It’s 2025, we’re in an even more rapidly evolving business landscape, and startups are facing immense challenges and competition. To thrive and scale efficiently, these burgeoning companies must excel in managing their most valuable asset—customer relationships. This is where Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software platforms become indispensable. A CRM does more than just store contact information; it enables startups to track customer interactions, sales opportunities, and engagements across multiple channels. By leveraging a CRM, startups can anticipate customer needs, tailor their marketing efforts, and streamline their sales processes, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. Implementing a robust CRM system is not merely a technological upgrade; it’s a strategic investment in the foundation of a startup’s growth.

Key Takeaways

  1. Essential CRM Features: Identify the critical functionalities that a CRM should offer to effectively support a startup’s operations.
  2. Enhancing Customer Engagement: Learn how CRMs help improve interactions with customers, fostering better relationships and loyalty.
  3. Cost Considerations: Understand the investment involved and expected ROI from implementing a CRM system tailored to startup needs.
  4. CRM Scalability: Evaluate how CRM solutions can grow with your startup, ensuring they remain effective as your business expands.
  5. Integration Capabilities: Discover the importance of choosing a CRM that integrates well with existing tools to streamline operations.

What is CRM Software?

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software platform is a technological framework that enables an organization to manage all its interactions with current and potential customers. The core of CRM is to build a repository of customer data that integrates and automates sales, marketing, and customer support. This unified approach ensures that every customer interaction adds value and strengthens the relationship.

Key Features of CRM Software

CRM software platform offers a range of features designed to optimize customer interaction and business processes. Essential features include:

  • Contact Management: Stores comprehensive contact information such as names, addresses, social media accounts, and communication preferences in an organized manner.
  • Interaction Tracking: Keeps a log of every interaction with the customer, including emails, phone calls, and face-to-face meetings, providing a holistic view of the customer journey.
  • Lead Management: Facilitates tracking of leads through the sales pipeline, from initial contact to conversion, optimizing marketing strategies and improving conversion rates.
  • Workflow Automation: Automates routine tasks like sending follow-up emails, updating contact records, and issuing alerts when important events occur, enhancing operational efficiency.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Generates detailed reports on sales trends, customer behavior, and campaign effectiveness, offering actionable insights to drive strategic decisions.

Benefits of Using a CRM for Startups

For startups, a CRM system is pivotal in scaling operations and enhancing productivity. Key benefits include:

  • Enhanced Customer Insights: With rich data on customer interactions, startups can tailor their offerings to better meet the needs and preferences of their target audience.
  • Improved Efficiency: Automation of mundane tasks frees up time for teams to focus on more strategic activities that contribute directly to business growth.
  • Scalability: CRM systems can grow with the business, adding functionalities and integrations as needed without disrupting existing operations.
  • Better Customer Retention: By providing personalized experiences and proactive service, startups can increase customer loyalty and lifetime value.

Evaluating Your Startup’s Needs When Choosing a CRM

Selecting the right CRM for a startup involves a thorough assessment of current and future needs. Here’s how to approach this evaluation:

Assessing Current Requirements

Start by mapping out your customer journey from initial awareness to post-sale support. Identify the touchpoints where interactions occur and the information that needs to be captured. This will help determine the basic features your CRM must have.

Consider Scalability and Integration

As your startup grows, so will your customer base and your need for more sophisticated CRM features. Choose a CRM that not only meets current needs but can also scale seamlessly as your business expands. Additionally, consider the CRM’s ability to integrate with other tools already in use, such as email marketing software, customer service platforms, and financial systems, ensuring smooth interoperability.

Evaluate CRM Costs vs. CRM Benefits

While cost is a critical factor for startups, it’s important to evaluate the potential ROI a CRM system can deliver. An inexpensive CRM may save costs initially but could lack essential features that drive growth. Conversely, a more expensive system with extensive features might offer a better long-term value by boosting customer satisfaction and retention.

4 Best CRM for Startups

Selecting the right CRM system is pivotal for a startup’s success. A good CRM not only fits the current business model but also adapts to evolving needs. Here, we delve into some of the top CRM options that are well-suited for startups, focusing on features, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.

Teamgate CRM for Startups

Teamgate CRM offers a comprehensive solution that combines ease of use with powerful sales insights and tools, making it our preferred choice for startups.

Teamgate CRM Features

Teamgate provides an all-in-one sales platform with capabilities such as lead scoring, advanced analytics, and detailed customer insights. It supports complete sales funnel management from lead capture to closing, enhanced by its strong integration capabilities with marketing and service platforms.

Teamgate CRM Pricing Model

Teamgate CRM has a straightforward pricing structure which includes a FREE and two paid subscription offerings that scale according to feature set, making it easy for startups to choose a plan that best fits their needs without overcommitting resources.

Teamgate CRM Pros

User-friendly interface, insightful sales analytics, effective lead management, clear pricing structure, and award-winning customer support.

Teamgate CRM Cons

Less well-known than larger competitors, which may affect third-party integration options.

You can get started with Teamgate CRM today for FREE.

Venturz

Venturz CRM

Venturz CRM is the ultimate solution for startups, offering all the essential tools to manage and grow customer relationships seamlessly. With everything built in—from contact management to advanced analytics—it’s designed to support startups from the ground up.

Venturz CRM Features

Venturz offers a robust suite of tools, including campaign management, contact management, advanced analytics, billing and invoicing, task management, and customer support—everything a startup needs to thrive from a single, unified platform.

Venturz CRM Pricing Model

Venturz uses a usage-based pricing approach, beginning with a free plan that grants access to premium features, allowing startups to scale their tools as their business grows without upfront costs.

Venturz CRM Pros

Comprehensive feature set, usage-based pricing, and a single platform for multiple business needs, reducing the need for multiple software solutions.

Venturz CRM Cons

Does not support third-party integrations, which may limit its flexibility for businesses that rely on additional tools.

HubSpot CRM for Startups

HubSpot CRM is renowned for its user-friendliness and cost-effectiveness, making it ideal for startups. It offers a free plan with basic features, which can be expanded with premium modules as the business grows.

HubSpot CRM Features

HubSpot provides tools for contact management, deal and task management, and email tracking. It integrates seamlessly with the broader HubSpot ecosystem, which includes marketing, sales, and service hubs.

HubSpot CRM Pricing Model

HubSpot CRM is currently free for basic features, with paid upgrades for additional marketing, sales, and customer service features.

HubSpot CRM Pros

Easy to use, minimal setup required, excellent for inbound marketing strategies.

HubSpot CRM Cons

Advanced features require paid plans, which can become expensive as more functionalities are needed and your business grows.

Copper CRM for Startups

Copper CRM is specifically designed for integration with Google Workspace, making it a perfect fit for startups that rely heavily on Google tools.

Copper CRM Features

Copper CRM excels in seamless integration with Google Workspace, automatically capturing data from emails and other interactions within the Google ecosystem. It offers robust lead and contact management, opportunity tracking, and task management.

Copper CRM Pricing Model

Copper offers multiple tiers, starting from basic to advanced, accommodating different startup sizes and budgets.

Copper CRM Pros

Deep integration with Google Workspace, intuitive user interface, and efficient data handling.

Copper CRM Cons

Primarily reliant on Google Workspace for full functionality, which might not suit all startups.

Comparing CRM Systems

When comparing these CRM systems, startups should consider their specific needs related to customer interaction complexity, anticipated growth rate, and the existing tech stack. HubSpot is great for startups focused on inbound marketing strategies and those who need a cost-effective solution with a gentle learning curve. Copper is ideal for teams deeply embedded in Google Workspace, offering unique efficiencies. Teamgate stands out for its customer support and scalability, making it an ideal all-around choice for startups looking to integrate deep sales insights with practical usability, without worrying about significant price increases as your business grows.

Implementing a CRM System in Your Startup

Implementing a CRM system involves more than just software installation. It requires a strategic approach to ensure that the system integrates smoothly with your business processes and truly enhances your operational efficiency.

CRM Implementation Guide

  1. Preparation and Planning:
    • Define clear objectives for what you want your CRM to achieve (e.g., improved customer data management, streamlined sales processes).
    • Ensure buy-in from all stakeholders, particularly those who will use the CRM daily.
  2. Choosing the Right System:
    • Based on the evaluations in the previous section, select a CRM that fits your business needs and budget.
    • Consider a vendor that offers comprehensive support during and after implementation.
  3. Customization and Integration:
    • Customize the CRM to fit your business processes. This might involve setting up custom fields, sales stages, and integration with existing tools (e.g., email systems, accounting software).
    • Test the system with a small group before full deployment to ensure it works as expected.
  4. Training and Adoption:
    • Conduct thorough training sessions for all users. Make sure everyone understands how to use the CRM to perform their specific tasks.
    • Encourage feedback and be prepared to make adjustments to improve usability.
  5. Evaluation and Scaling:
    • Regularly evaluate the CRM’s performance against your initial objectives.
    • Scale your CRM setup as your business grows, adding new features and users as needed.

Tips for Successful CRM Implementation

  • Start small with essential features to avoid overwhelming your team.
  • Focus on data quality from the start—ensure that all customer data entered into the CRM is accurate and comprehensive.
  • Regularly review and refine your CRM processes to align with changing business needs.

By methodically choosing and implementing the right CRM, startups can ensure they lay a strong foundation for customer relationship management, driving growth and customer satisfaction.

Challenges and Solutions When Using CRM Systems

Implementing a CRM system can revolutionize a startup’s approach to customer relationship management, but it’s not without its challenges. Understanding these potential pitfalls and how to navigate them is crucial for maximizing the benefits of your CRM investment.

Common CRM Challenges for Startups

  1. User Adoption:
    • Challenge: Resistance from employees who are accustomed to traditional methods of managing customer relationships or who may feel overwhelmed by new technologies.
    • Solution: Foster a culture of transparency and involvement in the selection and implementation process. Provide comprehensive training and demonstrate the personal benefits each team member will gain from the CRM, such as saving time and reducing manual tasks.
  2. Data Management:
    • Challenge: Inconsistent data entry, outdated information, and data silos can reduce the effectiveness of a CRM system.
    • Solution: Establish clear data entry standards and regular audits to ensure data quality. Utilize automation features to minimize manual data entry errors and integrate the CRM with other systems to centralize data.
  3. Cost Management:
    • Challenge: Balancing the cost of a CRM with the features and scalability that a startup needs can be difficult, especially with a limited budget.
    • Solution: Start with a basic, cost-effective CRM plan that covers essential features. As the startup grows and the budget allows, invest in additional features that address specific needs. Ensure you research future CRM costs associated with the scaling of your business.
  4. Customization Complexity:
    • Challenge: Over-customization can make the system complex and difficult to maintain and upgrade.
    • Solution: Limit customization to what is truly necessary. Prioritize configurations that add significant value and keep the system user-friendly.

Implementing Solutions Effectively

For each of these challenges, having a strategic approach in place can significantly ease the CRM implementation process. Regularly revisiting these strategies and adapting them based on ongoing feedback and evolving business needs is essential. Additionally, leveraging a CRM’s analytics to monitor usage and effectiveness can help identify areas where additional support or training is needed.

Conclusion: The Strategic Value of CRM in Startup Growth

In conclusion, choosing and implementing the right CRM system is a strategic decision that can dramatically affect a startup’s ability to scale and succeed. A CRM system is not just a tool for managing customer data; it’s a comprehensive platform that supports various aspects of business operations, including sales, marketing, customer support, and feedback management.

Recap of Key Points

  • CRM systems are vital for managing detailed customer interactions and supporting the sales process from lead to loyalty.
  • Evaluating needs and choosing the right CRM requires understanding both current and future business requirements, ensuring the CRM can scale with the startup.
  • Implementation should be strategic, involving careful planning, stakeholder involvement, and ongoing training to ensure widespread adoption and maximum utility.
  • Addressing common challenges proactively can enhance the effectiveness of a CRM system and ensure it delivers the expected business value.

Final Thoughts

As startups continue to navigate the complexities of customer relationship management, the role of a CRM system becomes increasingly central. By effectively implementing a CRM system, startups not only enhance their operational efficiencies but also build stronger, more rewarding relationships with their customers. This, in turn, drives growth, increases customer satisfaction, and solidifies the startup’s position in the market. Thus, investing in a robust CRM system and ensuring its effective use is not merely an operational decision—it’s a strategic imperative for sustained success.

If you want to get started with Capterra’s Number 1 Value-for-Money CRM of 2024, check out Teamgate CRM today!

FAQs: CRM for Startups

  • What are the essential features a startup should look for in a CRM system?
    • Startups should prioritize CRMs that offer robust contact management, lead tracking, sales forecasting, and customer interaction logs. Automated workflow and comprehensive reporting features are also critical to drive efficiency and gain actionable insights.
  • How can CRM tools enhance customer engagement for a new business?
    • CRM tools help new businesses by centralizing customer interactions, providing detailed insights into customer preferences and behaviors, and facilitating personalized communication strategies. This enhances customer experience and engagement across multiple touchpoints.
  • What are the cost considerations when choosing a CRM for a small business?
    • When evaluating CRMs, consider both upfront costs and ongoing expenses. Look for transparent pricing models that scale with usage. Assess potential returns through improved efficiency and increased sales, ensuring the chosen CRM offers a good investment return.
  • Can CRM systems help startups increase sales and revenue?
    • Yes, CRMs assist in increasing sales by efficiently managing leads, improving follow-ups, and optimizing sales processes through data-driven insights. This streamlined approach reduces the sales cycle and increases conversion rates, boosting overall revenue.
  • What is the role of CRM in managing customer data for startups?
    • A CRM organizes and stores all customer data in a centralized location, making it accessible and actionable. This organization helps startups segment customers, track sales activities, and tailor marketing efforts based on collected data.
  • How do CRM solutions support marketing efforts in startups?
    • CRMs enhance marketing by integrating customer data with marketing strategies, enabling targeted campaigns, lead generation, and performance tracking. This alignment helps startups maximize their marketing ROI and adapt strategies based on real-time feedback.
  • Are there CRM options that integrate well with other tools commonly used by startups?
    • Many CRM systems offer extensive integration capabilities with popular tools like email marketing platforms, social media, and accounting software. Select a CRM that seamlessly integrates with your existing tech stack to ensure fluid data flow and usability.
  • How scalable are CRM systems for growing startups?
    • Scalability in CRM systems is crucial for startups. Choose a CRM that can handle an increasing amount of data and more complex business processes without requiring a system overhaul. Look for solutions that offer modular add-ons and flexible pricing plans.
  • What training is required for startup teams to effectively use a CRM?
    • Effective CRM use requires initial comprehensive training focusing on system capabilities and best practices. Ongoing support and refresher courses are also essential to help teams maximize the tool’s benefits as features evolve and business needs change.
  • What are the common challenges startups face when implementing a CRM, and how can they be overcome?
    • Common challenges include user resistance, data migration issues, and underutilization. Overcome these by involving key team members in the CRM selection process, ensuring robust training programs are in place, and choosing CRMs with excellent customer support and user-friendly interfaces.

Startups – they can either be exciting, scary or both at the same time. The prospect of getting into business to address a pain point someone or another has experienced can be daunting, and thinking about how to keep your startup sustainable and profitable can also be a little frightening. But growing a startup (and keeping it afloat) is easier now more than ever. For the past years, growth hacking has been the way to go to make even the newest startups flourish. 

Growth hacking is exactly what it sounds like — it means to explore, experiment with, and ‘hack into’ the most creative ideas that revolve around making your product or service appeal to your market so that they help key aspects of your business grow. We’re talking experience marketing, UX and UI, data, surveys, and trial and error of all sorts. Yes, it will take more than just one growth hacking strategy to find out what makes your market tick.

But don’t be intimidated. Although growth hacking sounds like it has to involve a lot of things a lot of times in order for you to succeed, there are some standard ideas you can try to help hack your startup’s fast growth and fast track it to your market’s radar: 

1. Freebies

One actionable growth hacking strategy you can implement right now involves a little tweak in your website’s landing page (if it’s not already been done): instead of showing your latest product or a sale first, show a freebie first. Who doesn’t love a good freebie? Attracting first-timers to your start-up with a no-strings-attached freebie will help you gather pertinent information easier because the front isn’t that you’re asking anything from them (even though in reality you’re essentially generating leads), but a free, ‘opt-out-able’ resource for them instead. This is an especially popular growth hacking strategy for life coaches and the like. Showcase your freebie via a lightbox or a pop-up every time someone visits your landing page. If your product or service really resonates with them, then your market will only look forward to your email communications more and more.

2. And while you’re at it… Loyalty Programs

If you’re giving out freebies to people who have discovered your product or service for the first time, then all the more should you give something out to the people who keep your business a part of their constants to capture loyal customers. Give your loyal users a reward for something as simple as a referral, i.e., customers can get their own referral links they can use to give out to their network and everyone gets a reward in return. This is a favorite growth hack strategy for retail stores and ecommerce sites to get more people to sign up and at least view their site. The rest will then be up to how appealing their site really is to their target market. 

You can also reward your loyal customers with points, freebies after a certain purchase, or even free shipping forever once they reach a certain number of years engaging with your business.

3. Make A Worthy (Marketing) Investment

If you’re really dedicated and hell-bent on growing your business, then investing in the experts will benefit your goals the most. Invest in working with marketing and growth experts, as they’re the ones who really focus on collecting and analyzing data, on discovering and infiltrating potential markets, and on opening new distribution channels to move your brand forward. They can probably do all the growth hacking ideas in this article better than the words could explain it. So if you really mean business, touching base with growth marketing experts who know product innovation, user experience management, and technical target marketing will earn you back more of what you invested in them in the first place.

4. Look Big

If you wanna be it, show up as it.

You can easily make your business look bigger than it seems (especially to potential investors) if you stay consistent and begin your marketing with premium aesthetics. Something as simple as a consistent branded look will have most consumers trusting your business just because you look credible. Apart from that, simply having multiple contact numbers or multiple addresses/P.O boxes across the country will make you look less of a startup and more of an up-and-running company. If your service is able to reach a wider area (i.e. you ship internationally), all the better to boost your business with. Finally, don’t be afraid to publish customer testimonials. Social affirmation can definitely make a company look big and credible.

5. Look Even Bigger with Premium 

A good growth hacking strategy to try as well, if your business model allows it, is to ‘split’ your product between free and premium. By allowing everyone to experience your product or service for free, you’re getting your foot in the door by giving them their most basic needs from your business. Strategically pepper this free version with invitations to go premium, constantly citing how it truly is an upgrade from the former. Several photo editing apps and music apps use this growth hacking strategy with much success!

Are you ready to make it big? Try these growth hacking ideas for your own start-up today and let us know just how well it worked out for you!

As a startup, we are always keen to learn from others and seek the advice from successful CEOs and entrepreneurs. It would be hard to find a better example than Yam Regev, a CMO of Webydo and a co-founder of Zest, a marketing content sharing platform. We are big fans of  Zest as it helps publish Teamgate blogs; therefore, it was a great pleasure to interview and learn from the founder Yam. In this interview, we learn the value of getting your hands dirty, the importance of processes and why finding a suitable business partner is a very important step for a company. With 10 years of marketing experience and a passion for helping B2B businesses, Yam surely has some good tips to share, so we hope you find it helpful.

– I saw you’ve got your BA in East Asia studies – so how did you decide to become an entrepreneur? Do you think it is necessary to have a degree in business? Tell us about your early business experience?

Oh my… Actually, I need to update my profile as I never graduated. My initial plan was to learn East Asian studies while combining it with learning Chinese and Economics, but I sucked at both.

In my second year (it was in 2006) I founded a web marketing agency with two partners. This agency grew fast so I had to put the studies behind me and after two years we had 30+ employees and two teams in India. I CEO’ed the company for 4.5 years and then I started my own gig where I consulted to mega brands on how to build huge in-house marketing teams.

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I certainly do not think that a degree is necessary. I’m a big believer in practical experience rather than theories and for me, one year of experience equals to two years of learning theories.

I was fortunate enough to interview, hire and manage over 200 people in the last 11 years.

Actual experience and “dirty hands” always overcame theoretical knowledge as far as it relates to my hiring decision-making.

The main reason for that is to have someone that already “did it” on your team, meaning that he doesn’t just know what to do, but more importantly, he knows HOW to do it. And to know how, means that they understand processes, and processes are what’s important in any team’s dynamics.

I can proudly say that many of my past employees are now VPs marketing, CMOs or executive directors in many leading startups, mainly in Israel, but also abroad, so as far as I’m concerned, this is the PoC (Proof of Concept) of my pragmatic approach of experience vs. knowledge.

–  What motivated you to start Zest? Where did the idea come from?

I love to consume content. Actually, I’m addicted to it. There, I said it!

I know that as a marketing executive I can’t afford to miss out new doctrines, methodologies and updates. Hence I found myself skimming through dozens of articles each day.

As time went by, I started to send relevant articles that I read to different people around me – current and past employees, new bosses, colleagues in the States and in Canada and so on. In most cases these guys told me that 1) They can’t understand how I found these value-added articles and 2) That this or that article is exactly what they needed right now.

A few years later, as CMO at Webydo, I thought: “Well, why don’t I create a place where people will come to read the content that I think is the the most relevant, instead of me sending dozens of articles to so many people.

I knew the right guys that could help me create Zest and so we started it as a side project.

I must say that my co-founders took the original idea and completely revamped it to something that is far more visionary and bigger than my small initial idea. They created a growth monster.

– As with every startup, there must have been some mistakes and downfalls on the way? Can you share some of the lessons learnt?

We had tons of mistakes. My first learned lesson was to be clear with our vision and stick to it. If we listened to all the feedback we gathered from our Alpha & Beta users and actually executed it, there would be no Zest today. Sometimes it just might take a bit before your targeted market is getting used to your solution.

Lessons learned

We created Zest by doing many iterations with our Alpha & Beta users, and although no one gave it a chance at the beginning, at some point, they got addicted to it – they understood the added value it’s giving them, they increased their usage and even shared it with their colleagues. As of today we have 8,000 WAU and around 92% of them came through WoM (Word of Mouth).

The second lesson, and one that I think we are still making a mistake on is scale fast.

Once you understand that you’ve attained Product-Market Fit, stop all other things you are doing and push the pedal to the metal.

–  What is the best and your favourite feature of Zest?

Without a doubt it’s the social layer we added to Zest just before we launched on March 7th. I love it because it is also functioning as a sweet and authentic growth hack – marketers are following each other and see what type of articles their colleagues suggested on Zest, what articles they saved for reading later and it is giving an amplified, humanized experience to the product.

It also puts front and center our agenda – we’re creating a tribe of marketers who unite around a clear purpose – creating the best content consumption platform by using our own tribe. It means that our tribe members (users) are suggesting content, and then a group of Chiefs (power-users) are reviewing these content suggestions and making sure that they are aligned with Zest’s content quality style guide.

It’s a proactive, engaged community which is centered around consuming high-quality content that only professionals from the same segment can precisely determine the value for other professionals.

Zest

– What challenges do you face every day? How do you motivate yourself to stay productive?

The work-life balance is currently my main challenge. As a co-founder of a bootstrapped startup that is scaling fast, I find myself working around the clock. It puts a strain on my other job, being a father of three daughters.

What keeps me propelled is my supportive family, who understands my madness and also, our tribe’s feedback. We get around 20-30 different messages a day from marketers who love what we do and feel engaged with our agenda and movement.

– What are your goals over the next 6 months?

We are on the right way to be profitable. This is our main focus. We prefer to be profitable rather than to raise funds. In 6 months from now we plan to expand into two more segments, other than marketing, and to integrate our content recommendation widget (yet to be launched), in 10-15 marketing related publishers and blogs.

– How do you attract new customers? Do you follow a certain strategy?

It’s all about the community. I call this strategy “Community Growth” and it means keeping our communication with our tribe personal and almost face to face.

Marketers told us that they are experiencing three main “Aha!” moments when using Zest – the first one is from the first encounter with the product. They say it is beautiful, fast and VERY intuitive.

The second one is after they played around with it a bit, so they understand and appreciate its added value. It means that the content they consume is not only highly contextual but also it’s very valuable for them.

The third Aha! moment is after they suggest an article. They get a personalized email from our Chief Moderator (me 🙂 ), which details the reason their suggested article was declined or accepted and published on the Zest feed.

These three-phases of engagement creates a hyper-WoM effect.

– Can you share you book recommendations or any useful blogs talking about product marketing?

I must admit that I’m not a book-reader kinda guy. I believe that the fact that I’m dyslexic is preventing me from enjoying this world of reading books.

As for the best Product Marketing blogs:

  1. https://blog.prototypr.io/
  2. https://producthabits.com/
  3. https://productcoalition.com/
  4. And of course https://blog.intercom.com/

– Lots of startups rely on forums to get traffic – did you have any experience with review platforms and forum posting? Did you find this effective?

Forum Marketing and Comment Marketing are becoming tougher as time goes by. The main reason for that is that users are more sensitive to lack of authenticity.

I didn’t try these methods with Zest, but with other startups I’m consulting, we saw great success with this method.

I believe that a better method comes from a close marketing doctrine. What I’m doing at Zest is engaging Medium bloggers to try Zest out and to briefly write about their actual experience with the product and how it fits in with their daily routine. Actually, this was one of our product launch tactics and on the week of the launch, with about 30 Medium bloggers publishing their experience.

That method proved to be super efficient and authentic.

– Do startups need a big investment? Is it possible to create and develop a company on a low budget?

Definitely and without a doubt – YES.

Marketers/founders should always think on how they can increase their exposure by collaborating with 3rd parties. Think about what the other side wants, and help them with it. They will help you in return to accomplish what you want to achieve.

– What is the biggest mistake you found most leaders make?

Not circulating an idea or strategy with other people within their organization. As a CMO at Webydo (a 50+ employee company), I was amazed from the feedback we got from other departments when showing them our next campaign, brand-messaging strategy or just a simple landing page design.

Leaders must democratize their thought-process and procedures in order to engage their employees with their vision and to get a constructive feedback of what they plan on doing.

– If you have one piece of advice for someone who is just starting a company, what would it be?

It’s all about finding the right partners. I know that without mine, I would be lost. Literally! And my vision would have been dwarfed as compared to what a mutual, healthy thought process between a couple of founders bring.

Don’t find partners that simply share your vision or because it’s cool for you to hangout. Make sure you complete each other in the core technical fields of Marketing, Product & Design, Development & IT, Sales & Biz dev.

Make sure you’re completing each other professionally.

At Teamgate, we agree with Yam that you need to just get your hands dirty and test a lot of different marketing methods. You can never be afraid of failure that something will not work, and at the same time you need to be sure that a traction channel that does work needs to be pushed and scaled very quickly to build the momentum.

Do you have a story to share? We would love to get in touch and turn your experience into the article. Leave a comment down below and we’ll make sure to get in touch.

So this is how it starts. You created your own company, became your own boss and started to climb the ladder of financial independence. However, it is always healthy to have a reality check and consider the possible risks your business may encounter on the way. What if something goes wrong and your company fails? Do you have enough skills and stamina for it? Can you build a successful and motivated team? Do you know how to run all the different parts of your business including sales, admin, marketing, accounting and HR?

Welcome to the life of an entrepreneur where you can forget about sleep, having a personal life or your health. Although incredibly exciting, running a business can be extremely stressful not just for you but for your employees also.

We had an opportunity to speak to Billy Muir, a director of LBJ Consultants, who has over 25 years experience in dealing with HR and Employment Law issues and working with giant companies like BT. We are happy to share his insights and dig a little bit more into the stressful lives of startups and SMBs.

The reality behind the startup

Workplace stress is a burning topic nowadays, especially in the world of startups and SMBs.

“It’s no surprise that entrepreneurship can be stressful to anybody” – says Billy. “You are in charge of employing people, leading them and making decisions that will determine your business.”

One of the biggest mistakes managers do is take too much work on their shoulders: employment, HR and finances. At the same time they are juggling new customers, planning their business and marketing strategies. Other causes leading to stress is endless working hours, the high workload, research and people you have to meet. Sometimes it seems that there are not enough hours in the day to complete everything from your “to-do” list. Sounds familiar? Well, according to the Small Business Census survey conducted by instaprint, 1 in 8 business owners get so stressed that they only sleep three or four hours at night. What’s more, 50% of small business owners feel more stressed than in their previous jobs. Billy stresses the need for small companies to seek for professional help, particularly based around how to create a healthy workspace. 

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Stress factors and solutions

With years of experience in HR and training, Billy points out the main stress factors that every entrepreneur should consider and ways to alleviate it.

  • Financial and employment concerns

    Staying on top of your financial paperwork, managing loans, paying monthly salary – every entrepreneur feels pressure to manage all of these things at once. As a business owner, you’ve probably invested a big chunk of money into your startup, so every decision you make can be detrimental to your business. The best solution is outsourcing your workload. For early stage startups outsourcing your HR function provides the one thing that is usually non-existent in the early days of launch – piece of mind. You might want to explore DayOneHR – a virtual HR assistant. Moving this workload to outsourced HR services can not only provide an effective solution, it can save a company money. Most importantly, give founders time to focus on the future growth of their startup.

  • Managing deadlines and responsibilities

    As a leader of your company, you are also expected to be the “boss” of your tasks and make sure everything runs smoothly. That also means that you are making decisions in every step that you take. “Have you ever heard of “decision fatigue”? It’s become a phenomenon, which can negatively affect your mental health” – says Billy. That is why it is important to learn to switch off and take some time to yourself. Plan all your week in advance to know exactly when you are working and having a day’s break. Keeping your plans in a calendar is a good habit, but don’t forget to dedicate a day for relaxation as well.

    Creating healthy workplace

  • Customers

    You cannot run a business without customers. Interaction with them either face to face or over the phone is your everyday life. In order to sustain your business and client base, it is important to maintain the relationships and provide excellent customer service. The more customers you have, the more time you have to dedicate to each of them (especially in the early business days). When it becomes too stressful to manage multiple customer requests and complaints, just sit back and think if this client is valuable to your business. Not all customers are worth retaining. If you are certain they will not negatively influence your business, go ahead and disengage with them.

How to create a healthy workspace?

Creating a positive and healthy working environment for all your employees – mission possible. Most importantly, as a manager, you have to create a clear job description so that your employee knows what is required and what is their role. It‘s not that easy with startups where their job description changes every 10-12 weeks.

“Getting the right people and building healthy relationships with them – this is what leads business to success” – says Billy.

When the employees know what is expected from them and are not afraid to ask for help, work becomes more friendly and enjoyable place to be. It is crucial for a manager to acknowledge employees as individuals, who have good and bad days, who have their personal lives and struggle with everyday problems.

How often should you praise your team? 

Did you know that only 28% of employees are satisfied with overall company culture, i.e. work ethics, values, etc.? Employees do not feel appreciated for their time and efforts. This is due to the lack of communication with the team and managers.

Billy suggests having a meeting at least once a month with your employees where you are going through what they have done really well and the areas of improvement. Don’t forget another important thing – training, training and more training. Once your staff is trained, they’ll know all aspects of their job and the level they should be at.

“That brings us to the planning stage, where you have to set goals for each team member” – he adds.

The key to employee job satisfaction is simple. Make them feel needed, set realistic goals and tasks, leave fields for improvement and praise them for their good work. Receiving praise is empowering, it increases productivity and motivation and it costs nothing.

“At the end of the day,  people should be experts on making their business a success and make it grow” – says Billy. Therefore, making sure you have the right people to work with leads your business to success and less stress.

As any other startup company, here at Teamgate we completely understand the struggles that come from a high workload. Sometimes stress, pressure and fatigue dawns at you all at once and it is difficult to stay positive and motivated every day. We agree with Billy that being organised, planning your work and rest days can help relieve stress and start the day with a more positive note. Have you experienced stress at your company? What helped you to deal with it and overcome it?

 

Billy has over 25 years experience in dealing with HR and Employment Law issues. He is currently a Lay member of the Employment Tribunal Panel in Glasgow. You can contact Billy through his Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn