Why Do I Need IT Services If My Small Business Uses Customer Relationship Management Software?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and practice management software has transformed the way we run small businesses. A CRM, such as Clio for law offices or MINDBODY for spas and yoga studios, manages customers across their entire journey through the sales funnel. Using applications like these reduces the time and effort it takes to reach new clients, manage their payments, and keep their information up to date – and you can do it all from a single laptop or tablet.

Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it just might be.

If you use a CRM to manage your small business, you may think you don’t need a full-service IT company. However, CRMs can’t do it all – and you could be putting your business at risk if you rely on a CRM for everything.

What are the potential pitfalls of using a CRM?

1. CRMs can’t do it all. Many small business owners tend to think they don’t need anything else in the way of IT support because they use an all-in-one software like Quickbooks or Expensify. These products are excellent to use for the services they’re designed to offer, but the real issue comes up when business owners let their computer support fall by the wayside, neglecting antivirus software, backups, and critical computer updates. Because most CRMs rely on cloud-based storage, they are often vulnerable to outside hacks and security breaches. And besides, what happens when your Wi-Fi network goes down? What if your computer is so slow it takes thirty seconds just to load each page of your practice management software? These are issues that CRM tech support can’t fix – but managed IT support can.
2. CRMs often require hefty technical support. While some companies hire or train an internal expert to work with a CRM, most small businesses don’t have the manpower to make that a viable option. In that case, their only outlet for questions or concerns is the CRM’s technical support service, which often comes at a higher price tag than the “regular” cost of service. How many times have you sat in a tech support call queue for a simple question or contacted support online only to have your questions half-answered by a chatbot? GTS can serve as your advocate for dealing with these kinds of tech support headaches. We often support our small business clients with vendors such as Quickbooks, Comcast, AT&T, and more. Let us deal with tech support so you can focus on running your business!
3. A CRM service crash can lead to data loss for your company. One of the worst-case scenarios is that something fails on the CRM’s end, and your company’s data is lost in the process. The last thing you want is your business grinding to a halt because of a system failure in someone else’s product. Unless you’re regularly backing up your data yourself, you’re relying on the CRM’s database to keep you up and running. Power loss, web connection, or server issues can all disrupt your connection to your CRM, causing a huge disruption for your business at no fault of your own. At GTS, we protect your data with secure backups. In the event of a system crash, we restore your data and get your business up and running as quickly as possible.

How will integrating IT services with my CRM protect my business?

CRMs are usually excellent for their purposes – a quick way of contacting customers, updating their information, and charging them for their purchases. However, you should always keep your data backed up and have remote monitoring services to protect you from security threats or crashes. Having a reliable IT professional on call to answer your questions, protect your data, and keep your system running smoothly gives you peace of mind that most CRM and practice management software can’t offer.

At GTS, we offer full-service IT support for small businesses, starting at just $50 to $75 per device, per month, with antivirus and antimalware software included. To learn more about our proactive IT solutions for small businesses, send us an email at info@grandtechconnect.com or give us a call at (904) 606-6011. We’ll be happy to help!