integrates with a wide range of third-party applications, enhancing its versatility and allowing businesses to maintain seamless workflows.

Challenges associated with HubSpot CRM

• Cost of Advanced Features: While the free version is robust, accessing advanced features and tools requires upgrading to paid plans, which can become expensive for small businesses.
• Complexity with Scaling: As your business requirements grow, the multitude of features and customization options in HubSpot can lead to a steeper learning curve, potentially necessitating additional training.

Pricing of HubSpot CRM

• Free Plan: Includes core CRM features with unlimited users.
• Starter Plan: Starts at $20 per month, offering additional tools like email marketing and more advanced integrations.
• Professional and Enterprise Plans: Offer more advanced features at higher price points, suitable for growing businesses with more complex needs.

4. Pipedrive

Known for its sales automation capabilities, Pipedrive offers an intuitive interface that helps businesses manage leads and deals effectively. Plans start at $14.90 per user per month (billed annually).

Benefits of implementing Pipedrive

• Sales-Focused Design: Pipedrive offers a visual sales pipeline that helps businesses track deals and activities efficiently, ensuring no opportunities are overlooked.
• Customization: Users can tailor pipelines and stages to fit their specific sales processes, providing flexibility to accommodate unique business models.
• Automation Features: Pipedrive includes automation capabilities that reduce manual tasks, allowing teams to focus more on selling and less on administrative duties.

Challenges associated with Pipedrive

• Limited Marketing Tools: Pipedrive excels in sales pipeline management but offers minimal marketing automation features. Small businesses seeking an integrated sales and marketing solution might find this limiting.
• Customization Limitations: While user-friendly, Pipedrive's customization options are not as extensive as some competitors, which might restrict tailoring the CRM to specific business processes.

Pricing of Pipedrive

• Essential Plan: Starts at $14.90 per user per month (billed annually), including lead, deal, calendar, and pipeline management, along with 24/7 support.
• Advanced, Professional, and Enterprise Plans: Offer additional features like full email sync with templates and scheduling, workflow automation, and enhanced security, at higher price points.

5. Freshsales

Freshsales offers a comprehensive CRM solution with features like lead scoring, email integration, and workflow automation. Its Growth plan is priced at $15 per user per month (billed annually).

Benefits of implementing Freshsales

• Integrated Communication Tools: Freshsales offers built-in phone and email features, enabling businesses to manage all customer communications from a single platform.
• AI-Powered Insights: The CRM provides AI-driven lead scoring and analytics, helping businesses prioritize prospects and make informed decisions.
• Customization and Scalability: Freshsales allows customization of modules and fields, and offers scalable plans that grow with the business, making it suitable for evolving needs.

Challenges associated with Freshsales

• Email Integration Issues: Users have reported challenges with email synchronization, which can affect communication tracking and overall efficiency.
• Learning Curve for Advanced Features: While the basic functionalities are straightforward, mastering Freshsales' advanced features may require time and training, which could be a hurdle for small teams.

Pricing of Freshsales

• Growth Plan: Starts at $15 per user per month (billed annually), including contact and account management, built-in phone, email, and chat, and sales sequences.
• Pro and Enterprise Plans: Offer additional features like AI-based lead scoring, advanced metrics, and custom modules, at higher price points.

6. Insightly

Combining CRM and project management features, Insightly is suitable for small businesses that require both functionalities. The Plus plan is available at $29 per user per month (billed annually).

Benefits of implementing Insightly

• Project Management Integration: Insightly combines CRM and project management functionalities, allowing businesses to manage customer relationships and projects within a single platform.
• User-Friendly Interface: Designed with a focus on ease of use, Insightly offers an intuitive interface that simplifies navigation and reduces the learning curve for new users.
• Customization and Automation: Users can customize dashboards, workflows, and fields to align with specific business processes, enhancing efficiency and productivity.

Challenges associated with Insightly

• Complex Setup and Navigation: Some users find Insightly's setup and navigation less intuitive, which can lead to a steeper learning curve and potential implementation delays.
• Limited Customer Support: Users have noted that Insightly's customer support can be less responsive, which might pose challenges during critical issues or setup phases.

Pricing of Insightly

• Plus Plan: $29 per user per month (billed annually), offering core CRM features suitable for small businesses.
• Professional Plan: $49 per user per month (billed annually), includes advanced features like customizable dashboards and enhanced reporting.
• Enterprise Plan: $99 per user per month (billed annually), designed for larger organizations requiring advanced customization and support.

Factors to consider when choosing the best CRM for Small Businesses in Canada

Now that you have the list of the 6 best CRM of small business in Canada, we are sure you have a better idea of which platform best suits your needs and business. However, since we want you to make the best decision, below are some factors that we came up with so that you know what to consider when choosing the best CRM for small business in Canada.

Assessing your business needs and objectives

Before choosing any CRM for your small business, you need to first assess your business needs and objectives. Clearly plotting your objectives and needs will help you identify which CRM best match with your business vision. It is also a great way to ensure that you do not fall in the trap of having too many options for your own good.

Budget constraints and cost-effectiveness

Another important factor to consider when choosing the best CRM for small business in Canada is the cost. While choosing a more affordable option can help you in the short term, this is not advisable if you want to grow your business in the future. It is better to invest in a robust CRM software from the beginning to ensure that you do not have any issues in the future.

Ease of use and required training

Another thing to consider is how easy is the CRM to use and if there are any training provided by the CRM vendor. For instance, Gestisoft provides training and customer support to all new users of the Sales Management app. This ensures that you have all the information and tools at your disposal to use the platform to its fullest.

Feedback and reviews from other Canadian small businesses

Finally is the feedback and reviews from other small businesses like yours. It is always helpful to take some time to check out what current users of the CRM platform are saying about the software. This can give you an idea about which CRM to select for your business.

Selecting the Best CRM for small business in Canada made easy by Gestisoft

When it comes to selecting the best CRM for small business in Canada, having a partner who can help you is always a great addition. And that is exactly what Gestisoft is here to do. With over 27 years of experience in providing tailor-made ERP and CRM software from Microsoft, we serve all small and medium enterprises in Canada by providing them with our Sales Management app.

The Sales Management app has been custom made so that it can be deployed to your business in under 7 days and which does not cost you a lot as well. If you are interested in knowing more about what makes Sales Management the best CRM for small businesses in Canada, then contact us for a free demo today. Our team would be happy to assist you.