As businesses grow, the need to track potential customers and current accounts moves beyond the capabilities of a simple spreadsheet. However, power tier solutions like Salesforce.com, Microsoft Dynamics 365, SAP and Oracle may prove too complex and expensive. For small to midsize companies, RapidStart CRM delivers a simple, affordable solution designed for growth.
The Goldilocks Zone
The major competitors in the CRM market offer hundreds of features. And for large enterprises, the advanced capabilities of a solution like Dynamics 365 Sales Professional and Sales Enterprise prove essential. On the other hand, for a small to midsize company, feature overload can lead to low user adoption. Consequently, businesses may end up paying stiff monthly fees for advanced features they never use.
On the other end of the spectrum, basic solutions tend to focus on specific aspects of the sales process. Many of these solutions also assume that a small business will stay small. Growing businesses need an end-to-end solution that will start simple and provide a path for expansion.
Enter RapidStart CRM. RapidStart offers an affordable (actually, free) solution that users can implement in hours and use with ease. And because RapidStart CRM is built on Microsoft’s Power Platform, like Dynamics 365 Sales , it can easily expand to the full power of an enterprise-grade solution. In fact, Microsoft has designated RapidStart CRM as “certified for Dynamics 365.”
Simplicity of RapidStart CRM
RapidStart CRM excels in its simplicity. Fresh out of the box, the Original RapidStart allows users to track prospects, as well as manage contacts and accounts. It also provides the ability to create and track sales opportunities and service cases for those contacts and accounts. The simple navigation empowers users to dive in and get started right away.
For businesses that need a few more specialized capabilities without adding too much complexity, RapidStart CRM offers a growing number of industry-specific versions. Additionally, add-ons provide capabilities for simple project management, as well as the scheduling and coordination of field service personnel.
Customizable
But each company has unique requirements. And regardless which CRM application they implement, organizations will almost certainly need to customize the product. Starting with a feature-rich product like Dynamics 365 Sales means stripping away unnecessary features and adding custom-built capabilities.
RapidStart CRM, on the other hand, delivers a basic framework. Then, instead of wasting time redesigning or hiding existing features, companies use Microsoft’s Power Platform to custom fit the app to their requirements.
Clients can do the customizations in-house, using instructions on the RapidStart CRM dashboard. Alternatively, they can hire an experienced Microsoft Partner to help them expand the capabilities of the base product.
Cost
In addition to simplicity and the ability to customize extensively, RapidStart CRM comes with an attractive price tag. In fact, organizations pay nothing for the basic app. Instead, they simply need a $40 Power Apps license (for the first user and $10 for each additional user), compared with $65 per user per month for Microsoft Sales Professional.
To expand on the basic app, organizations can purchase add-ons. And they may decide to outsource necessary customization work. However, building on a basic foundation will take less time and cost less than redesigning and retrofitting a more complex program.
Getting Started with RapidStart CRM
Implementing the out-of-the-box features in the original RapidStart CRM requires minimal expertise and only a day. Organizations choose among several free starter apps, including the Original RapidStart, Enterprise and RapidStart Referral. And for companies that prefer not to bother with setup, eMazzanti Technologies offers a low-cost setup service.
Then, to meet business needs, companies can expand on the foundation app by implementing industry-specific add-ons and customizations at any point. In addition to the developer, ForceWorks Global, companies can engage the services of a competent Microsoft Partner that specializes in their industry, including eMazzanti Technologies.