ERP Consultant Blog

QuickBooks CRM: Think outside of the box!

Written by Chloe Larnach | Fri, May 10, 2013

Top 11 Items to Consider When Purchasing a QuickBooks CRM System

According to Wikipedia, Intuit was founded in 1983 by Scott Cook and Tom Proulx in Mountain View, CaliforniaUSA. After the success of Quicken for individual financial management, the company developed a similar solution for small business owners.  The Quicken software was very popular among small business owners who had no formal accounting training. As such, the software soon claimed up to 85 percent of the small business accounting software market. It continues to command the vast majority of this market.

As established above, most small businesses build their business using QuickBooks QuickBooks delivers the functionality, adaptability and ease of use startups and small businesses need.  What happens when these businesses outgrow the entry level functionality QuickBooks offers?  Please note another blog we recently published,  How do you know if you have outgrown your QuickBooks?

We recommend QuickBooks users think outside of the box when it comes to CRM (customer relationship management) software.  Companies considering the purchase of CRM software are companies who are looking to grow.  Companies who grow will most likely outgrow QuickBooks.  This is why when it comes to purchasing a CRM system we recommend thinking outside of the box.

Here are our top eleven items a growing company using QuickBooks should consider when purchasing a CRM:

  1. Can the CRM you choose grow with you and easily integrate into the new ERP software?
  2. Do you require a web-based solution where you can access QuickBooks or a future ERP software customer related data on demand?
  3. Do you require hosting your CRM solution on-premise or through a third party?
  4. Do you require multi-tenant or single-tenant cloud architecture?
  5. Do you require mobile client compatiblilty?
  6. Do you require Social Media integration?
  7. Do you require inbound marketing automation using tools such as Pardot or HubSpot?
  8. Do you require the flexibility of an app exchange environment where you can add third party functionality by shopping for integrated applications?
  9. Do you require customization?
  10. Do you require software ownership or prefer to subscribe monthly/annually?
  11. What is your budget?

In consideration of the 11 most important items listed above we have chosen to support and build our SugarCRM QuickBooks integration.  We selected SugarCRM because it is a single-tenant web-based cloud application.  It can also be available on-premise with mobile client compliance. SugarCRM has native social media integration.  Organizations can leverage social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as any number of social media feeds, inside their SugarCRM user interface. Unlike proprietary CRM vendors' approach to social CRM which locks users into their system, and simply enable internal collaboration around internal data inside the corporate firewall,SugarCRM extends the existing SugarCRM social platform with unlimited external data sources to foster social business value. SugarCRM allows users to listen, monitor and aggregate social data and tie it to their existing customer information in a simple structured manner, organizing world of myriad social media data sources. SugarCRM also offers integrations with inbound marketing automation applications such as Pardot, SalesFusion and HubSpot.  This enables SugarCRM users to respond to internet and email marketing opportunity faster with better intelligence.  SugarCRM has 1,000's of third party applications available for purchase via www.sugarexchange.com.  This application exchange offers users the option of purchasing extended functionality to meet the unique needs of individual businesses.  SugarCRM is an easily customized open source application.  SugarCRM is available via annual or monthly subscription. 

SugarCRM is the fastest growing CRM company in the world.  It is ecomonimical and easy to use just like QuickBooks.  SugarCRM can grow with your company and integrations exist with most of the mid-market accounting systems available today. 

The SugarCRM QuickBooks Integration extends the functionality QuickBooks users have become accustomed to in the back office to the front office allowing for a single view of customer interactions.

Please check out the SugarCRM QuickBooks integration below:

Please contact us to learn more about the SugarCRM QuickBooks intgration.

Written by Chloe Larnach, Faye Business Systems Group (SugarCRM Expert)

Executive Marketer, Website Content Manager, SEO, Blogger, Communications, Products - SugarCRM, Intacct, Sage

Specialties of Faye Business Systems Group

As certified SugarCRM, Sage, and Intacct partners and developers, Faye Business Systems Group is a technology consulting and software company that has helped growing companies over the last 20 years become more profitable by working with them to optimize their financial and business systems.   FayeBSG does this by helping them assess, implement, and optimize the right software for the right task. Key software includes SugarCRM, Sage 100 ERP (Formerly MAS 90 and MAS 200), Intacct and the development of custom software solutions. In addition to the development of industry leading integrations between SugarCRM and ERP, marketing, and credit card software solutions, FayeBSG services also include project management, software implementations, consulting, software development, training, and support.