After getting it off the ground, the next step is to make sure the business is poised for growth. But as the business booms, many SMEs scrabble amid rapid growth given their limited resources and experience to meet challenges associated with bigger market demands and operational expansion.

Yet, this is what every entrepreneur aims for – a flourishing establishment. So tackle it as a “good problem” and know that one doesn’t have to go through it alone. After all, there’s a number of business solutions out there that can simplify internal processes.

What’s more, many of these IT solutions are tailor-fit to the needs of SMEs, including the cost as one can even opt for pay-per-use, and are accessible online via any device.   

Now is the time to put in place good procedures that, with a bit of effort and investment, will save the company time and money, as well as enable it to handle more complex tasks that come with a growing and successful business.

Championing “customers first” in the business

As is often the case, entrepreneurs start small, setting up shop in the living room or garage, with only a few employees. But as orders multiply and opportunities mount, they find themselves handling way too much. These situations are prone to errors that the company can’t afford to make, especially when dealing with customers.

For those in the service industry, where tracking down customers and delivering on their requirements is vital, maintaining a database and updating it as well as following through inquiries and job orders is not as easy as it sounds.

Add to this the task of managing customer service as well as answering billing queries on a daily basis and the work is magnified. What about pushing some marketing initiatives like special offers made via phone or the website for a limited time to sign up more jobs or attract new clients? To do all these, the SME needs a little help online.            

CRM: The catch-all for everything about the customer

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution puts all these tasks in one place to simplify the process of serving existing and potential clients. As a growing business, efficiency becomes a necessity and staying competitive is a top priority.

The manual paperwork or listing via spreadsheets has served its purpose when the company was starting out. What a growing business needs is increased productivity by placing all contacts in one location, where employees can also send emails, proposals and reminders to customers, as well as arrange schedules.

This is what cloud-based solution Zoho CRM does. Customer information can be accessed anytime, anywhere to check on status and keep track of interactions with contacts. One will never lose customer data like appointments, deliveries and renewals, nor leave business cards untouched and overlook contact details jotted down in post-its.

But no matter what CRM software being used, a unified system that captures all information and dealings with customers will help the SME owner and its people produce satisfied consumers likely to make a repurchase, stay loyal or put in a good word to others.