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Articles by Brett Grossfeld
Dreamforce Takeaways: Small Teams, Big Summit — Even Bigger Future.
Dreamforce showed up for small business this year big — with sessions built around lean teams, tight budgets, and the kind of ambition that doesn’t wait. This wasn’t enterprise content with the volume turned down. It was built for how you work. Every session on the small business track circled back to the same idea: You can use digital teammates and the right tools to get work done like an enterprise team.
The Price is Right: Tips on Pricing your Products to Match Your Value
What’s the simplest way to price a product for the first time? Start with cost-plus pricing: Add up all your costs (materials, labor, overhead), then add your desired profit margin percentage. This gives you a baseline price that protects your margins while you gather more customer data to refine from there. How do I know if I’ve priced my product too low? Customers accept your price without hesitation every single time.
Activate Your Central Business Platform With The Right Integrations
Every tool you add to your tech stack comes with a promise: Save time, close more deals, serve customers better. But somewhere between the fifth tab and the third login of the morning, that doesn’t seem to be the case. A central business platform with the right integrations pulls together your team and processes. It connects your entire operation into one system, so every team member knows your business — and can act on it.
Connect Your Data: MuleSoft For Small Businesses and Startups
How does your data actually connect with your tools? Your ecommerce platform is here, your support tickets are there, and your customer data is scattered across spreadsheets, email threads, and some apps you don’t even use anymore. That’s the reality for most small and medium businesses: Manual, repetitive data entry across siloed tools, no budget for custom integrations, and lost productivity from transfers that should be automatic. You want automation. You just don’t have a developer to build it.
12 Customer Record Management Tips and Tools
Your customers remember every interaction. The unanswered email. The follow-up that never came. The service rep who had no idea about the purchase they made last month. For small business owners, those moments aren’t just frustrating — they’re expensive. When your customer relationships are your most valuable asset, letting them slip through the cracks isn’t an option. The good news? You don’t need a huge team or a complicated tech stack to build customer relationships that stick.
The Big List of Business Operating Systems For Startups
What is a business operating system for small businesses? A business operating system is a unified platform that connects your core business functions — sales, marketing, customer service, and commerce — into one application. For most small businesses, this takes the form of a CRM like Salesforce, which centralizes customer data and automates routine tasks so your team can focus on growth. How is a CRM different from a business operating system?
How to Know If You’ve Outgrown Your CRM: Plus 10 Tips to Keep Growing
If your team is spending more time in your tools than connecting with customers, it’s time to see if you’ve officially outgrown your CRM. You don’t “outgrow” a customer relationship management (CRM) system simply because your business is getting larger — you elevate your tech stack because your ambition demands more than the basics. In the early days, a simple tool kept your focus sharp and your deals visible. It was enough for where you started.
7 Small Business Growth Strategies for 2027
For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), standing out in a crowded market can be difficult, especially when competing against large enterprises with a bigger budget. That’s why we found growth strategies to be important for anyone looking to scale business in 2026 and beyond. Today’s business buyers want more than just a good product or service: In fact, 80% say that the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services.
Is Your Business Caught in the App Trap?
What is the app trap? The app trap happens when a growing business accumulates too many separate software tools — each solving one problem in isolation — leading to fragmented data, duplicated costs, and productivity loss. The fix is consolidating onto a connected platform that handles multiple business functions in one place. How many apps does the average small business use? Most growing small businesses use anywhere from 10-20+ software tools across sales, marketing, service, and operations.
10 Audience Scoring Tips Every Small Business Should Know
You have 847 contacts in your database. You sent the same email to all of them last Tuesday. Three people bought something. The other 844? Silence. Sound familiar? The problem isn’t a lack of data — it’s a lack of signal. You’re collecting information every day through your website, your emails, your forms, and your customer relationship management (CRM) system, but without a way to rank that information, it all looks equally important. Audience (or people) scoring changes that.
5 Ways AI is Changing the Communication Game For Startups
How are you communicating with your team lately? Do you share a Slack message, send an email, or call a meeting? Maybe you do all three. Regardless of how you communicate at work, things are changing. Rapidly. And artificial intelligence (AI) has a big hand in this. Small and growing businesses and startups are communicating in ways like never before, and sometimes it can be hard to keep up. The good news is, you’ve got resources and support to help you stay ahead of the trends, right here.
What Is an AI Assistant for Small Business?
If you’ve ever wished you had an extra hand to handle your business, you’re not alone. Running a startup or small and medium business (SMB) is a lot of work. You’re the CEO, the head of sales, the marketer, and even the customer service team. Business owners like you are stretched thin, often wearing too many hats and struggling to keep up with the demands of growth. We get it. And, we’ve got some good news for you.
10 Ways An AI CRM Can Amplify Your Startup
Growing a new company often feels like a race against the clock where there are never enough hands to get everything done. You might find yourself buried in spreadsheets or losing track of leads because your current tools don’t talk to each other. These manual gaps make it hard to focus on the big picture, especially when you’re trying to compete with larger players who have massive departments for every task. But have you tried artificial intelligence (AI)?
8 Ways Employee Agents Are Helping Small Businesses
Employee agents automate routine work, helping small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) focus on customer growth and strategic tasks. Integrating an artificial intelligence (AI) agent provides growing teams with an affordable way to scale operations without immediately increasing headcount. From sales lead qualification to customer service response drafting, these tools boost productivity across all departments. Business owners, have you heard all the buzz around employee agents?
The Rise of Vertical AI Agents: A New Pillar for Startups
Vertical AI agents are specialized smart tools that simplify specific business functions, offering immediate returns for small businesses. They’re becoming a fundamental requirement for small and medium businesses (SMB) to compete effectively in a fast-paced market. By integrating with a customer relationship management (CRM) tool, these agents can automate tasks across sales, service, and marketing. Ready to meet your new employee?
AI Strategy and Implementation Tips For Your Startup or SMB
This type of business strategy is a focused plan to integrate affordable, smart tools into core business functions. It makes sure AI adoption directly aligns with and boosts your growth objectives, and improves team productivity. Start by clearly identifying your biggest pain points or repetitive tasks (like customer service replies or content creation) that cost you time. Then, choose simple AI tools (often with freemium plans) that address those specific issues.
Automation vs. Custom Code: When Startups Should Build vs. Buy
Technology choices are often a big decision for startups and small and medium businesses (SMBs). Every tech choice shapes how fast you can grow. The classic debate? Automation vs custom code — to buy or to build, that is the question. You might be thinking about building your own custom app, but that often brings high costs and long waits. What if there was a way to get the right tools your business needs without all that trouble?
How to Make Software Training For Startups Easy
The latest insights from the Small and Medium Business Trends Report share that 62% of small businesses see ongoing training as a key way to improve their operations. Yet so many teams struggle to find the time and cost to make it happen. We get it, you want what’s best for your small or medium-sized business (SMB), but with so many software options, it can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve come up with the easiest ways to get the right training and exactly how to get it.
5 Powerful Customer Analytics Tools To Fuel Startup Growth
As a startup or small and medium business (SMB) owner, you’re measuring customer analytics, right? Do you have a customer analytics tool? Are you measuring the right data? And where are you keeping this data? (Please don’t say a spreadsheet.) And beyond collecting data, the question begs: Can your entire team collaboratively track, analyze, and grow with your customer analytics setup?
10 Agentic AI Use Cases for Your Startup
Most of us imagine artificial intelligence (AI) as this flashy thing — robots answering phones or digital assistants that sound like your favorite sci-fi movie. But in reality? AI is a lot less dramatic and a lot more helpful. It’s the quiet digital worker who remembers every customer detail and works 24/7 without complaining. Not as exciting as an adventure with a robot, but way more useful. What’s changing now is the way AI shows up in everyday work. It acts more like a teammate now than a tool.
Starter Suite vs. Pro Suite: CRM Comparison For SMBs
Alright, small business owners, entrepreneurs, startups, and alike — we are talking to you. It’s time to choose your customer relationship management (CRM) tool. The ultimate choice is yours, and it all comes down to which one is right for your business. And we’ve got the line-up just for you. In one corner we have Starter Suite: the fastest-growing, simple, yet solid CRM built for small teams.
Busting Beliefs About AI Agents: The Truth for Small Business Owners
You might have heard people say that artificial intelligence (AI) is complicated, and that only big tech companies or those with huge budgets can afford it. Sound familiar? Here’s the truth: AI agents aren’t mysterious, rocket-science-level tools, they’re more like friendly helpers for your small or medium-sized business (SMB). You can easily rely on AI to bring you business, save you time, and connect you with customers.
Data Integration For Small Business: Everything You Need To Know
Hey, small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners, we have a quick question for you. Where do you keep all your data? Is your customer data is in one place, and your sales numbers in another? How about inventory records? Our latest Small and Medium Business Trends Report showed that more than half (53%) of SMB leaders report inconsistencies in data across their business tools. This means business owners are jumping between apps and never getting a complete picture of how business is actually doing.
What Is Agentic AI For Small Business? Everything You Need to Know
Among the most exciting breakthroughs around artificial intelligence (AI) is agentic AI: a new breed of AI that doesn’t just follow instructions, but acts independently of human input to make smart decisions, and adapts on the fly to solve complex, real-world problems. Maybe you’ve heard of agentic AI and wondered what it is, or more importantly, what it can do for your small and medium-sized businesses (SMB)?
What Is a Storefront Builder Template? (And How It Helps Your Online Shop)
Having a digital storefront is a necessity for small or medium-sized businesses (SMBs) these days. Whether you’re selling products or services, online stores give you reach. The days are gone when SMBs used to invest in resources to build their online stores. With technology leveling up every day, you don’t need to waste your time and money on everything. You can build your store online with templates.
Minimum Viable Product: How to Set Up Your MVP
Imagine you’re a small and medium-sized business (SMB) owner with a brilliant idea for a new product, but you’re not quite sure if it’ll resonate with your customers. Enter the minimum viable product (MVP) — your most valuable player in the world of entrepreneurship. An MVP is like the preview version of your best product shared with the world for their feedback. So, why should you care about MVPs, or how can you set it up? Sit back and learn all that and more today.
5 Types of AI Agents To Grow Your Business
The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution isn’t just about chatbots anymore. Generative AI has entered its next phase, powered by AI agents that don’t just assist but take action. For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), time is always in short supply. You start your day with a plan, but soon, you’re drowning in emails, follow-ups, and endless tasks. That’s why businesses everywhere are handing off routine tasks to AI. Not because it’s trendy, but because it works.
10 Signs It’s Time To Upgrade Your CRM and How To Get Started (2026)
It’s true, your business can outgrow your customer relationship management tool. What once felt like the perfect fit for your business could in fact be the one thing that’s now holding you back. Instead of scaling, your business management tool has become a bottleneck, costing you time, opportunities, and even revenue, making it harder to manage customers, close deals, and keep your team productive.
What are AI Models for Startups? Predictive, Generative, Agentic
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way you grow your startup or small and medium business (SMB), helping you work smarter, automate tasks, and make data-driven decisions. But with so many different AI models available, how do you know which one is right for your business? Should you use predictive AI to anticipate customer behavior? Generative AI to create content? Or agentic AI to automate decisions and workflows?
Tips to Optimize Your Ecommerce Store with AI
When you’re running an ecommerce store, the chances are that you keep track of thousands of moving pieces every single day. You have to maintain inventory, help customers, and stay on top of trends — all at once. Luckily, with artificial intelligence (AI), you got this. AI offers an equal footing for small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners competing with big retailers through diverse tools and resources. It’s like having a team of experts working 24/7 to help you succeed.
Secure the Funding Your Small Business Needs Now
Getting funding for your small and medium-sized business (SMB) is one of the biggest hurdles to cross as an entrepreneur. And every SMB owner will admit this: funding can make or break their business. Whether you’re just starting or scaling operations — understanding your funding options is the key to making the right financial decisions. Navigating the funding process can be overwhelming, but we’re here to help. Let’s explore various funding options and how they can help your business.
What is Customer Data Management? Everything You Need to Know
For growing startups, every decision counts — especially those driven by customer data. As businesses strive to grow in competitive markets, the ability to understand customer data can mean the difference between success and stagnation. Learn the critical role of customer data management for startups, as we explore its transformative potential to grow your small or medium business (SMB).
Digital-First Small Businesses Are Better Prepared For the Future
The digital age is here, and it’s transforming business faster than ever. To keep up, you may need to rethink how you operate, sell, and engage with customers. Traditional ways may just not be enough anymore. While many businesses are taking a calculated approach to trying out new tech, those going all-in on digital are leading the way into the future. For growing businesses, this shift feels exciting and probably overwhelming.
AI For Startups: 9 Use Cases For Growing Businesses
Starting a business itself is challenging. You’re up against larger companies, tight budgets, and a crowded market. However, artificial intelligence (AI) can help you overcome these challenges. Today, 90% of small to medium-sized business (SMB) and startups utilize AI to automate customer interactions, showing just how essential AI has become for driving customer engagement. With AI, you’re paving the way for a smarter, more connected future.
What Is an AI Agent For Small Business?
Owning a small or medium-sized business (SMB) is no small feat. But the right technology, like an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant, or agent, for small business, can make a world of difference. Imagine having a digital partner that keeps your tasks on track, boosts your customer service, and makes daily operations smoother. Over 58% of SMBs already use AI to streamline their operations and deliver more personalized customer experiences.
How To Create an Online Store (In 7 Steps or Less)
As a small business owner, you have the potential to reach the masses. No matter if you’re a small or medium-sized business (SMB) or growing fast, you can take it to the next level and start selling online. It may be time to open up a digital shop. Together, we’re going to learn the process of setting up an online store for your SMB, from the benefits of ecommerce to choosing the right platform.
Start a Small Business With These 10 Steps
Do you have a killer idea that you think would be perfect for launching a small business? If you believe what you see on TikTok, becoming an entrepreneur is just about as easy as posting a 30-second video. But in the real world, launching a small business can be a bit more challenging. Starting a small business may seem daunting, but if you ask those same business owners if it’s worth the risk — few would trade the opportunity to shape their own destiny. But where to start?
6 Small Business Growth Strategies For 2026
AI and CRM can organize all customer data, automate tasks, and make smarter, data-driven decisions, it’s time to get on board. Implement automated sales and marketing campaigns to efficiently target and qualify leads without wasting time or budget. Use AI agents for 24/7 customer support and leverage strategic partnerships to expand your market reach without having to hire a large team.
After 2 Decades at Startups, These Entrepreneurs Are Aiming for a Billion-Dollar Business
Your marketing team might do a great job sending potential customers to your website, but what happens then? How quickly does your sales team take the baton? Is there a seamless handoff that keeps users engaged? Those are the questions that entrepreneurs Kraig Swensrud and Sean Whiteley set out to solve when they founded Qualified, a pipeline generation platform. Founded in 2018, the dynamic duo have since grown Qualified into a rapidly expanding business. Their goal?
Is Your Small Business Squeezed by Supply Chain Delays? Here's What You Can Do
The global business supply chain has been unstable. As much as I’d like to say otherwise, that instability will continue in the months to come. We may be in for a repeat of the supply chain snafus that we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with materials shortages, price spikes, and labor crunches across almost every industry. The economic uncertainty may leave businesses with no other choice than to do things differently.
3 Ways Growing Businesses Prepare for Long-term Success
As a sales leader, I’ve had the privilege of speaking to a range of customers across segments and industries; I’ve seen firsthand the challenges these companies face, and helped them find solutions to connect their teams and data more efficiently for business growth. In my new role leading the small and medium business (SMB) segment at Salesforce, I’m excited to see how SMB customers are innovating and adapting for success.
Digital Transformation Statistics and Facts People Get Wrong
Digital transformation is perhaps the most oft-used call to action in today’s corporate lexicon. We know the most resilient businesses are harnessing it. The coronavirus pandemic has surely accelerated it. You’ll fall behind if you don’t embrace it. But how does a company actually transform digitally, especially when the path isn’t linear? Do we even know what digital transformation stats mean anymore?
Max Out Your CRM: State of CRM Technology Research 2021
It should come as no surprise that at Salesforce, we live and breathe CRM – customer relationship management. Acceleration of digital adoption has dramatically escalated the importance of relationships – the “R” in CRM – like never before. This is why we thought it was time to survey nearly 800 business decision makers and 1,500 employees worldwide to ask them about the current state of CRM.
Thriving Pandemic Businesses: 6 Lessons From the Startup Surge
When times get tough, people get entrepreneurial. It’s true — recessions in the United States are typically marked by increases in entrepreneurial activity. Even still, last year was special. In 2024, the United States averaged 430,000 new business applications per month, breaking records and proving that entrepreneurship is alive and well. That’s a 50% jump from 2019 and shows just how much innovation is thriving. Why is everyone jumping into business?
Why Small Businesses Expect a Big Rebound Soon
We don’t know exactly what the world will look like after the pandemic subsides, but experts are predicting what it could look like for small businesses. We spoke with Laurie McCabe, partner at SMB Group, about their 2021 SMB Technology Directions for a Changing World Survey Study. Laurie shared data and insights on how small and medium businesses with 1-250 employees have navigated the past year, how they feel about this year, and the years to come. 1.
People Are Concerned About Commuting; Here’s What That Means for Offices
As more companies weigh reopening workplaces around the country following shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, another question arises: how will workers get to their offices?
Two Data Points Should Inform Your Return to the Office
Uncertainty surrounds corporate America’s return to the workplace. Employees at Google and Facebook are permitted to work from home until 2021. Capital One won’t require people to return until at least Labor Day this year; Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke tweeted their offices would remain closed until the end of 2021 and its 5,000 employees would continue to work remotely; and Twitter said its employees may never return to the office at all.
How is Machine Learning Being Used in Customer Service?
Machine learning in customer service is used to provide a higher level of convenience for customers and efficiency for support agents. Support-focused tools enabled with machine learning are growing in popularity thanks to their increasing ease-of-use and successful applications across a variety of industries. Gartner predicts that by 2021, 15 percent of customer service interactions will be handled completely by artificial intelligence.
Aligning Operational Metrics With Your Customer Service Goals
Keeping an eye on your day-to-day customer service operations means measuring the right metrics—that is, knowing which ones are setting your business up for both immediate and long-term success. Whether your company’s customer service is used as a means to drive overall revenue or is focused on helping customers fully understand your products or services, the tracked metrics should pertain to specific strategies designed to achieve your company’s overall goals.
5 Trends to Uncover in Your Customer Service Data
A whole lot of data comes out of support interactions, enough so that astute support leaders can pull insights, discover trends, and improve how their business serves customers. While the data may only suggest what’s going on with your customers and agents, it’s important to be able to spot trends quickly.
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