Worked Costings and Selection Checklists
Best CRM fit by business type: worked examples for trades, practices, online retail and wholesale
Four worked best-fit examples showing how an Australian trade business, professional practice, online retailer and B2B wholesaler would choose a CRM category, tier and budget.
The "best CRM" for a small business depends on how that business sells. A trade business that quotes, schedules and invoices jobs usually fits job-management software with CRM features; a professional practice often fits practice-management software or a simple pipeline CRM with a client portal; an online retailer usually needs email marketing and e-commerce integration more than a sales pipeline; and a B2B wholesaler with account managers fits a sales pipeline CRM integrated with its accounting system. The four worked examples below apply the selection method to typical businesses. They are illustrative composites, not real businesses, and prices are illustrative ranges.
Products are named only as examples of a category. They are not recommendations or rankings; features and prices change, so check each vendor directly.
Example 1: a trade business (electrical contractor, 5 staff)
How it sells. Enquiries come by phone and web form. The owner or a senior electrician visits, quotes, and if accepted the job is scheduled, completed and invoiced. Repeat work and safety-switch testing reminders matter.
Category fit. Job-management software for trades, which typically combines customer records, quotes, scheduling, job cards, photos, invoicing and accounting integration. Examples of this category used in Australia include ServiceM8, simPRO, Tradify and Fergus. A separate sales CRM would duplicate much of this.
Must-haves. Quotes from a price list; mobile job cards; scheduling; Xero or MYOB sync; reminders for follow-up quotes and periodic testing; customer history on site.
Illustrative cost. 5 users at an illustrative $35–$70 per user a month = 5 × 36 × ($35 to $70) = $6,300 to $12,600 over three years, plus one-off set-up and price-list import of, say, $2,000. Three-year range: $8,300–$14,600.
Compliance notes. Service reminders by SMS to past customers can rely on inferred consent from an existing relationship in many cases, but must identify the business and include an unsubscribe. See the Spam Act guide.
Trap. Pricing per job or per user can rise in busy seasons; check the model.
Example 2: a professional practice (accounting firm, 6 staff)
How it sells. Most new clients come by referral. Work is recurring (tax returns, BAS, advisory). The challenge is tracking jobs, deadlines and client documents, not a sales pipeline.
Category fit. Practice-management software designed for accountants, or a pipeline CRM with a client portal for firms with a strong new-business focus. The practice's existing accounting software ecosystem often decides integration.
Must-haves. Client records linked to entities and related parties; recurring job workflows; deadline tracking; secure document exchange; time recording; email integration.
Illustrative cost. 6 users at an illustrative $40–$90 per user a month = $8,640 to $19,440 over three years, plus migration of client records and templates of, say, $4,000. Range: $12,640–$23,440.
Compliance notes. Tax practitioners hold sensitive financial information and tax file numbers; even if the practice's turnover is under $3 million, tax file number rules and professional obligations apply, and security matters. Check the hosting location. See the Privacy Act guide.
Trap. Choosing a sales CRM and building job workflows in it from scratch, at high configuration cost.
Example 3: an online retailer (swimwear store, 3 staff)
How it sells. Customers buy through an e-commerce store. Revenue depends on email and SMS campaigns, abandoned-cart reminders and repeat purchases. There is no sales team.
Category fit. An email and SMS marketing platform that integrates with the e-commerce platform and acts as the customer database, or an all-in-one suite if there is also wholesale selling. A seat-based sales CRM adds little.
Must-haves. Integration with the store; segmentation by purchase history; consent capture at checkout; unsubscribe across email and SMS; registered SMS sender ID.
Illustrative cost. Priced by contacts, not seats. With an illustrative $70 a month for up to 2,500 contacts, rising to $140 a month for up to 5,000 as the list grows: year 1 $840, years 2 and 3 $1,680 each = $4,200, plus SMS credits budgeted at $60 a month ($2,160 over three years). Total about $6,360.
Compliance notes. Express consent at checkout should be an unticked box. Since 1 July 2026, SMS sent under an unregistered alphanumeric sender name show as "Unverified". See contact-based marketing pricing.
Trap. Importing every past customer as a marketing contact, which raises the tier and creates consent problems.
Example 4: a B2B wholesaler (food service supplies, 12 seats)
How it sells. Account managers look after restaurants and cafés; internal sales handle orders by phone and email; deals include new accounts, range expansions and tenders. Average sales cycle is weeks.
Category fit. A sales pipeline CRM, or a sales and marketing suite if regular campaigns to accounts matter. Examples of products in these categories include Pipedrive, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365, across very different tiers and price points.
Must-haves. Account and contact hierarchy; multiple pipelines (new accounts, tenders); activity logging on mobile; email and calendar sync; MYOB or Xero integration for customer and invoice status; territory reports; telephony click-to-call.
Illustrative cost. 12 seats at an illustrative $40–$100 per seat a month = 12 × 36 × ($40 to $100) = $17,280 to $43,200, plus one-off set-up, migration, integrations and training of, say, $14,000. Range: $31,280–$57,200 over three years. Run it in the TCO estimator.
Compliance notes. Cold calls to business numbers are not restricted by the Do Not Call Register (business numbers cannot be registered), but some numbers may be sole traders' personal mobiles, and the calling-hours standard applies to telemarketing. Wash lists that might include consumer numbers.
Trap. Buying the top tier for forecasting the owner rarely uses, multiplied across 12 seats.
Comparing the four
| Business | Category that usually fits | Main pricing driver | Biggest hidden cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade business | Job-management with CRM features | Per user or per job | Price-list and job template set-up |
| Professional practice | Practice management or pipeline CRM with portal | Per user | Migration of client records and workflows |
| Online retailer | Email and SMS marketing platform | Number of contacts | List growth and SMS credits |
| B2B wholesaler | Sales pipeline CRM or suite | Per seat × tier | Add-ons and integrations |
Adapting the examples
Your business may mix these patterns. A builder with a showroom may need job management and campaigns; an IT services firm may need a pipeline and a service desk. Start from your one-page sales process, then check the comparison table, cost the options with the 3-year TCO example, and test payback with the payback example.
Frequently asked questions
Can one system cover jobs, sales and marketing?
Some suites try to, and for small teams that can work. Trial each part; a system that is excellent at one and weak at another may still need an integration.
Is industry-specific software always better?
It usually fits the workflow better, but switching costs can be higher and marketing features thinner. Check data export.
Why are these examples not ranked?
Because the right choice depends on your process, team and budget. Ranking products without your context would be misleading.
Should a sole trader use a CRM at all?
A free tier, a job-management app or a well-kept spreadsheet with calendar reminders may be enough until enquiries outgrow it.
Sources
- business.gov.au — digital tools for small businesses
- Australian Communications and Media Authority — Spam Act, telemarketing standard and SMS Sender ID Register
- Office of the Australian Information Commissioner — privacy, tax file number rule and small business exemption
- Tax Practitioners Board — obligations of registered tax practitioners
