Running a small business can be one of the most challenging things. Ask any startup founder or an entrepreneur trying to make the most of the resources available to a small business, and you will get an entire list of the many challenges that such individuals and their teams face on a routine basis. Whether it is funds or the size of a team, there are many challenges that make running a small business, a difficult task indeed. Cloud based CRM would be the right approach to solve these issues, but before we discuss this, we need to understand the issues. So what are the basic things that small businesses need to do, in order to sustain and grow? Here’s a quick look:

• Maximize data: Data and information is something that is readily available to all business owners across the globe now, thanks to the Internet of Things or IoT. This is where all business activities today begin and end. The offline modes are only a formality now since businesses have pretty much shifted all their operations from sales and marketing to everything else, online. The actual production and physical delivery of goods is all that happens online. When we speak about sales and marketing online, there is much information available that needs to be used in a relevant manner and stored before it can be used in the first place. This would take many man hours and is a huge challenge for business owners. This is also where cloud based CRM would come into play.
• Organize data: Simply making use of data is not enough. The data must also be optimally organized so that it can be used in the right way and the right time by the right person in order to strike meaningful engagement with a prospect. This would include knowing where the data is stored and how it can be called up. This would also include knowledge of the use of such databases. This too, would be a time taking process and automation would be the need of the hour so that the small business can reach maximum people and engage with them rather than spending many hours on such monotonous tasks like organizing the data. In this regard, small business CRM software would be the best bet for small or mid sized business in such a scenario.
• Better teams: One of the most important challenges faced by a small business owner would be the challenge of a small team which would have to show big results. This is due to the fact that small businesses are not able to employ large teams and pay salaries to so many people. Yet, these small teams would have to motivated and incentivized on a constant basis so that they can show big results and take on many tasks. This would become a challenge. This is also where using cloud CRM can be propagated since many of the tasks can be automated and the small teams can then focus on their core skills so as to up the rate of conversion.

Now that we have covered some of the very basic challenges that face small businesses, let us turn our attention to the use of technologies like CRM or customer relationship management so that we can then understand how this platform or process can solve the problems faced by small businesses. To begin with, CRM or customer relationship management is a platform or software within which a number of functions can be automated in keeping with entire databases of information’s which can be called up at the right time for proper action within the sales pipeline. Now, with the advent of new trends in this niche, we have cloud based CRM systems that be used by small businesses. So how would using a cloud CRM be more beneficial than ever for a small business? Here are seven findings:

1. Better Team Collaboration: In a cloud based CRM system, a small business would be able to bring in team members from anywhere in the world so that they can follow the automated notifications upon the completion of one task. This would prompt the relevant team member into action and the right information to help him or her as well, which removes the scope of chaos or duplication of tasks.
2. Seamless Integrations: There are many systems and softwares that we use when we are running a business, and this is true for a small business as well. The best way to go about it is to integrate all of them so that the tasks and the information can be at one place for easy use and access. By using a cloud based CRM system, this becomes a possibility since it is easy to carry out integrations from a cloud based location.
3. Ease of Access: When you are running a business, especially a small business, you would need access from anywhere and for your team members who are spread out as well. A cloud based CRM system would help you with access from anywhere in the world with much ease.
4. Cost Effective: When you get your CRM system hosted on a cloud, you are saving on the cost of buying the entire software or signing up on a platform. This helps in saving costs and increasing revenues as well, which makes for quick and steady growth in a small business.
5. Data: Your data is always backed up on a cloud based CRM system, which keeps it well protected and it is also risk free since not everyone can access it on a cloud.
6. Easy Installation: It is easy to install the CRM system on a cloud based location since it would already have a ready framework for your needs.
7. Upgrades: It is easy to upgrade from a small business when you become growth bound since the cloud based storage can be expanded easily and without much hassle. Other functions can also be added.