< Idea Validation > Do Freelancers really care?
Lately I've been marinating on the idea of building a no BS, no Frills and extremely simple CRM for Freelancers. Although it is very compelling to go out there and build this, I'm still not convinced it is the right problem to solve. I could be wrong, but I'd love to hear your honest opinions. Thanks in advance.
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Well, here's the deal from my perspective.
I freelanced for 5 years before leaving to work full time and eventually co-founding our company a few years back. I desperately wanted a CRM. But none of them worked: they were too complicated and too unwieldy for my needs, and were equally too expensive.
Yet then I discovered Excel. I discovered how to really use it, make it look good, and automate everything so it flows smoothly.
And that's the best CRM I've ever used. Even now, for our small team, we use spreadsheets instead of a CRM.
For a couple years I too wanted to make a CRM for freelancers, but the pricing model would literally have to be at $0 before it could compete with a spreadsheet.
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We have built our own templates over the years. Not only for CRMs but also accounting and monthly management. I probably need to publish them somewhere for others to use!
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I think One of the most daunting things with being a freelancer is the multiple platforms and processes required - crm, accounting, project management, finding work etc. I’d agree that form isn’t a big problem on its own for most freelancers given their scale but something that incorporates many sides of a freelancing sounds interesting.
I’m a freelancer! 👋 And I’d say it’s not really a challenge worth pursuing. As well as being a crowded marketplace, freelancers never really have the pipeline volume that would warrant full CRM capabilities, at least not that a simple Excel can’t fix.
It’s an interesting market though - and growing! So I’d say there’s possibly another challenge to fix rather than CRM.
How would it differ from other CRMs?
Simplicity. Let’s face it, CRMs can be very intimidating - having to figure that out is the last headache a freelancer wants to have.
Also, most features would be focused on making and delivering projects. Contacts, contracts, pipelines and few other core features.
Hard to say. A lot of freelancing platforms already do have basic CRM in them. And a lot of developers I know use Trello as CRM.
This is a very crowded space, so enter it only if you have a real, clear mission.
Also, check:
https://www.lessannoyingcrm.com/
I think there is quite a lot of Indie Hackers working on simple CRMs. Check the business directory.
I have a SalesFlare account but don't use it. Excel works. :) I'm making the move to AirTable though.