A Simple CRM for South African SMEs: What to Track, What to Automate

Most South African SMEs don't need a "powerful CRM". You need a place where leads don't disappear, follow-ups actually happen, and cash doesn't get stuck because someone forgot to send a deposit invoice.

Right now, your CRM is probably a mix of WhatsApp chats, a few notes in your head, an inbox you don't trust, and a spreadsheet you update when you're stressed. That works… until it doesn't. Then you end up restarting every month at zero, chasing late payments, and wondering why "we're busy" doesn't translate into "we're profitable".

A good CRM is not a fancy system. It's your business memory. It tells you who to call, what to send, what's overdue, and where the money is hiding.

This is the simplest way to set it up for an SA SME, what to track (only what matters), and what to automate first so the admin load drops.

What a CRM must do (and what it doesn't need to do)

A CRM must do three jobs, consistently:

1. Capture every lead (so nothing falls through the cracks)

2. Move the lead forward (follow-up and next steps)

3. Protect cashflow (quotes, deposits, invoices, collections)

That's it.

You do not need a complex workflow, 40 fields, and a dashboard that looks like an aircraft cockpit. If it becomes a "project", you'll stop using it. A CRM only works if it's easy enough that you'll use it on a busy Tuesday.

The pipeline: the only stages most SMEs need

Start with a simple pipeline. Every lead must sit in a stage. If it's not in a stage, it doesn't exist.

Use these stages:

1. New Lead – enquiry received

2. Qualified – right fit, budget/timing roughly confirmed

3. Quote Sent – quote delivered

4. Follow-Up Due – next action date is today/overdue

5. Awaiting Deposit – client said yes, money not in yet

6. Booked / Scheduled – deposit paid + date confirmed

7. Delivered – work done

8. Paid – final payment received

9. Review / Referral – ask for review, ask for referral

This pipeline fits service businesses (marketing, consulting, cleaning, IT support, design, maintenance, trades) and can be used whether you're 1 person or 20 people.

What to track (keep it tight)

If you track too much, you'll track nothing. For most SMEs, these are the only fields that matter.

1) Contact basics

• Full name

• Company name (if applicable)

• Cell number (WhatsApp)

• Email

• Area/Suburb (important in SA for travel and scheduling)

2) Lead details

• Service requested (short and clear)

• Source (WhatsApp, website, referral, Facebook, Google, walk-in)

• Value estimate (rough ballpark is fine)

• Priority (hot/warm/cold)

3) Next step (this is the heart of the CRM)

• Next action (call, send quote, follow up, send invoice)

• Next action date (when)

• Owner (who is responsible)

If your CRM captures nothing else, capture the next step. That's the difference between "we're busy" and "we're converting".

4) Quote + cashflow essentials

• Quote sent date

• Deposit required? (Y/N and %)

• Invoice number (if you use it)

• Payment status (deposit paid / balance paid)

• Payment due date

Most SMEs don't go under because they can't sell. They go under because they can't collect consistently.

5) A short notes field

One or two lines only. Not a diary.
Example: "Prefers Saturdays. Wants option without add-on. Follow up after payday."

The weekly rhythm: how to actually use it

A CRM that isn't checked becomes a graveyard. Here's a simple rhythm that works.

Every Monday (30 minutes)

• Look at New Leads → qualify them fast

• Look at Follow-Up Due → clear the list

• Look at Awaiting Deposit → push to booking

• Look at Paid last week → trigger reviews/referrals

Every day before 10:00 (30 minutes)

• Work the Follow-Up Due stage

• Send the next message / make the call

• Update next action date immediately

If you do this, your pipeline stops being emotional. It becomes operational.

What to automate first (keep it boring and profitable)

Automation is not there to impress people. It's there to remove friction and protect your time and cashflow.

Here are the best automations for SA SMEs — in the right order.

Automation 1: Every lead goes into the CRM automatically

If you have a website form, Facebook lead form, or a Google Form, connect it to the CRM so it creates a new lead automatically.

This stops the "I'll get to it later" problem.

Minimum: Form → CRM → create lead + set owner + create task "Contact within 60 minutes".

Automation 2: Quote sent → follow-up reminders

The moment you send a quote, create follow-ups automatically:

• Day 1 check-in

• Day 3 decision message

• Day 7 schedule/availability message

Most SMEs lose money right here because follow-ups feel awkward. Automation makes it routine.

Automation 3: Deposit requested → booking flow

When a lead moves to Awaiting Deposit, trigger a simple workflow:

• Send deposit invoice / payment instructions

• Send a "how to confirm booking" message

• Once deposit is received, move to Booked and send next steps

This turns "keen" into "confirmed".

Automation 4: Job delivered → payment reminder

If you invoice on delivery, schedule reminders:

• Day 1 friendly reminder

• Day 3 direct reminder

• Day 7 firm reminder + pause further work (if needed)

Do it calmly. Do it consistently. Don't personalise stress.

Automation 5: Paid → review + referral request

This is the easiest growth lever that most SMEs ignore. When payment hits, trigger:

• Review request message (with link)

• Referral ask message 2 days later

Reviews and referrals compound. Ads are expensive.

"But what CRM should I use?" (keep the decision simple)

Start with what you will actually use. Many SA SMEs do fine on:

• A simple CRM (HubSpot free tier can work well)

• A spreadsheet + calendar tasks (if you're disciplined)

• A lightweight pipeline tool (Trello/Notion style)

The tool matters less than the habit: every lead captured, every lead has a next step, follow-up happens daily.

If you're a small team and you live on WhatsApp, choose something that makes it easy to log calls and set reminders, and that plays nicely with forms and email.

The minimum "simple CRM" setup you can do this week

If you want a starting point that isn't overwhelming, do this:

1. Create the pipeline stages listed above

2. Create the fields: name, contact, suburb, service, source, value estimate, next action, next action date, payment status

3. Create two daily views:

   • Follow-Up Due Today

   • Awaiting Deposit

Then run one rule: before 10:00, clear Follow-Up Due.

That one habit alone will lift conversions and reduce stress.

If you want hyperLOOP to help

If you want a CRM that fits the way you actually work — your quoting process, deposits, follow-ups, and reporting — hyperLOOP can set it up with you and keep it simple. We'll help you decide what to track, automate the boring stuff, and build a weekly rhythm that stabilises cashflow.