Is a CRM for Small Retail Businesses Worth the Cost?

Small retail businesses are faced with many challenges.  Managing customers, employees and inventory leaves little time for planning new products and marketing to keep increasing revenue.  A CRM for Small Retail Businesses can help manage day to day operations in a more streamlined way.

Some client relationship management systems offer more than a small business needs and some are free but also don’t have the tools to maximize potential.  Ensuring that the platform chosen is worth the cost is about how well it works into the way a business already runs and what additional features it offers to help the business continue to grow in a manageable way. Choosing a CRM that has all the benefits and features a specific small business needs is key to it being worth the investment.

What are the benefits of a CRM for Small Retail Businesses

The list of benefits for using a CRM for small retail business growth is quite long.  The tools and automated processes free up time for employees, managers and owners.  That time is spent acquiring and retaining customers instead of running in circles being less than effective.

CRM systems track customer information and help keep team members in the know about changes to schedules, work loads, and responsibilities.  Those who use a more automated system find that inventory tracking and purchase history tracking enable them to make better informed decisions about what takes up space on the shelves.

Remembering who customers are and what they like is easier for employees when they use a CRM system.  When customers feel valued and employees feel informed the payoff is a better customer experience and more reliable team member.  CRM systems give employees the information they need to be confident in providing an excellent customer experience.

 

Features to look for in a CRM for Small Retail Businesses

When choosing a CRM it’s best to look for one that works with the way a business currently functions.  Choosing solely based on features often causes a higher investment.  Unneeded features have been reported as big reason that employees don’t stick to using the new system.  While features should not be the most important factor when choosing a CRM for small retail businesses, they should certainly be considered.  The following 4 features are needed for retail businesses to get a competitive edge.

Inventory tracking

Tracking inventory is vital to a small business.  With a CRM system, managers can get low stock alerts, order reminders and view inventory trends at the click of a button.  If a small business has or plans to expand past one location, choosing a system that tracks inventory across multiple locations is ideal.

 Customer tracking

Tracking customers and their purchases is helpful when choosing new products and when to offer a special.  Understanding how customers purchase, what price point they purchase at and what gets them back into the store are important bits of information kept in a CRM for small retail businesses.

Customizable reporting

When a CRM system offers customizable reporting, managers can ask employees to update them on specific things during and at the end of their shift.  This enables managers to hold employees accountable even when they aren’t there – a feature that also works well for making sure a product reset was finished. Managers can require a picture of the reset is attached to the report.

Integration with marketing

Small marketing tasks like sending out a coupon in an email 3 days after purchase are easily integrated into a CRM system for small businesses.  Tracking information, how they purchase and which ads they respond well to, aide owners in predicting profits and how much money they can make from a pop-up sale.

 A CRM for Small Retail Businesses should be able to grow and scale

Being small enough to learn easily while also being enough to grow into is a tall order for software.  The best CRM for small businesses includes enough features to maximize functionality, not so many that employees are confused and an overall flexibility that allows for rapid growth. Choose a system like CRM Runner that has customizable features that can work well for now and after a growth spurt.  Click here to schedule a demo of the best CRM for small retail businesses.