Where does the customer record live?
Some tools are built around jobs, some around invoices, some around deals. If the customer record is not the centre, the full history of a customer ends up spread across several screens.
Comparing customer management software
We would rather help you choose correctly than talk other products down. This page sets out what ProPortalBusiness is built for, what it is not, and the questions worth asking about any tool you are considering — including ours.
ProPortalBusiness suits you if
- You want one searchable record per customer covering contact details, jobs, invoices, contracts and files
- You are a sole trader, freelancer or small service team in the UK
- You have historic customer details on paper that need bringing across
- You want invoices, job costs and margins in the same place as the customer
Look elsewhere if
- You need sales pipeline forecasting and lead scoring for a sales team
- You need full accounting and to file returns directly from the tool
- You need enterprise resource planning or complex multi-site scheduling
Six things to compare
How do existing records get in?
Migration is where switching usually stalls. Ask whether you can import a spreadsheet, and whether historic paper records have any route in other than manual typing.
Does invoicing use the same record?
If invoicing is a separate system, customer details get retyped and drift apart. Invoicing from the customer record avoids two versions of the truth.
Is it built for UK businesses?
Check currency, VAT handling, date formats and whether the wording assumes a US sales team. Also check what the tool claims about HMRC — record keeping and filing are not the same thing.
What does it cost once the introductory period ends?
Compare the ongoing monthly price and any per-user charges, not just the first month. Our current pricing is published in full on the pricing page.
Can you get your data out?
Export matters more than most feature lists. If you cannot leave with your customer data, the decision is harder to reverse.
Common questions
- Is ProPortalBusiness a CRM?
- It is customer management software rather than a sales CRM. The customer record is the centre of the system and jobs, invoices, contracts and files attach to it. If you need pipeline forecasting for a sales team, a dedicated sales CRM is a better fit.
- Who is ProPortalBusiness for?
- UK freelancers, sole traders and small service businesses that need customer records, job history, invoicing and documents in one place.
- Can I import customers from another tool?
- Yes. Customers can be added manually, and PPB Capture can read photographed paperwork or diary pages and propose records for you to review before importing.
- Can I export my data if I leave?
- Yes. Invoices and reporting figures export to CSV and PDF, and your customer data remains yours.
- Does ProPortalBusiness replace accounting software?
- No. It keeps customer, job and invoice records and produces exports for your accountant or bookkeeper. Filing to HMRC is done through HMRC or your accountant.