Want to know more about the team here at OpenCRM? Read our insights and success stories to find out how our customers and we use the system, some favourite features, and tips for getting through your busy day.
Why They Stall and How to Deliver a Successful Rollout Introducing a new CRM should help your business become more organised, more efficient and better connected to customers. Yet many CRM projects start with enthusiasm only to lose momentum before …
How CRM Works in a Small Business: Real Life The Moment Most Businesses Recognise the Problem It’s usually something small. Individually, they don’t feel like a big deal. But over time, they add up — and that’s where most small …
What Are the Benefits of Using OpenCRM for Project Management? At its core, OpenCRM connects your entire client journey — from first enquiry through to final delivery and invoicing. Instead of treating sales and project management as separate activities, it …
OpenCRM for Project Management: Avoiding the Common Pitfalls Bringing Project Management into your CRM is a sensible move — but it only works if approached correctly. Many businesses struggle not because of the systems themselves, but because of how these …
CRM for Project Delivery: A Feature Overview OpenCRM doesn’t treat project management as a bolt-on feature. It’s a fully integrated part of the system, designed to connect sales, delivery, and finance into one seamless workflow. Key Takeaways What Makes OpenCRM’s …
More apps don’t grow your business—better systems do Your business doesn’t need more technology; it needs the right technology working harder for you. Many UK business owners feel buried under a mountain of complex apps and disconnected spreadsheets, yet they …
How to Manage Customer Data for a Small Business: A Practical UK Guide A serious personal data breach can lead to significant penalties under UK data protection law, but for most small businesses the bigger risk is losing customer trust …
Tips for OpenCRM Success: A Strategic Guide for UK Small Businesses With the UK CRM software market projected to reach a staggering £80 billion during 2026, it’s clear that British businesses are investing heavily in digital growth; however, many still …
Best HubSpot UK Alternative: Choosing a CRM Built for British Business What if the CRM that helped your business grow is now the very thing holding your budget hostage? If you are searching for a HubSpot UK alternative, you’ve likely …
OpenCRM for Project Management: Streamlining Your UK Business Delivery How many times has your delivery team inherited a project only to find that the most crucial details never actually made it out of the sales department? It’s a frustrating reality …
Empowering Your UK Sales Force with Confidence Did you know that businesses adopting a CRM system typically see a 34% improvement in sales productivity? It’s a striking figure, yet many UK sales departments still find themselves buried under manual data …
Growing Your Business with Lead Management in 2026 Imagine starting your Monday morning by searching through three different email folders and a stack of sticky notes just to find a prospect’s phone number. It’s a frustrating way to work, yet …
A Guide to Relationship Management for Charities in 2026 What if the greatest threat to your mission isn’t a lack of funding, but the invisible wall created by fragmented data? With 68% of small charities still in the early stages …
A Guide to Pay Per User CRM Pricing for Growing Businesses in 2026 What if your software costs didn’t feel like a monthly gamble every time you welcomed a new team member? Most UK business owners expect growth to be …
Tips from a CRM Project Manager As a Project Manager, my role requires me to understand the processes a company has and suggest ways to manage these within their CRM system, utilising crm automation from their sales cycle all the …
TL;DR – This blog article covers how a new OpenCRM feature comes to life through our ideas board, customer and staff suggestions, and direct chats with our OpenCRM users. In this blog, we will explore the essential crm features that every business should consider. …
Considering CRM security and what it means for you CRM Security is a vast topic but it is also one that needs to be addressed. It may be tempting to bury your head in the sand and hope for the …
Do you really need workflow to manage things? Workflow, particularly a smart CRM Workflow, is one of those features in OpenCRM that we talk about all the time. I won’t go so far as to say it is a “cure-all.” …
When implemented correctly, your CRM system acts like another member of your team. A ‘virtual team member’ who is entirely dedicated to data management and keeping everyone else on track. This is where the crm data management meaning becomes crucial …
You’re shopping around for a new uk crm system for your business. The metaphorical shelves are heaving with choices. Your wish list is a good length, and you have certain criteria your new uk crm software must meet. But have …
(Republished from an earlier article) Sales management is the thing most people think of when they think of CRM systems. Qualifying Leads, nurturing prospects, managing Opportunities, and winning that all-important sale. Understanding the connection between Sales Opportunity and CRM is …
CRM round robin explained First of all, what is a Round Robin? Round Robin is an incredibly useful tool that can share workload equally among Users/Teams. For example, if you have four Users and an incoming batch of 100 new …
What is the most common reason for adopting a CRM system? Well, that is a loaded and debatable question, as there are many reasons why you might want to get on board the CRM train. While there is plenty of …
(Republished from an earlier article)Time Is Money – We all know the old saying; it’s probably been used in a million business meetings as shorthand for improved time management. It’s the mantra for thousands of companies across the globe. But …
As long as there have been sales teams, there has been someone in charge of them who struggles to get an overview of their ongoing deals. It’s practically why CRM systems were invented–to address the issue of documentation discipline! The …
In this blog post, we’re going to look at strategies you can aim for when growing your company: customer acquisition or customer retention. Gaining new customers (aka stepping out) or doing continued business with existing clients…digging in. Of course, the two are …
(and 5 Other Reports for everything else) Reports are an essential part of any CRM system. They are a great way to get an overview of the various areas of your business. You might be using reports for performance reviews …
World Backup Day It was that time of year again last Friday, folks! 31st March – World Backup Day! Being a cloud-based CRM system, we always think it is right to have a conversation about the importance of backups. When we talk …
The CRM industry is a bit of a jungle. There are so many providers out there. How do you know which CRM system is the best CRM for your business? Of course, I’d always recommend OpenCRM, but in reality, the decision …
Start-Up As You Mean To Go On Congratulations on hitting the start-up road and getting your business underway! You’ve taken that idea that was in the corner of your brain, put a plan together, and converted it into an actual …
Customisable CRM Software? It might seem like an obvious statement, but in the world of CRM systems, each provider offers different features. Some are focused mainly on the sales cycle. Others are geared more towards analysing the data you hold. …
Looking to move to a new CRM solution? Whether you’re moving from a previous CRM or combining several other systems into CRM for the first time, your CRM Data Migration is going to be one of the big elements of …
Why integrate with Microsoft? In my opinion, the thing that takes business software from “good” to “great” is the ability to integrate with other systems your team uses. And that’s why we integrate OpenCRM with products like Zapier and Integrate …
(Republished from an earlier article) Every business has its own way of doing things. That’s why we give you so many different ways to customise your OpenCRM system. You want a system that lets you manage your business in your …
Step into the OpenCRM time machine with me for a moment. It’s 1994, mobile phones are the size of a breeze block! The Channel Tunnel has just opened. Amazon was just created. Your average everyday business person leaves the house …
ROI stands for Return on Investment and is essentially a measure of how much bang you’re getting for your buck. In the CRM world, people use ROI measurements to assess if their system is cost-effective. When calculating the ROI of …
Automating your sales funnel Sales are the lifeblood of any business. After all, if you’re not selling your product or service and bringing in revenue, it won’t be long until you’re out of business! The art of making a lot …
CRM systems are making it easier than ever to monitor sales pipelines, track leads and streamline communication between dispersed teams and stakeholders. But, at the same time, there have never been so many options. Understanding how to choose a CRM system that is the right fit …
When it comes to picking (or staying with) a CRM for your business, there are two key areas users will consider: functionality and usability to enhance the CRM UX. Functionality refers to what features and tools the system has to help you …
CRM and Entrepreneurs What are the qualities that make a good entrepreneur? You can find a million blogs that say a million things, but a review of the top ten comes up with a short list of common traits. Understanding these traits is …
One of the earliest questions we typically get from prospective users is about our backups, specifically whether and how often their data, including the OpenCRM backup, is going to be backed up. Having a backup of your system, like knowing your data is …
(Republished from an earlier article) The question on the minds of many business owners and managers is: Do we really need a CRM system? Why should we use a CRM? Obviously, my answer is YES! I work for a CRM …
Useful CRM Reports It’s often said that your CRM system is only ever as good as the data that you put in. But that’s only part of the story, as it’s just as important to know what you get out …
Simple does not necessarily mean basic When you read the words “basic CRM system”, you may think this is referring to a back-to-the-roots system that offers you a simple business software solution and nothing more. Well, in a sense you’d …
We’re all feeling the pressure. There’s more competition than ever; more leads to convert; more variables to deal with – and in so little time. If you’re having moments where you catch yourself thinking, “We’re doing a lot, and we …
Angry customers are a fact of life. Once you’ve accepted that, you can breathe a sigh of relief and no doubt sleep more easily. Their anger may well be justified, whilst being unreasonable on other occasions. Either way, you need to diffuse the situation and …
A Quick Overview of Data Privacy The idea of CRM data privacy is always topical – you experience it every time you use a password to access an account or tick the box to accept cookies when viewing a website. …
Pinpointing the best CRM systems for UK businesses is like hiring the right employee for your team; chosen well, it’s your data management specialist, task organiser and process streamliner all rolled into one – not just another piece of software. …
For us here at OpenCRM, the idea of a business setting up a CRM implementation is a bit of a no-brainer. I mean, why wouldn’t you want to use a CRM? We can actually tell you how much it helps from a user perspective. Here’s the not-so-surprising reveal: We are …
There are very few businesses that are not on the hunt for new customers. Gaining new clients means acquiring and monitoring Leads. This is where your CRM solution comes into play. An effective policy for monitoring lead is crucial for …
What is a CRM Jotform The short answer is that a CRM Jotform is a webform that is used to automatically create data in your CRM system. Of course, that short answer only really opens up a whole host more questions. In this blog …
Cloud software concerns Our CRM system is and has always been cloud-based. The decision to develop our software exclusively for cloud hosting, rather than for local installation, was made pretty much on day one. Why? Because we believe in the …
Perfect your sales cycle To perfect your sales cycle is everything. From how you handle that initial contact with a new prospect. To sign the sales off. All the way through to aftercare and customer engagement. Perfect Your Sales Cycle. …
When it comes to running (and growing) a business, I have always believed that you need to rely on both hard facts and gut feelings. The gut feelings you get only after years of experience. And the hard facts? Those …
When people start looking for a new CRM system, they will usually have a pain point (or points) they want to address and/or a series of CRM Goals and Objectives they want to achieve. Pain points refer to those areas of …
In today’s blog post, we’re going to look at how powerful Case Studies can be. After all, in advertising and marketing, it’s easy for a company to tell you that their product is the best in the world…it’s their baby! …
CRM Integration and why it matters CRM systems are great (yes, I’m a bit biased). And when used to their full potential, can help you streamline and organise every aspect of your business. One significant aspect is CRM Integration. But …
As you may or may not be aware, we offer 2TB of file storage with every CRM system. This means every file you upload, every email attachment sent to you, and every image you add to your own email templates …
Are custom views just filters? Custom Views are a way of segmenting your data to present information in manageable chunks. You can think of Custom Views as Reports, albeit with a difference. Reports tend to be something you bring out …
Heard of Customer Success? What is it? If you ask anyone at OpenCRM who or what is Customer Success – they are likely to point you in my direction, as the Customer Success Manager. That’s right, I get to write a blog …
Any new business system raises questions about who in the business should be able to access what. We refer to this as your privacy and permissions policy which, as I’m sure you can imagine, is a pretty big deal when …
CRM solutions are complex and powerful tools that exist to make your business more profitable and efficient. The actual real-world application of this kind of system, however, can feel like a bit of a mystery. A business goes on the hunt for a new CRM system. They sign up…then some …
First things first – open your CRM Toolbox You’ve just received your shiny new OpenCRM system logins. One of the product wizards in our projects team has helpfully guided you through those first few steps, and now you’re ready to start using …
There are some key skills you’ll need to have if you want to succeed in sales. This isn’t about being able to sell sand at the beach. Sales should be all about getting your product into the hands of people …
Whether you are simply curious about CRM, just getting started, or an experienced user, you are all at a stage of your CRM journey. Why is it a journey I hear you ask? Well, let me try to explain… There are so many products …
There cannot be many businesses that are not hungry for new customers. Attracting new Leads and managing leads means gaining new business. Whilst studies may have shown that it is more profitable to retain existing clients than bring new clients …
Joining the CRM and Workday dots As you are reading this article, the chances are you are familiar with CRM and how Customer Relationship Management can help your business. All too often, this translates into simple data management, rather than leveraging that …
Team Management Tips Effective team management is about so much more than just assigning people tasks to do and making sure they complete them. Here are some essential Team Management Tips to enhance your approach. But at the same time, …
Put simply, business growth is positive expansion in any part of your business. It doesn’t have to be solely about the bottom line. Yes, it could be an expansion of your profits or revenue. But it could also be about your customer …
CRM management – getting it to work for you One thing many businesses quickly realise is that they need a CRM system. But a bit like owning a car – it doesn’t drive itself. That’s where the concept of CRM …
CRM and Prospecting: hand in hand Assessing customer needs in B2B sales If you frequent the OpenCRM insights articles, you may have recently seen our tips on succeeding in B2B sales. It’s a challenging discipline—arguably more complex than B2C, but …
I’d like to go through a few examples of the different PDF sales templates you can create in OpenCRM. And then offer some of my favourite tips and tricks for getting these templates looking right for your business branding, including various Sales Templates. …
Everyone loves tips and tricks that make your life easier. In the CRM world, this tends to revolve around automation and workflow. This means telling the system to behave intelligently and trigger actions when specified outcomes are met. Effectively, you …
Sales is sales, right? Well, actually, I don’t think so. I think there’s a big difference between what is known as B2B and B2C, both in selling and buying. It’s been proven that the way we all buy in our personal …
Sales and CRM Software Graham, our MD, wrote an article a while back. It is all about getting your sales team on board with your CRM system. He discussed why there is often such a disconnect and offered practical advice …
Sales interview questions I’ve been working in sales for virtually all of my adult life, working my way up through the ranks. I’m fairly sure that I’ve been asked and answered every single interview question about sales that there is, …
(Republished from earlier article) Here at OpenCRM, the process for maintaining and extending our CRM system involves a lot of people beyond just the development team. It includes our project management and support teams, as you might expect. But also our sales, customer success, and even marketing and …
Some of our customers work with a third-party CRM consultant to find and implement their new CRM system. Others don’t. The question we sometimes hear (from both sides, to be honest) is whether an external CRM consultant is really necessary …
I’d like to start this blog with a quick definition of Sales Force Automation (SFA) and then explore how it relates to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions. Sales force automation is, at its most basic, a collection of tools you can …
It’s that time of year again! We just had National Clean Desk Day on the 8th of January. You very likely took down your Christmas decorations and at the same time thought, ‘I’ll just give the house a quick clean’. If you’re …
When it comes to creating great email templates, there is a lot you have to consider in order to make sure you get the message and design right. It may sound obvious, but the first step in building an email …
One of the key elements of a good CRM system is the Support Ticket component that powers your Helpdesk with Support Tickets. Often, when a business dives into the world of CRM, they will focus on the pre-sales side of …
Think about the things you considered vital when starting your business. You needed a computer, right? And you went out and made sure your team had comfortable chairs to sit on whilst they tap away at their desks. You made sure …
CRM meets Jotform and Zapier Jotform and Zapier are two fantastic tools to help transfer data from one online source to another, such as your CRM system. This kind of inter-app automation is a surefire way of ensuring that things …
In this age of cloud computing, you might be surprised how many people come to us asking if Open CRM can be installed on-premises. These are people looking for an offline or intranet-only CRM solution. We have to tell them that no, …
Premium Customer experience is becoming increasingly important in making a business or product successful. Traditional factors such as price or position in the market are, of course, still hugely significant, but in this article, we’ll be looking at Premium Customer …
Cyber security and implications As an award-winning CRM provider, we are always right up to date when it comes to cybersecurity measures. Our customers’ data is the most important thing to us. When you use an OpenCRM system, you can be rest assured that we have …
One way of looking at how you engage with your CRM is to envisage it as a timeline of events. Ideally, you are logging all your work interactions within your CRM. It stands to reason that you should be able …
(Republished from an earlier article) A few months back, we added some new features that allow you to control how your users access your CRM system. These various user access controls give you, as a system administrator, the ability to …
CRM Xero Integration Integrating your CRM system with an accounting system like Xero is important across many areas of your business. As well as your finance team, it plays a useful role for departments such as Sales and Account Managers. …
In today’s blog post, I will discuss the importance of building your email templates. In particular, your marketing emails sent to targeted audiences, focusing on how to create the Best Marketing Email. To begin with, here are some background thoughts …
Businesses come in all shapes and sizes. Not only that, but similar businesses might have vastly differing goals. One might focus on expanding into new territories, whereas another might prefer to develop their product to create a premium item. Therefore, …
A CRM system helps you manage your relationships with customers, including keeping a record of all communications. And, let’s face it, email is still king when it comes to a lot of your day-to-day interactions with your customers. Which is …
Email Marketing via Campaigns is an integral component of most CRM systems nowadays. It stands to reason if you think about it – after all, it’s where your main client and prospect database is (or should be) stored. With tools like OpenCRM …
MailChimp, as an email platform, is one of the most popular in the world. I know I get dozens of emails every week with the little “sent by MailChimp” stamped at the bottom. But when it comes to running a …
6 Jun 2022 Don’t just kick your new CRM system’s tyres When you are in the process of evaluating CRM software, one of the best things to do is to request a CRM demo. This offers you the benefit of …
Better brand management for your team Developing a great brand with lasting impact isn’t just about hiring the right graphic designer to produce a fantastic logo. Your brand is EVERYTHING your business does. Every single interaction with your prospects, suppliers, …
CRM Training Matrix Managing your CRM configuration and training requires proper planning. To help with this, we’ve created a simple CRM Training Matrix. Key Takeaways Understanding the Matrix The matrix breaks things down into two core areas: Each of these …
GDPR Fact Sheet The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into force from May 2018. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has some great documentation and tools to guide you around what you need to do to get ready for this …
Big businesses the world over have whole fleets of legal advisors and compliance experts to help them navigate the world of data protection in the face of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). What about GDPR for SME? But what about …
We design CRM solutions tailored to your processes, giving control, clarity, and long-term scalability with seamless integration and flexibility.
1 Bailey Court
Colburn Business Park
Richmond
North Yorkshire
DL9 4QL
t:.+44 (0)1748 473000
e. sales@opencrm.co.uk
© OpenCRM 2026
