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October 5, 2011

           Volume 13 - Number 40

      
Streamlining the Business of Commercial Real Estate
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In This Issue
Can a Hosted (In the Cloud) CRM Be Your Secret to Success?
Hot Deals/Leads
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TOP OF THE WEEK TO YOU!
(by realwired! CEO, Brenda Dohring Hicks)

Brenda Dohring Hicks

 

Top of the Week to You! is designed to offer the inside scoop and latest of what's important in the world of technology as it relates to the commercial real estate industry.

Can a Hosted (In the Cloud) CRM Be Your Secret to Success?         

I've said it before and you know it to be true that keeping track of clients and prospective clients is vital.  But here's the issue.  It's tedious and sometimes the responsibility falls towards the lowest end of the to-do list.  This can be particularly true if the responsibility falls on someone in your organization who does not see and feel the benefit every single day.  Sound familiar?  I wish there was a way to send a real tasty treat right through the computer every time progress was made in keeping a high quality, well stocked CRM.  The good news now is that almost everyone realizes that Outlook isn't a CRM and customer relationship management requires close attention.

So what's the deal?  Why aren't CRMs in widespread use by small and medium-sized firms?  The kind of firms that you and I are a part of and comprise almost 90 percent of our industry?  We know that a good CRM can significantly reduce the overall operational and adoption costs of running customer service, sales, marketing, and in many cases help tremendously with accounts receivable.  Ah!  Did I get your attention?

We keep getting lackluster economic news and our confidence in things improving keeps getting lower than a sock with worn elastic.  So it seems to me it's more important than ever to have the right software tools to maintain and grow your customer base and help grow you and your company's revenue.  Sound right?

I know it's a pain to research which solution fits your company, but I know one thing; a hosted solution is the way to go and if you do it you'll be long strides ahead of your competitors.  By using a hosted or "in the cloud" solution you can get up and running quickly and handle the cost on a "usage" basis.  I can confidently tell you that you'll be ahead of your competition.  I know that too many in our industry aren't maximizing CRMs.  So while it's not a cool enough plan to make up for a stalled economic recovery, it's certainly something.  And something is always better than nothing, right?

So here's the big secret.  Start with what I call "CRM lite" this type of CRM recognizes that people in small businesses tend to wear many hats and have a variety of responsibilities.  As a result, they need dialed-down versions of the larger products. And make sure it's scalable.  Make sure it's simple and is primarily a contact manager that allows you to organize sales and marketing campaigns, and offer some standard reporting capabilities. Look for add-ons that you can incorporate later.  A solution is out there.  Go get it.  And if you want more personal insight, just email me.

 

Click here  to join our blog discussion or simply shoot me an email  when you get a chance.

Hot Deals/Leads
Mattress 1 One operates more than 70 locations throughout FL, excluding the panhandle and southwestern areas.  The stores, offering mattresses and bedding items, occupy spaces of 2,200 sq.ft. to 4,200 sq.ft. in freestanding locations, endcaps of shopping centers and street fronts.  Growth opportunities are sought throughout the Tampa Bay metropolitan area and Palm Beach County, FL during the coming 18 months, with representation by Real Property Specialists, Inc.  Typical leases run five years with two, five-year options. For more information, contact Mike Charron, Real Property Specialists, Inc., 2345 West Sand Lake Road, Suite 100, Orlando, FL 32809

Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. trades as Ashley Furniture HomeStore at more than 400 locations nationwide.  The stores, offering living room, dining room, bedroom and home office furniture, occupy spaces of 35,000 sq.ft. in endcaps and inline spaces of power centers, as well as freestanding locations.  Growth opportunities are sought throughout the existing market during the coming 18 months.  Preferred cotenants include national and regional retailers.  For more information, contact Gary Colby, Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc., 1 Ashley Way, Arcadia, WI 54612

Slumberland, Inc. trades as Slumberland Furniture and Slumberland Clearance Centers at 122 locations throughout IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, SD and WI.  The stores, offering a full line of furniture and mattresses, occupy spaces of 25,000 sq.ft. to 40,000 sq.ft. in freestanding locations.  Growth opportunities are sought throughout IA, IL excluding the Chicagoland area, IN, KS, KY, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, SD, TN, WI and WY during the coming 18 months.  The company is franchising and expansion is for both corporate-owned and franchised locations.  For more information, contact Michael Larson, Slumberland, Inc., 3060 Centerville Road, Little Canada, MN 55117

Royal Crown Leasing, Inc. trades as RentAmerica at 15 locations throughout NC and SC.  The stores, offering rent-to-own furniture, electronics, appliances and computers, occupy spaces of 4,000 sq.ft. in strip centers.  Growth opportunities are sought throughout the existing markets during the coming 18 months.  Typical leases run three to five years.  Preferred cotenants include Food Lion, Cato and Shoe Show.  Preferred demographics include a population of 75,000 within 25 miles earning $40,000 to $80,000 as the average household income.  Major competitors include Aaron's and Rent-A-Center.  The company is also seeking store relocation opportunities during the coming 18 months, and prefers sites with a common wall dividing showroom and stockroom. For more information, contact Larry Tinny, Royal Crown Leasing, Inc., 5408 Yadkin Road, Fayetteville, NC 28303

Like these leads?  Want More?  Go to the Dealmakers website for a Subscription. Dealmakers, the nation's weekly news source on retail real estate.

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