CRM for small business
CRM for small business in Australia: what it costs and how to choose.
A CRM is where every enquiry, customer and job lives, so nothing depends on someone's memory or inbox. This guide covers what a small business CRM should do, what it costs, the Australian rules that apply and how the Launch Your Dream CRM works.
What is a CRM for a small business?
A CRM (customer relationship management system) is one place that records every enquiry, customer, conversation and job, and shows where each one is up to. For a small business it replaces the spreadsheet, the notebook and the inbox search, and it lets follow-up happen on a schedule instead of when someone remembers.
Most small businesses do not lose work because the product is wrong. They lose it because a quote was never followed up, a message sat unread over the weekend or nobody knew who last spoke to the customer. A CRM fixes the record first. Automation then uses that record.
What should a small business CRM include?
At minimum: contacts and companies, a pipeline with stages that match how you actually win work, one inbox for calls, texts, email and chat, tasks and reminders, a mobile app for when you are away from the desk, and reports that show where enquiries come from and where they stall.
| Feature | Why it matters | In every LYD suite |
|---|---|---|
| Contact management | One record per customer, with history | Yes |
| Pipeline stages | See which quotes and jobs are stuck | Yes |
| Centralised inbox | Calls, texts, email and chat in one view | Yes |
| Automated follow-up | Reminders and messages that send on a schedule | Yes |
| Online booking | Customers book a time without phone tag | Yes |
| Mobile app | Run it from the van or the clinic floor | Yes |
| Reporting dashboard | Where enquiries come from and where they stall | Yes |
| Review requests | Ask happy customers for a Google review | Yes |
How much does a CRM cost in Australia?
Generic CRMs are usually priced per user per month, and the entry plans rarely include texting, booking or a website. VCPility, the platform behind every Launch Your Dream suite, is priced per business, from A$165 a month plus GST, as published in October 2026. Always compare the full monthly cost, not the headline seat price.
| Plan | From | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | A$165 a month | Chat widget, calendar, CRM, centralised inbox and mobile app |
| Elevate | A$590 a month | Adds a website, AI chat, basic SEO and reputation management |
| Dominate | A$940 a month | Adds landing pages, advanced SEO, AI search optimisation and ads management |
| Apex | A$5,760 a month | Multi-site businesses with custom AI workflows |
Before you sign with any CRM provider, ask for: the price with every user you need, SMS and call charges, setup fees, the minimum term and notice period, and how you get your data back if you leave. Industry suites have their own published plans, so check the suite's pricing page as well.
What privacy rules apply to a CRM in Australia?
If your business turns over more than A$3 million a year, or is a health service provider or otherwise covered, the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles apply to the personal information in your CRM. Collect only what you need, tell people how you use it, keep it secure and let them access it.
The OAIC sets out the small business exemption and who is covered regardless of turnover, including health service providers and businesses that trade in personal information. From 10 December 2026, covered businesses that use computer programs to make decisions about people must say so in their privacy policy (OAIC, 30 September 2026).
Even if you are exempt, treat customer records as if you were not. A breach costs trust either way, and many larger clients now ask their suppliers about privacy before they sign.
Should I choose a generic CRM or one built for my industry?
A generic CRM suits businesses happy to design their own pipeline and automations. An industry-built CRM starts with the stages, messages and booking types your industry already uses, so it is working sooner. Launch Your Dream offers both: industry suites for four industries and VCPility for everyone else.
- Solar business software: enquiry to quote to install, with customer updates while they wait.
- NDIS provider software: enquiry to intake call, with an AI assistant for common questions.
- Accounting practice software: enquiry to engagement, with onboarding and lodgment reminders.
- LYD Pest Control: inspections, quotes, invoices and termite re-inspection reminders.
- VCPility: the same platform, configured to your own process.
How do I move to a new CRM without losing customers?
Export your contacts and open jobs, clean out duplicates and dead records, map your current stages to the new pipeline, and run both systems for a short overlap. Move the enquiry form and phone follow-up last, once the new pipeline is tested, so no new enquiry falls between the two.
- ExportContacts, open quotes and jobs, as CSV files.
- CleanRemove duplicates and anyone who asked not to be contacted.
- MapMatch your old stages to the new pipeline before you import.
- Switch the front doorPoint your website form, chat and missed-call replies at the new CRM.
- Check for two weeksConfirm every new enquiry lands, then retire the old system.
Common questions
What is the best CRM for a small business in Australia?
The one your team will use every day. Look for a pipeline that matches how you win work, one inbox for every channel, automated follow-up, a mobile app and transparent pricing in Australian dollars.
Is a spreadsheet enough instead of a CRM?
For a handful of customers, perhaps. Once enquiries arrive by phone, text, email and social messages, a spreadsheet cannot send follow-up, record conversations or show which leads are going cold.
Does the Launch Your Dream CRM have a mobile app?
Yes. The mobile app is one of the core features in every suite and is included from the VCPility Launch plan.
Do I need to comply with the Privacy Act?
If your annual turnover is above A$3 million, or you are a health service provider or otherwise covered, yes. The OAIC's small business page explains who is covered.
How long does setup take?
Within 7 working days of receiving your onboarding details.
Keep reading
- AI chatbot for small businessHow an AI chatbot or AI agent can answer enquiries and book appointments for an Australian small business, the privacy rules that apply and what to check first.
- Online booking systemTake bookings around the clock with reminders that cut no-shows. What an online booking system for an Australian small business should do, cost and connect to.
- Google reviewsGet more genuine Google reviews with requests that follow ACCC rules and Google policy. Timing, text templates, QR codes and how to reply to negative reviews.
- Industry suites and service linesThe live suites for solar, NDIS, accounting and pest control, plus Sharktech Global's eight service lines.
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