Do I need a CRM?
Short answer
Yes. A simple one. Today. Even a shared spreadsheet beats memory and sticky notes.
What it does
Tells you every lead, where they are in the pipeline, and what the next step is. The shops that close best aren't the best closers, they're the best at not forgetting.
Start simple
Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan for service trades. HubSpot free tier for B2B. Even a Google Sheet with five columns works. Pick one and move on, don't shop for six months.
Ask your version of this question
This is one business owner-tested take. Your shop size, trade, and team change the answer. Ask the exact version inside Ask a Shop Owner and get a response grounded in how owners like you actually handled it.