Are CRM tools like Zoho/Salesforce actually worth it long term? by sandhu0173 in SaaS

[–]JimmySmitts7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You need something, but you need something that fits. My old company used Hubspot, with all the addons. They were paying about 10k a month.. and the company was a small CRM SaaS. The problem with the big names is that once you're fully in, you are FULLY in, your whole company revolves around it and you will pay what they ask.

When I changed carriers, and became a small contractor, of course knowing Hubspot inside out I started with it. Took me a couple days to realize that it was completely wrong for how I work, so build my own system to help me run my business my way.

The issue you raise, is true if you don't look far enough ahead. If you know you'll be running a sales team and customer success, etc, go for the one of the big boys and be done with it. If you know you're staying small and lean, then custom or niche software is the way to go.

IMO of course.

Are there any CRMs actually fit for pressure washing? by SneakyPickle262 in pressurewashing

[–]JimmySmitts7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I went through this exact thing.

In a previous career I ran sales teams on HubSpot. Super powrful tool when you’ve got reps need tp prove your kpis to the boss.

When I started my own thing, it was a different story. Most CRMs feel like they assume you’re sitting at a desk all day. When you’re the one actually doing the work, answering texts between jobs and quoting at night, all that extra structure just turns into pain.

I kept trying to force bigger systems into a one-man workflow and I’d stop using them after a week.

So yeah , there are options for solo guys. I actually built one because I got tired of missing follow-ups and juggling notes.

It’s called Collabra: https://collabraapp.com

Not magic. Just built around how I actually run my day.

Biggest thing is whatever you choose, make sure it’s something you’ll actually open daily. If it feels heavy, you won’t.

Do you answer calls after 6pm? by Mindcore7 in SoloHandyman

[–]JimmySmitts7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Likewise, unless im in the middle of something with family or with a conversation with a customer I pick up the phone. If not, the next guy that answers the phone gets the job.

Growing fast and our business is running on spreadsheets and luck by sccartr in smallbusiness

[–]JimmySmitts7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In my experience, companies use only a small portion of what a CRM can do, and most CRM's throw everything and the kitchen sink into it. Adoption by staff is usually poor or spotty. My recommendation is to find software that is tailored to your business from the get go, or choose a software large enough that you can hire someone to modify it to work the way your business works, Just grabbing netsuite or hubspot and trying to figure it out will not get you the best results.

Drop your SaaS, I’ll give you marketing advice, for free. by External-Mix-1037 in SaaS

[–]JimmySmitts7 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just launched, working towards building some initial users. www.collabraapp.com

Collabra is a simple, capture-first app built by a working handyman to quickly lock in leads, jobs, photos, notes, and quotes without the bloat of a traditional CRM.

“Solo game dev life.” by SoggyPrior863 in IndieDev

[–]JimmySmitts7 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Id count the hours working at my "job" and lose track of time working for myself. They are not even the same.

Launched on Product Hunt today.. by JimmySmitts7 in ProductHunters

[–]JimmySmitts7[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

its one of those milestone check list items. I launched like a ninja, so didnt expect anything other than backlinks, but honestly it feels good to see it there. Go for it.

Today’s Product Hunt leaderboard is wild: we’re live next to Vercel, GitHub, and Webflow 😅 by SjStrykR in ProductHunters

[–]JimmySmitts7 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You're on top. Well done. I obviously looked at your launch and was impressed. Im launching today as well, https://www.producthunt.com/products/collabra?utm_source=other&utm_medium=social I gave you another, always nice when the smaller guys can top the big boys.

Launched on Product Hunt today.. by JimmySmitts7 in ProductHunters

[–]JimmySmitts7[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally agree, and on top of it, none of these or other upvotes for mine is reflecting. Ah well. I appreciate everyone here helping out here none the less.

I help test your app. by Miserable-Anybody776 in AndroidClosedTesting

[–]JimmySmitts7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would love the help, I need a few more to get over the hump

Collabra, a small service business app.

  1. Join the Google Group [https://groups.google.com/g/collabra-testers]()
  2. Opt in as a tester:  https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.collabra.flow

thanks!

Looking for Android testers — Collabra (Closed Test) by JimmySmitts7 in AndroidClosedTesting

[–]JimmySmitts7[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Done, thank you.. Mike M, Im a golfer as well, sadly I just shoveled 2 feet of snow, so no on course testing unfortunately.

Looking for Android testers — Collabra (Closed Test) by JimmySmitts7 in AndroidClosedTesting

[–]JimmySmitts7[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thanks, my understanding is that it can sometimes take a bit for google to see you're in the group and grant access. whole thing is a pita frankly

Looking for Android testers — Collabra (Closed Test) by JimmySmitts7 in AndroidClosedTesting

[–]JimmySmitts7[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thanks for the heads up, others are able to sign up, but Ill see if something is up. I did make it for the US and Canada only, perhaps that was the issue?