A CRM is a list of people and what happens next
A CRM (customer relationship management tool) answers three questions: who contacted us, what did they ask for, and what do we do next. For a service business that means one place for every lead, with its source, its status and the date of the next follow-up.
You may not need one. We would rather tell you that on the first call than sell a setup you will not use. This page is part of our automation service, where we automate one agreed task at a time.
When a spreadsheet is enough
A shared spreadsheet is a fine CRM if all of these are true:
- You get roughly a handful of leads a week or fewer.
- One person answers every inquiry.
- Leads come from one or two places, such as a phone and a form.
- Nobody has ever said “I forgot to call them back”.
Add one rule: every row has a “next step” and a date. If a spreadsheet works, we can still connect your form to it with an automation, which costs less than a CRM setup.
When to move to a CRM
Signs it is time:
- Leads arrive by phone, email, form, text and social messages, and you cannot see them in one place.
- More than one person answers, and replies overlap or get missed.
- You want to know which source brings customers, not just leads.
- You want reminders, follow-up sequences or a pipeline you can look at on Monday morning.
HubSpot, GoHighLevel and simple CRMs
We set up the tool that fits the business. Prices below are what the vendors list; check the pages in the sources before you decide.
HubSpot. HubSpot lists a free CRM for up to 2 users with 1,000 contacts. Paid Starter seats are listed at $7 to $20 a month per seat, and the page does not say which price goes with which billing option. Good for owners who want a clean pipeline and email tracking without paying much. Costs rise when you add users or marketing features.
GoHighLevel. HighLevel lists plans at $97, $297 and $497 a month, with a 14-day free trial, unlimited users and contacts, and usage-based fees for texting, calls, email and AI. HIPAA support is an add-on below the Enterprise plan. It bundles CRM, booking, texting and automation, which suits a business that wants several tools in one. It is more to learn than a basic CRM. Our GoHighLevel review lists plans, costs and alternatives.
A simple CRM or the one inside your software. Many booking and field-service tools already have a customer list. If you use Jobber, Housecall Pro, Acuity or Square Appointments, we first check whether that list is enough.
What we do, step by step
- Review how leads reach you. Where they come from, who answers, where they get lost.
- Recommend a tool. Spreadsheet, free CRM, HubSpot, GoHighLevel or another simple CRM, with the monthly cost.
- Design the pipeline. Stages in your words, such as New, Contacted, Quote sent, Booked, Done. A few fields, not twenty.
- Set up and import. We create the account (in your name), import contacts and connect your website form. See website to CRM integration.
- Add reminders. A lead with no next step or no reply for a set time creates a task.
- Test and hand over. We run real examples, give your team a short how-to and stay on for 30 days of fixes.
What it costs and what is not included
A CRM setup is from $1,200. Timeline: 2-3 weeks. Extra integration work beyond the setup is $120/hour. Prices are as of October 2026.
The CRM subscription is a separate cost, billed at cost by the vendor. Not included in any price: domain and hosting, new photography, third-party software subscriptions, SMS carrier registration (A2P 10DLC) and message fees, and AI usage above the plan allowance. If the CRM sends texts, they need the customer’s consent (TCPA) and your texting number needs carrier registration. We set up opt-in and STOP handling.
Who this is for, and who it is not for
This is for service businesses in Boston and Greater Boston, and for owners elsewhere in the US who work with us by call and screen share, who are losing track of leads. It is also for owners who tried a CRM, never used it and want it set up the way the business actually works.
It is not for you if a spreadsheet does the job. It is also not a large enterprise rollout with custom objects and many departments. A business like that should use a HubSpot partner.
How to start
Ask for a free demo: 30-minute call; demo shared within 3 business days. Or call 617-991-9912 (our AI assistant answers and passes your request to the team). Tell us where your leads come from today. We will say whether you need a CRM, and which one.
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