How to choose a CRM

A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system can be a game-changer when it comes to running a childcare business. From keeping track of parents leads to building your waitlist, a CRM can replace all those spreadsheets and binders you’ve got lying around. 

Whether you’re a small in-home childcare provider or a larger daycare center, the right online tools can help you run your program more efficiently and automate a lot of your communication with families. This guide is designed to help you figure out what to look for in a CRM for childcare, and how to choose the right system for your program.

What is a CRM?

A CRM system is an online tool for managing all your relationships and interactions with current and prospective families. The goal of a CRM is to streamline communication and the day-to-day operations of your childcare, so you can focus on what you do best—providing quality care and early education. 

Instead of keeping track of endless email threads, you can have one place where you can store all the information you need about a family, from the very first contact with them to the day their child leaves your center. You can use it to automate follow-up emails after tours, manage your waitlist and even maintain children’s files. 

Do you need a CRM for a childcare center?

Many childcare programs still keep track of parent inquiries on pen and paper or spreadsheets. This can lead to slower follow-up and missed opportunities. Using a CRM can save you time and money so it is definitely worthwhile. The hard part is determining what your program's unique needs are and finding a system that works best for you. 

There are lots of big-name CRMs out there, but you may find that not all of them meet your needs. Odds are you are going to need to find a niche CRM, designed specifically for childcare and early education. 

If you are a small, in-home daycare, your goals for a CRM are going to look a lot different than the needs of a larger center. Luckily, many systems offer free trials or live demo’s where a representative can walk you through the features and talk about what you’re looking for. 

Some CRMs are customizable, and special pages can be built for you to manage particular aspects of your program as it grows. You can even set up your CRM to track incoming leads from websites where parents are searching for childcare, like Winnie. 

Who should be in charge of choosing a CRM?

Who chooses your CRM depends on the size of your program and who will use it the most. 

In-home daycares or single-center programs: In a smaller program, the director or owner would be the likely candidate for choosing a CRM or other online tools. The director will be the one using the tools daily to streamline communication and manage sales and marketing tasks for your program. The director and/or owner will also want to choose a CRM that allows for custom reporting to optimize the marketing budget and estimate revenue. 

Multi-location centers: When it comes to centers with multiple locations, there should be a discussion between marketing and enrollment staff on what features are needed from a CRM. These are the people who would be using the system daily to automate marketing campaigns, streamline communication and register parents online. 

What are the essential features of a CRM for childcare?

Most programs will benefit from a tool that will keep track of parent contact information and automate communication, but the size of your program will dictate any additional features you need. This chart outlines the features to look for in a CRM, according to the size of your program. 

How to evaluate your CRM options

Once you have figured out the tasks you’d like a CRM to take off your plate, you can start looking for a system. There are a few childcare-specific systems out there, but you’ll want to make sure the one you choose can do the following:

• Automate communication: The more times you communicate with a prospective family, the more likely they’ll enroll in your program. A good CRM will make it easy to set up automatic emails and even texts. 
• Keep track of where your leads are coming from: Whether families are finding you on Winnie or through social media or your website, you’ll want to know!
• Support you through setup and troubleshooting: A high-quality CRM will offer free, live customer support to walk you through any problems you are having with using the system.
• Run-on a cloud-based system: Nothing is more annoying than when your computer dies and you lose all your data along with it. A cloud-based CRM will allow you to log in from anywhere.
• Simplify if you need to: If a CRM has a bunch of extra features you don’t need, it isn’t helpful. A quality CRM will let you simplify and get rid of unnecessary features. 

If you’re ready to ditch the pen and paper and automate your recruiting and enrollment procedures, it’s probably time to invest in a CRM tool. Although your needs might look different depending on the size of your program, the right online tools can help streamline your day-to-day tasks in your childcare business. Then, you can focus on the aspects of your program that bring you joy and leave all the heavy lifting to your CRM.