There are many different solutions available for companies looking to begin using a CRM software solution, from the simple contact manager to a system-wide CRM suite.

The first step is determining what the needs of your business are:

Assessing the needs of your business is essential. A small business with fewer than 25 employees may need only a limited range of services. “You [may] need some basic contact management, you want some basic marketing,” said Sheryl Kingstone, director of Yankee Group’s enterprise research group. “You have a sales channel. You don’t have tons of money and you’ll adapt to the product… That’s when you can potentially evaluate an ACT! or a contact manager or something that has some basic functionality and doesn’t cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to implement.”

A simple, out-of-the-box CRM solution may provide everything a smaller business needs. “Traditional players like Sage, with ACT! 2010 have millions of users at the low end, and they’re actually incorporating some of the on-demand functionality into their installed product,” says Leary. “So, for example, they have the ability to do email marketing, which comes through a partnership they have with a company called Swiftpage that allows you to do email marketing services right from your ACT! 2010 database, which is really important because email marketing is a critical piece of how small businesses are promoting themselves and staying in touch with customers.”

If you’re brand new to this area, this eCRMGuide.com article is a great place to start.