The blog has been quiet here — I’ve been focused on a couple of large projects, along with spending a few months hybrid-working in the EU. So we’re getting back to at least a weekly rhythm here to pique your curiosity and challenge some thoughts on what your CRM tool is all about.
Of course, traveling in Portugal and Spain, naturally I frequented a good amount of Airbnbs: Super convenient. Just drop in and go. Best of all I even made a couple of great friend connections along the way. Shout out to “Luis” in Faro!
In this situation, renting was the only option: find the best temporary place and work around the limitations. The downside is it’s all cost, no investment. I didn’t leave with all but the good memories and the receipts (plenty of hiking was had).
Your CRM is different; you have options.
Proprietary systems often start easy, usually with slick onboarding workflows. But this is a real world and at some point, you hit a limit that really matters. To them, you’re in the door so they’ve established some “stickiness”. The only way past a constraint? Upgrade and another subscription, leaving usually is too much to deal with.
So, now you are putting in more money for a system that still isn’t really yours. And when you leave, that money’s gone — like my Airbnb fee. There’s a price to this short-term convenience.
Here’s the deal:
CiviCRM is different — you own it. You can install what you need, turn off what you don’t, and shape it around how your organization actually works. It’s not a merely a cost center; it’s an asset that grows with you.
Sure you will have a some larger upfront investment in comparision, but your operating costs long-term turn out to be quite reasonable unlike the rigid and always increasing monthly fees for software as a service.