Optimize Your Operations: CRMs For Equestrian Businesses

What is a CRM?

A CRM or Customer Relations Management is, at its simplest, a database of potential and current customers.

Today, CRMs exist in the form of software systems, designed to house customer information, track potential customers, boost sales, and house useful marketing data. Information housed in CRMs allows businesses to build sales funnels, execute marketing campaigns, and analyze resulting data for better decision making.

No matter their size, every business needs a CRM to grow, and the equine industry is no exception. Luckily, there are CRMs out there for every type and size of business. CRMs run the gamut from simple lists of customer information to full-fledged digital marketing and sales platforms. But how do you know which CRM is right for your business?

Evaluate Your Needs

1. What are your core needs? Are you a service-based business, such as an equine body worker or saddle fitter?

You most likely focus on sales funnels, growing current clients, and sending out an email newsletter.

For SaaS or eCommerce businesses, a CRM with a customer service aspect and integration with inventory management will be crucial.

2. What kind of tools do you want? There are marketing, communication, sales, customer service, and reporting tools. Decide which are must-haves and which are nice-to-haves.

3. What other platforms do you use and will need to integrate? Do an audit of all your current tools and platforms and determine what will a CRM replace and what it will need to integrate with. While major CRMs and tools have pre-existing integrations, be sure to double-check for your specific platforms.

4. Calculate future growth: CRM set-up and onboarding is a time-intensive process. Choose a CRM that will grow with you for the next several years so you aren’t repeating this process in a year.

As mentioned previously, there are CRMs for every company type, size, and budget.

Below, we’ve outlined recommendations for Good, Better, Best, and Free. We have used a variety of CRMs over the years internally, in previous positions, and for clients. The ones listed below are our favorites for each category.

Good: MailChimp

Mailchimp is a great entry-level CRM for businesses either just starting out or operating with a smaller, niche customer base. Originally just an email platform, Mailchimp has expanded its CRM features to include automations, SMS, and landing pages.

Pros:

• User-friendly interface with drag-and-drop features

• Strong email marketing capabilities

• Free plan available for small contact lists

• Helpful templates and automation tools

Cons:

• CRM features are limited compared to more robust platforms

• Can get expensive as your list or needs grow

• Reporting and segmentation are more basic on lower-tier plans

Pricing:

• Free plan for up to 500 contacts - MailChimp branding is not removed

• Paid plans start at $13/month and scale based on number of contacts and tools available

Better: ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is designed for small businesses ready to level up their customer experience. It combines email marketing, sales automation, and CRM tools into one system, making it ideal for businesses that want more control over the customer journey without building a tech stack from scratch.

Pros:

• Automation capabilities for email, sales, and customer follow-ups

• Advanced segmentation and personalization

• Integrated CRM with pipeline and deal tracking for sales

• 900+ integrations with popular tools

Cons:

• Steeper learning curve than simpler platforms

• No free plan (only a 14-day free trial)

• Pricing scales quickly with contact list size

Pricing:

Starts at $39/month for up to 1,000 contacts, with higher-tier plans offering more CRM and automation features.

Best: Hubspot

HubSpot is one of the most well-known CRMs on the market, and its free tier makes it especially appealing to small businesses. It offers a user-friendly platform that brings together sales, marketing, and customer service tools. HubSpot’s free CRM offers basic contact management and email marketing.

HubSpot can get very expensive quickly, but it is a great option for enterprise companies looking to expand and are able to make the investment.

Pros:

• Free plan with core CRM features

• Clean, intuitive interface

• Seamless integration with HubSpot’s marketing, sales, and service hubs

• Scalable for growing teams

Cons:

• Advanced features locked behind higher-tier plans

• Can get pricey quickly as you add users or tools

• Limited customization on free and starter tiers

Pricing:

HubSpot's pricing is tiered from free to enterprise, with separate hubs for different business functions.

You can bundle hubs for savings, with costs scaling based on the number of users and contacts.

Paid plans start at $9/month for one seat and can go up to four figures depending on number of hubs, seats, and contacts.

Free: Google Sheets

Google Sheets may not be a traditional CRM, but for small businesses just starting out, it can be a surprisingly effective (and totally free) way to manage customer data. With customizable columns, filters, and collaboration features, it offers a flexible, no-frills option to track leads, contacts, and deals.

Pros:

• Completely free with a Google account

• Easy to customize for your specific needs

• Real-time collaboration with team members

• Integrates with tools like Zapier and Google Forms for basic automation

Cons:

• No built-in CRM features like automation, email tracking, or deal pipelines

• Manual data entry can become time-consuming as your business grows.

• Limited scalability and reporting without third-party tools

Pricing:

Free with any Google account; included in Google Workspace plans starting at $6/month per user for added storage and business tools

Last Considerations

Contracts and Commitments:

Review payment terms and cancellation policies before signing on the dotted line.Some platforms are month-to-month and are simple to cancel, while others require annual commitments and may require a 60-day notice to cancel. Ensure that your chosen platform has terms and conditions that work for you.

Plan Clarity

Confirm which tools are offered on which plan; sometimes plan options can get confusing, so be sure you are clear on what exactly you are purchasing. If you are new to CRMs or used to a different level of complexity, reach out to the sales team and see if you can book a demo. Be clear with the sales rep on what exactly you are looking for and how your business operates. If they offer a free plan or a free trial period, take advantage of it to get onto the actual platform and explore.

User Interface

The user interface is an easily overlooked aspect of any platform. A CRM should be easy to use with clear navigation. If you’re regularly lost with tools and features hidden in difficult places to find, then that is a clear sign that CRM might not be a good fit. A free plan or free trial period offers a low-commitment way to get into the platform and explore for yourself.

Customer Support

While you might not need support regularly, being able to get a quick answer is invaluable as a business owner. When shopping around for your next CRM, carefully consider the level of customer support offered on each plan.

While some options and tools are the same across the board, customer support is a common plan option to vary wildly based on the plan level. It can range from just email support to email and phone support to live chat all the way to having a dedicated account manager. Occasionally, technology does break and based on your customer needs, immediate support may be crucial to keep your business running smoothly.

Onboarding

If you are an established organization with pre-existing customer data or already using a CRM, a smooth onboarding process is critical for new platform success. Most likely, you will need assistance with transferring your data, workflows, and campaigns to your new platform.

Depending on the CRM platform and plan, onboarding support might be included, available for a one-time fee, or a CRM expert can project manage the process for you.

Questions around moving CRMs should be asked in the exploration stage and platform reps should be able to answer your questions or bring on their onboarding specialist for more technical questions.

Make sure you have an onboarding plan and timeline in place before you fully commit to a new CRM. It will save you time, money, and a major headache later.

In Conclusion

A well-chosen CRM will save you time by streamlining and automating processes, grow your business by strengthening your sales pipeline, and offer better insight to your customers with reporting and analytics. By following the steps outlined here, you can get a head start on growing your business.

Jillian Blades-Rice

Jillian Blades-Rice

More Leg Marketing

Jillian Blades-Rice is the Founder and CEO of More Leg Marketing, a full-service marketing agency specializing in the equestrian industry.

A lifelong equestrian, Jillian transitioned to the digital marketing world after gaining valuable experience at SmartPak Equine. She has spent the last nine years growing a transportation marketing agency to seven-figures, primarily as the Director of Marketing Operations.

Now, she brings her unique blend of equestrian expertise and digital marketing leadership to the industry she loves.

When not leading the charge at More Leg Marketing, Jillian can be found at the barn spoiling her old junior horse, Freddie. She currently resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband and furry companions.

Find Us: www.morelegmarketing.com

Follow Us: @MoreLegMarketing

This article is from the September issue of Equine Business Magazine