Enterprise CRM Vs. Small Business CRM: A Complete Guide

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a must-know if you are a business looking to have a good relationship with your customers. It’s no secret; for your business to grow, you must improve business relationships by staying connected to your customers. 

Your organization’s relationships, from colleagues to suppliers, are all smoothly controlled by enterprise CRM. Enterprise CRM also helps in finding new customers for your business, all the while providing new services. Enterprise CRM is very different from other types of customer relationship management solutions.

So, what an enterprise CRM does is that it coordinates all sorts of processes being carried out in your business, from customer services to marketing, and shares the information with every team member, including even call representatives, help desk team, etc. Enterprise CRM extends communication and coordination to even third parties. 

The essential role enterprise CRM plays is that it centralizes real-time customer information. This makes it easier for anyone interested in customer-facing roles to understand clients, their behavior, and their needs. Overall, enterprise CRM enhances coordination and makes the whole interaction with the customers more informed.

Before we compare enterprise CRM and small business CRM, let's learn a little about small business CRM.

Small business CRM software is a tool that helps small businesses have better interactions with potential and current customers. It provides tools for sales, marketing, etc.

The most significant advantage of small business CRM software is that it builds your business’s interactive relationship with your customers, which leads to long-term loyalty from customers. 

Now there is no denying that it is customer loyalty that leads to profit in business. Hence CRM helps in making your business profitable.  Even small companies and freelancers can increase their customer flow using CRM. There is a CRM for small businesses known as niche CRM. This software is made for small to mid-ranged companies to help them have better customer relationships. 

The main target of the best small business CRM is startups and small companies where customers are handled by a single person or a few team members. For such companies, small business CRM offers functions that specially help startups have better customer relationships but also on a limited budget. 

Instead of providing every single feature, small business CRM offers specific, valuable features. It's a win-win for small businesses as they do not need CRM administrators to manage the software.

Enterprise CRM and small business CRM software both provide three standard core services. First is managing data efficiently, helping provide more personalized customer service, and thirdly, more customized sales. Here are some similarities both enterprise and small business CRM share. Both efficiently centralize real-time customer information, including accounts, lead management and sales, and contact info. 

Every member of the business team can personally access the customer information. Moreover, customer experiences are improved by informed and better intelligent interactions provided by both enterprise CRM software and small business CRM software.

If we compare enterprise CRM with small business CRM, especially in pricing, enterprise CRM is expensive! If it offers robust features, it comes at a price, and you need to pay for it the moment you plan on investing in an enterprise CRM system. In comparison, small business CRM is less expensive and more affordable as they provide customizable plans to companies according to their needs. They also offer subscriptions. 

When comparing the UI/UX/CX of enterprise CRM with small business CRM, SMB CRM takes the lead. Enterprise CRM has made its UI/UX too technical to be used by ordinary people. However, small business CRM has made it, keeping in mind the end-user. So many features available in small business CRM systems are user-friendly and have better visual appeal. On the other hand, enterprise CRM is difficult to navigate, requiring extensive training.

Here are some of the best enterprise CRM features and their benefits:                        

Contact Management

Both enterprise CRM provides the feature of storing all the information related to your leads, customers, etc., all in one place.                                                                 

Sales Pipeline Management

Enterprise CRM also allows you to track all the movements of your lead, from the start to the end level to optimize your sales pipeline for better customer experience.

Task Management

Another feature that the enterprise CRM provides is to carry out timed tasks for you and your team easier.       

Reporting

Enterprise CRM allows you to check all your leads, sort them and keep an eye on the customer relationship. Here are some features SMB CRM provides:

CRM Tools Integration

CRM tools integration helps you assemble all your relevant tools on a single platform, helping you save time.

CRM Customization

CRM customization helps you manage all your leads according to plan, increasing work efficiency.

Ease of Use

SMB CRM has shallower learning curves which means they are user-friendly and provide specific features.

If you are debating between enterprise CRM or small business CRM, here’s a tip: identify your business’s needs! No two companies are the same. You need to analyze your business and its processes to decide what exact features you are looking for, whether it's something as complex as enterprise CRM or small business CRM!

The first thing you need to do is to map your sales and marketing process. Ask yourself questions; do you need to increase leads, and do you need to have better coordination with your team members? Do you need better insight into data? The list goes on. 

Only once you are clear about your needs and demands, opt for either enterprise or small business CRM because the market is competitive, and comparing the best CRM vendors offers many features. Keep in mind your future and current business goals while making the decision.