Looking for a good CRM/ERP solution for an IT services company. Quickbooks/Google Apps integration are big pluses?

We recently wrapped up the SMB Group’s “2010 Small and Medium Businesses Routes to Market Study”, which uncovered quite a few interesting trends about how SMBs discover, learn about, evaluate and buy technology solutions and services. We are publishing free research briefs on the SMB Group site on some of the key findings, including Social Media: Shaking Up the Way Small Businesses Evaluate and Purchase Technology Solutions and Services, and SMB Business Outlook and Plans to Invest in Technology Solutions and Services, which are available here. Another finding that I find quite fascinating is how frustrated and confused many SMBs are about technology solutions.

Survey respondents indicated that their top two technology challenges are figuring out how different types of solutions can help their businesses, and getting better insights out of the data they already have: * Top technology challenges for small businesses: 1. Get better business insights from existing data: 35% 2. Figuring out how different solutions can help the business: 32% 3.

Implementing new solutions/upgrades: 32% 4. Integrating social media with Web site, marketing tools, etc. : 24% * Top technology challenges for medium businesses: 1. Get better insights from existing data: 33% 2.

Figuring out how different solutions can help the business: 32% 3. Integrating social media with Web site, marketing tools, etc.: 32% 4. Implementing new solutions/upgrades: 30% As you can see from the above data points, SMBs view figuring out what solution can best help the business and getting better insights from existing data as bigger challenges than implementing a new solution!

Scarily, these challenges are just as significant in medium businesses as in small ones, despite the fact that most medium businesses have IT staff, larger IT budgets and better access to external technology advisors. Clearly (no pun intended) this confusion and frustration creates a huge, and in my view, a vastly under-rated (by most vendors, anyway) inhibitor to SMB technology adoption. It reinforces my belief that any company trying to sell into the SMB market needs to do some serious self-evaluation, as I discussed in my post earlier this year, Does Your SMB Marketing Message Need a Makeover?

Seven Questions to Ask. SMB requirements for clarity, transparency and a demonstrable value proposition will become even more intense as more SMBs starting shifting from generic search engines to application marketplaces/app stores and social media to learn about, evaluate and buy solutions. These newer channels provide more and better context for SMB customers, and provide a source of unbiased insight about other customers’ actual experiences with solutions.

While our study shows that search engines are the top information source for SMBs today, social networking site such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are gaining momentum at a rapid rate. And, although SMB app stores are an even more recent phenomenon, our findings indicate that a majority of SMBs are aware of and using/planning to use them. Among small businesses, 23% use them and 29% plan to use app stores; while among medium businesses, 44% use app stores and 24% plan to use them.

With so many products and solutions competing for SMB mind and wallet share, and new information sources and channels that are making it easier for SMBs to sort through the clutter, vendors need to redouble their efforts to clearly describe their solutions, provide solid evidence of how it can help businesses achieve their goals, and clarify how it differs from competitive offerings. Otherwise, the market–with the help of social media and app stores–will do it for them. Posted in Uncategorized.

Tags: SMB, small business, social media, channels, app store, marketplace, routes to market, technology solution, technology confusion.2 Comments Â.

Which uncovered quite a few interesting trends about how SMBs discover, learn about, evaluate and buy technology solutions and services. We are publishing free research briefs on the SMB Group site on some of the key findings, including Social Media: Shaking Up the Way Small Businesses Evaluate and Purchase Technology Solutions and Services, and SMB Business Outlook and Plans to Invest in Technology Solutions and Services, which are available here. Another finding that I find quite fascinating is how frustrated and confused many SMBs are about technology solutions.

Survey respondents indicated that their top two technology challenges are figuring out how different types of solutions can help their businesses, and getting better insights out of the data they already have: * Top technology challenges for small businesses: 1. Get better business insights from existing data: 35% 2. Figuring out how different solutions can help the business: 32% 3.

Implementing new solutions/upgrades: 32% 4. Integrating social media with Web site, marketing tools, etc. : 24% * Top technology challenges for medium businesses: 1. Get better insights from existing data: 33% 2.

Figuring out how different solutions can help the business: 32% 3. Integrating social media with Web site, marketing tools, etc.: 32% 4. Implementing new solutions/upgrades: 30% As you can see from the above data points, SMBs view figuring out what solution can best help the business and getting better insights from existing data as bigger challenges than implementing a new solution!

Scarily, these challenges are just as significant in medium businesses as in small ones, despite the fact that most medium businesses have IT staff, larger IT budgets and better access to external technology advisors. Clearly (no pun intended) this confusion and frustration creates a huge, and in my view, a vastly under-rated (by most vendors, anyway) inhibitor to SMB technology adoption. It reinforces my belief that any company trying to sell into the SMB market needs to do some serious self-evaluation, as I discussed in my post earlier this year, Does Your SMB Marketing Message Need a Makeover?

Seven Questions to Ask. SMB requirements for clarity, transparency and a demonstrable value proposition will become even more intense as more SMBs starting shifting from generic search engines to application marketplaces/app stores and social media to learn about, evaluate and buy solutions. These newer channels provide more and better context for SMB customers, and provide a source of unbiased insight about other customers’ actual experiences with solutions.

While our study shows that search engines are the top information source for SMBs today, social networking site such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are gaining momentum at a rapid rate. And, although SMB app stores are an even more recent phenomenon, our findings indicate that a majority of SMBs are aware of and using/planning to use them. Among small businesses, 23% use them and 29% plan to use app stores; while among medium businesses, 44% use app stores and 24% plan to use them.

With so many products and solutions competing for SMB mind and wallet share, and new information sources and channels that are making it easier for SMBs to sort through the clutter, vendors need to redouble their efforts to clearly describe their solutions, provide solid evidence of how it can help businesses achieve their goals, and clarify how it differs from competitive offerings. Otherwise, the market–with the help of social media and app stores–will do it for them. Posted in Uncategorized.

Tags: SMB, small business, social media, channels, app store, marketplace, routes to market, technology solution, technology confusion.2 Comments Â.

There are some great solutions out there for you In selecting a solution, you must take into account many options including current needs as well as future needs... Some other great CRM options are from: Rightnow.Com -- great online and on-premise solutions. Has been in the market for sometime. Www.SuradoCRM.Com -- you can start with online and easily migrate to on-premise.

Also has a great offline CRM product. One of the early CRM market introductions.Www.SugarCRM.Com -- open source... only attempt this option if you are into programming.Www.NetSuite. Com -- offers both CRM and ERP integration.

May not be suitable for small business since implementation is not exactly easy. But may be a great tool for larger organizations. There are some great articles or white papers for small businesses looking to adopt CRM applications... one that come to mind is -- Got CRM?

Small Business Guide for Small Business. Note: CRM is not just software implementation. It requires a mindset change to put the customer at the center of the operations -- absolutely needs a champion and buy in from all employees.

We are very familiar with Info@hand and the other SugarCRM derivatives. If you are open to an easy to use, hosted CRM product with enhanced features that comes fully managed and supported, you may want to look into Intelecrm. There are packages that fit nearly every organizational need, and costs range from $240-$3360/yr for unlimited users: intelestream.net/en/prod-intelecrm/intel... There is a full integration with Quickbooks: intelestream.net/en/prod-intelecrm/quick... integrations with Google apps include Gmail and Google calendar.

Intelecrm is a derivative of SugarCRM. This whitepaper details how Intelecrm stacks up against the other major CRM vendors: http://www.intelestream.net/en/whitepapers/sugarcrm-versus-salesforce-com-and-intelecrm-applications.html Ray Stoeckicht INTELESTREAM Inc.

Zoho CRM might be a good fit now that they integrate with gapps: zoho.com/google-apps/index.html Salesforce as someone else mentioned is also a great tool.

It sounds like you've got a very good vision of what you need and need some help to scan the market to find the right supplier. We regularly help CRM/ERP buyers find the right suppliers and we can help you by putting together a shortlist of up to 6 pre-qualified suppliers. We provide the service to you at no cost - suppliers pay us a small marketing fee AND the shortlist of suppliers have agreed to compete for your business.

They each know that other suppliers have been carefully matched to your requirements and are competing for your business both on quality and price. Pls contact me if we can help. For now, you might want to read our CRM Buying guide and our ERP Buying guide.

businessbuyguide.co.uk/buyguides/GOOGLE/....

I am from Virtuos Solutions PVt. Ltd. And we are consultants for CRM software and we are also the sole business partners of RightNow, Kana ans Maximizer.

Please contact us for all your CRM related Queries. We surely wil provide you with the solution. Ekta.

[email protected].

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is another option to look at. You’ll get all the core features of sales, marketing and service and can easily customize automations and workflows. There’s also a choice to host on your own servers on online and change in the future if you’d like.

Regards, Jodi E. Microsoft SMB Outreach Team msftoft@microsoft.com.

Salesforce. Com seems to be the online CRM solution I hear about all time. I believe they have the ability to integrate with google apps too.

salesforce.com/googleapps.

Try webbased ERP solution WorkForceTrack. Trial on-line version for 7 days. Cloud computing.Scalable.

I'm a fellow computer consultant. I use ConnectWise. Www.connectwise.com.It has totally revolutionized my business.

I'm doubling my sales this year. Because it's not just software.It's a community with very active members, best practices and so much more. Seriously look at it.

Most if not all the TOP IT consulting companies in the world use it - no kidding. I go to the event and there are guys that started out like us doing what we do who are now running multi-million dollar operations based on ConnectWise. I don't work for them, my business is DigitalFire Inc.

Www.digitalfireinc.com. I'm sitting here thinking about what I can write to make you check it out. It will change your business life, I'm not kidding.

It's the single best business decision I have ever made.

You might take a look at Tactile CRM - tactilecrm.com.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.