Custom CRM
A custom CRM, built around how your business works
A CRM is simply the place your customers, jobs and paperwork live. We build one around the way you already work, on your own website behind a private login, so the routine jobs happen on their own and everyone can see what is going on.
What it does
One place for your customers, jobs, paperwork and money.
- Built around your weekWe start from how you work today, the forms, spreadsheets and habits you already have, and build the system around that instead of asking you to change everything.
- On your own websiteThe system lives on your own website behind a private login that needs a one-time code. Your team, and your customers if you want, log in from there.
- Works on your phoneEverything works on a phone, so jobs, notes, photos and payments can be dealt with on site, in the van or between clients.
- Reminders and messagesEmail and text reminders for appointments, renewals, unpaid invoices and follow-ups go out on their own, in your wording.
- Bookings, deposits and paymentsCustomers can book online and pay deposits or full amounts through a payment provider, with the money going straight to your account.
- Contracts and invoices on autopilotAgreements filled in from your templates and sent for e-signature, and invoices created, sent and chased on their own. See contract and invoice automation.
- Connected where it can beWe connect to tools you already use, such as accounting software and calendars, where those tools allow it. Some tools do not let other systems in, and when that is the case we tell you before you pay.
- Your data stays yoursEverything in the system belongs to you. It is hosted securely, backed up daily, and can be exported as a spreadsheet whenever you like.
By industry
Built around how your kind of business works.
Letting agentsLandlords, tenants, properties, repairs, rent and every renewal date in one place, on your own website behind a private login. Built from a CRM that runs a real independent letting agency every day.See the system →Estate agentsFrom the first valuation to completion day, every vendor, applicant, viewing and offer in one place, so the whole office can see where each sale is up to.See the system →Plumbers, electricians and buildersFrom the first call to the paid invoice: enquiries, quotes, jobs, certificates and reminders in one place you can run from the van, not the kitchen table.See the system →Cleaning companiesRecurring cleans, rotas, keys, checklists and invoices in one place, so a sick day or a holiday does not turn into a morning on the phone.See the system →Salons and barbersOnline booking, deposits, client notes, consultation forms and nudges for regulars, kept on your own website rather than someone else's app.See the system →GaragesEvery vehicle, job card, part and reminder in one place, so the workshop knows what is next and customers stop ringing to ask if the car is ready.See the system →Events and hireFor van hire, party hire, equipment hire and caterers taking event bookings: availability, deposits, event details, kit and staff in one place, from first enquiry to collection.See the system →Workshops and made-to-orderFor businesses that build to order, such as vehicle conversions, joinery, fabrication and custom products: orders, builds, parts, suppliers and payments in one system.See the system →Wholesale and retailStock, suppliers, trade customers and orders in one place, whether they come from your shop, your website, a trade login or a phone call.See the system →Clinics, therapists, trainers and tutorsAppointments, session packages, forms and private notes for physios, therapists, personal trainers and tutors, kept behind a secure login on your own website.See the system →Restaurants and cateringTable bookings, private events, catering orders and regulars in one place, with allergies and dietary needs carried from the booking to the kitchen.See the system →Contracts and invoicesAgreements filled in from your templates, signed online and filed against the customer; invoices created, sent and chased on their own. For any business that spends evenings on paperwork.See the system →
Honest comparison
Custom system or off-the-shelf app?
A custom system suits you when
- Built around the way you already work, with your own words and steps
- Only the features you use, so the screens stay simple
- Lives on your own website, with your branding
- One system for jobs that would otherwise need several apps
- Changes as you change, with small improvements included each month
- A fixed build price and one monthly fee, not per-user pricing
An off-the-shelf app is better when
- Ready to use straight away, with no build time
- Often cheaper to start, especially for one or two people
- Large ready-made feature sets, such as portal feeds or parts catalogues in some industries
- Many other users, so staff may already know it
- You work the way the software works, and pay for features you may not use
- Monthly fees often rise with the number of users
If a well-known tool already fits the way you work and the fees are fair, use it. We will tell you so on the first call. A custom CRM is worth it when the ready-made tools fight how you work, when you are paying for several apps that do not talk to each other, or when you want your customer list and your process in your own hands.
How a build runs
Small steps, a fixed price for each.
- 01A short callWe talk through what you do and where the time goes. It is free, and if an off-the-shelf tool would suit you better, we say so.
- 02Walk through a normal weekWe sit down with how you work now: the forms, spreadsheets, messages and paperwork. This is where we find what can run itself.
- 03A fixed price for the first phaseWe start with the smallest piece that makes a real difference, and give you a fixed price for it in writing. Bigger systems are split into phases, each priced before it starts.
- 04Build and test with your real workWe build it, bring in your existing records, and test it on real jobs with you before anything goes live.
- 05Go live and learn itWe switch it on, show you and your team how to use it, and stay close while you get used to it.
- 06Keep improvingThe monthly fee covers hosting, security, daily backups and small improvements. As you use it, we keep adjusting it, and bigger additions are priced before we start.
Systems start from £999 to build, plus £79 a month for hosting, security, backups and small improvements. See all prices.
Questions about custom systems
- What does a custom CRM cost?
- Systems start from £999 to build, plus £79 a month for hosting, security, daily backups and small improvements. Bigger systems are quoted at a fixed price after a short call, and can be built in phases so you only commit to one step at a time.
- What does CRM actually mean?
- CRM stands for customer relationship management. In plain terms, it is the place your customers, jobs, bookings and paperwork live, and where reminders, invoices and follow-ups come from. Ours are built for the work you do, not just for sales.
- How long does it take to build?
- It depends on how much the first phase covers. We agree the timeline along with the fixed price, before any work starts.
- Can you bring in my existing spreadsheets and records?
- Usually, yes. Spreadsheets and most software exports can be imported. We check what your current records look like before quoting, and include the import in the price if it is part of the job.
- Is my data safe?
- The system is hosted securely on an encrypted connection, the login needs a one-time code, and your data is backed up daily. Each member of staff gets their own login, and you choose what each person can see.
- What if I want to leave?
- Your data is yours. You can export it as a spreadsheet at any time, and if you decide to stop, we give you a full export before anything is switched off.
- Do I need a Highkept website to have a CRM?
- No. The system can sit on your existing web address behind a private login, for example on a part of your domain set aside for it. If we also build or look after your website, enquiries and bookings can feed straight into it.
Tell us how your business runs today. We'll show you what can run itself.
Two minutes to fill in. You'll see a first look at your website straight away, and we reply the same working day.
- Free and no obligation
- A fixed price, not an estimate
- Half up front, the rest when you are happy
- You own everything we build