1. Customer Relationship Management
If you're still managing leads in your inbox, winging it with post-its, or trying to hack something together in Google Sheets — you're not alone. But you are probably leaking deals.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) isn’t just a sales team thing. It’s a founder thing. It’s a growth thing.
Whether you're closing early customers, chasing partnerships, or trying to remember who the hell you said you'd follow up with on Thursday — having a CRM gives you structure. And clarity. And, let’s be honest, fewer dropped balls.
According to HubSpot’s 2024 State of Sales report, 61% of high-performing teams use a CRM to track customer interactions — versus just 27% of underperforming teams. That’s not a coincidence.
But the real kicker? You don’t need to drop £500/month to get started.
Tools like Attio, Capsule CRM, HubSpot, and Zoho all offer free or low-cost tiers with enough firepower for a lean startup to manage its pipeline like a pro. And if you're a bit more DIY, even Google Sheets still has its place (at least until your 12th client).
Bottom line: if you're trying to grow, you need a CRM — even if you're the only person in it. This post breaks down the best options to get you going without overspending.
👇 Check out the tools below, and when you're done, explore the rest of the toolkit series for marketing, project management, AI and more. Or contact us if you want a hand setting up the right stack.
Monday CRM
Summary: A highly customisable CRM platform with visual pipelines and automation capabilities.
Price: Free for up to 2 users. Paid plans start at $12/user/month (billed annually).
Pros:
Intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
Customizable templates for various sales processes.
Integration with popular tools like Gmail and Outlook.
Cons:
Free plan limited to 2 users and 1,000 items.
Advanced features like lead scoring and email tracking require paid plans.
HubSpot CRM
Summary: Full-featured CRM with contact management, deals, email tracking, and marketing tools.
Price: Free forever. Paid plans start around $20–$50/month.
Pros:
Free for unlimited users and 1M contacts
Great UI and integrations
Includes marketing tools
Cons:
Advanced automation/reporting locked behind paid plans
Can be overwhelming for very small teams
Zoho CRM
Summary: Solid CRM for lead and deal tracking, part of the Zoho suite.
Price: Free for 3 users. Paid plans from $14/user/month.
Pros:
Good customisation
Integrates well with other Zoho tools
Cons:
User and record limits
UI is less intuitive than others
Freshsales
Summary: Sales-focused CRM with pipeline views and AI lead scoring.
Price: Free for 3 users. Paid from $15/user/month.
Pros:
Modern UI
AI-driven insights
Cons:
Limited features on free tier
Smaller app ecosystem
Attio
🔗 attio.com?r=4hXIxuEdfzj-Q111 - Save 10% on paid plans
Summary: Attio is a slick, modern CRM built for startups and fast-growing teams. Think Notion meets CRM — relational, customisable, and genuinely enjoyable to use.
Price: Free for 3 users and 1,000 records. Paid from $29/user/month.
Pros:
Beautiful interface and customisable views
Smart data enrichment on contacts
Zapier, Slack, and Gmail integrations
Designed with startup workflows in mind
Cons:
Still relatively early-stage (features evolving)
Free tier can get tight fast
No built-in email sequencing
Capsule CRM
Summary: Capsule is a simple, elegant CRM made for small businesses and startups who want structure without bloat.
Price: Free for 2 users and 250 contacts. Paid from $18/user/month.
Pros:
Easy to learn and navigate
Visual pipelines and activity tracking
Custom fields and integrations
Cons:
Free tier is quite limited
UI is clean but basic
No built-in marketing automation
Google Sheets (DIY CRM)
🔗 docs.google.com/spreadsheets
Summary: Use spreadsheets to manage customer data manually.
Price: Free with Google account.
Pros:
Totally free
Highly customizable
No learning curve
Cons:
No automation
Not scalable
Manual effort required
Found this useful? Make sure to check out the rest of the Ultimate Lean Startup Toolkit series — we’ve covered everything from marketing and project management to AI, productivity, and finance. And if you’re stuck or overwhelmed, book a quick call and we’ll help you build a stack that fits your startup stage and budget.
