How to Choose a CRM for Your Small Business in 2026

Choosing a CRM feels overwhelming because there are hundreds of options, each claiming to be “the best.” But here's the truth: most small businesses don't need 90% of what enterprise CRMs offer. What you need is something that fits how you actually work.

Start With Your Problems, Not Features

Before you look at any CRM, write down the three biggest problems you're trying to solve. Common ones include:

• Losing track of leads - They come in but fall through the cracks
• Forgetting to follow up - Hot leads go cold because no one remembered to call
• No visibility into pipeline - You can't answer “how much will we close this month?”
• Scattered information - Contact details in email, notes in spreadsheets, deals in your head
• Manual busywork - Hours spent on data entry instead of selling

Your CRM should solve these specific problems. If a CRM has 500 features but doesn't fix what's broken, it's the wrong choice.

Features That Actually Matter for Small Teams

1. Visual Pipeline Management

You should be able to see all your deals at a glance. Kanban boards (like Trello, but for sales) work best. Drag deals between stages. See what's stuck. Know your total pipeline value instantly.

2. Automatic Reminders

The CRM should nag you (in a good way). If a lead hasn't been contacted in 7 days, you should know. If a deal has been in “Proposal Sent” for 2 weeks, flag it. This is where spreadsheets fail completely.

3. Lead Scoring

Not all leads are equal. Good CRMs score leads based on their attributes (company size, budget, urgency) so you focus on the ones most likely to close. This used to be an enterprise-only feature, but modern CRMs include it at lower price points.

4. Simple Reporting

You need to answer basic questions: How many deals did we close last month? What's our average deal size? Which lead source performs best? If the CRM can't show you this in 30 seconds, it's too complicated.

5. Mobile Access

Sales happen everywhere. You need to log a call from the parking lot, check a contact's history before a meeting, or update a deal stage from your phone. Mobile isn't optional.

Features You Probably Don't Need (Yet)

• AI writing assistants - Nice to have, but not essential for closing deals
• Complex workflow builders - Start simple. Automate later when you know your process.
• Social media integration - Unless social selling is your primary channel
• Territory management - Only matters once you have multiple sales reps in different regions
• CPQ (Configure-Price-Quote) - Enterprise feature. Overkill for most small deals.

Pricing Traps to Watch For

The “Per User” Escalation

$15/user sounds cheap until you have 10 people and it's $150/month. Some CRMs start at $15 but their useful features require the $50+ tier. Calculate your real cost for all users at the tier you actually need.

Feature Gatekeeping

Watch out for CRMs that advertise low starting prices but lock essential features behind expensive plans:

• Pipedrive: Automations require the $49/user plan
• HubSpot: Most useful features need the $800+/month Professional tier
• Salesforce: Reporting dashboards need the $150/user Enterprise edition

The “Free Forever” Trap

Free CRMs make money somehow. Usually by:

• Crippling features until you upgrade
• Selling your data to third parties
• Abandoning the free tier once they have funding

A $9-15/user CRM with real support is often better than a free one with hidden costs.

Your 10-Minute Evaluation Checklist

For any CRM you're considering, answer these questions:

1. Can I import my existing data? CSV import is minimum. Bonus if they help migrate.
2. How long to set up a basic pipeline? Should be under 30 minutes.
3. Can I see all deals in one view? Visual pipeline is essential.
4. What happens when I miss a follow-up? Look for automatic reminders.
5. What's the real price for my team size? Calculate total, not per-user.
6. Can I get help when stuck? Check support options for your plan.
7. What do current users say? Check G2, Capterra reviews for your use case.

Signs It's Time to Switch CRMs

If you already have a CRM and are reading this, you might be experiencing:

• Team members avoiding the CRM entirely
• Data entry taking more than 15 minutes per day
• Reports that don't match reality
• Paying for features you've never used
• Support tickets that go unanswered

These are valid reasons to switch. The sunk cost of your current CRM isn't a reason to stay.

Our Honest Take

We built myday because we saw small teams struggling with CRMs that were either too expensive or too complicated. Our approach:

• $19/user/month for features that competitors charge $49+ for
• 5-minute setup — import your data and start selling, or let us do it free
• 60-day money-back guarantee - if it doesn't help you close more deals, full refund

But honestly, if your team is 1-2 people and you're doing less than 10 deals a month, a well-organized spreadsheet might still work. Don't buy a CRM until spreadsheets are actually hurting you.