CRM is an important tool for any business that regularly communicates with clients or customers. But it’s not the only tool that most businesses need. GreenRope is a CRM provider that also offers solutions for other areas of business operations. Learn more about the company and what makes it stand out in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
What the Business Does
Provides business software for everything from CRM to operations.
CEO Lars Helgeson told Small Business Trends, “We offer a complete, all-in-one platform for small and medium sized business. We make implementing new software simple, by combining the tools your entire team needs into one, neatly packed platform. From sales and marketing to customer service and operations, GreenRope has an entire toolbox full, ready to be used by business to connect, engage and convert.”
Business Niche
Providing quality support.
Helgeson says, “Our team is available around the clock and is always ready to jump on a call or a screenshare to help users get the most out of the platform. We believe education is one of the most important pieces of a successful CRM implementation, and we are there for our clients every step of the way. The majority of our support team is based in the United States, but we do have reps in Europe as well to make sure we deliver 24/7 service! We also offer completely custom implementation packages for our clients to help speed up their implementation and get them working and successful in the system far sooner than most of our competitors! Team work makes the dream work!”
How the Business Got Started
Due to the needs of another business.
Helgeson explains, “GreenRope was born from my first company, CoolerEmail. As an entrepreneur and a business owner, I saw the need for a more comprehensive solution to help businesses become more efficient, teams more productive, and to help businesses achieve sustainable growth. CoolerEmail was one of the first email marketing platforms, but GreenRope was built to be a complete business management software.”
Biggest Win
Landing a coveted client.
Helgeson says, “The biggest win came recently, when we landed the Tournament of Roses as a customer. Beating out 9 other vendors who proposed Salesforce-driven solutions, we demonstrated how GreenRope’s Complete CRM created more value, had a shorter implementation timeline, and brought more capability than any other platform on the market.”
Biggest Risk
Reinventing the brand as a CRM company.
Helgeson explains, “Many things could have gone wrong (and still can), as we compete against very large, well-capitalized companies. Fortunately, by remaining small, customer-focused, and responding quickly to changes in technology, we have been able to stay ahead of the curve and offer more values than our competitors.”
Lesson Learned
Use caution when choosing partners.
Helgeson adds, “Unscrupulous people have taken advantage of good faith for their own benefit, but I have to believe that in the long run, it will all work out.”
How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000
Marketing.
Helgeson says, “Our biggest challenge is awareness. With more capital, we would create that awareness and use it to inform companies that there are other CRM and marketing automation solutions on the market that have much lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and more functionality. As a privately held company and with our competitors being some of the biggest companies out there, it can be hard to compete. With another $100,000, we could work wonders in terms of how we get the word out.”
Team Mascot
Little Buddy.
Helgeson says, “He’s a Boston Terrier with a larger than life personality.”
Team Tradition
Worldwide meetings.
Helgeson explains, “While we do have an ‘office’ and most of the team is located in San Diego, we have team members in the UK, Czech Republic, Belarus and across the US, including Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Florida, Illinois and more. We meet on a weekly basis to review wins for the week as well as our current projects. We love making sure the entire team feels like they are apart of our progress across all departments. Even though we are apart, we have a tight family feeling at GreenRope. We all interact and take part in brainstorming, decisions, and more. It makes for a very collaborative and innovative team atmosphere.”
Favorite Team Lunch
Pizza.
Helgeson adds, “We have THE BEST pizza spot just down from where we work. We order it almost every Wednesday. We do try and mix it up, however. We have a grill at the office (my home) where we work. It’s got a pretty great view. Lunchtime is always a good time for us to get together as a team, share a meal, and enjoy the view!”
Favorite Quote
“No matter where you go, there you are.”
Helgeson says, “It’s an old quote from an 80s cult classic called Buckaroo Banzai, but I take it to mean that you can change your surroundings, but that won’t change who you are as a person. Your choices and values define you, and you can’t run from the consequences of those choices and values.”
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Images: GreenRope; Top Image: Jake Michaels – Marketing Coordinator, Bjorn DeBoer – COO, Lars Helgeson – CEO, Dan Kim – Director of Client Services, Madison Potter – Advocacy Manager and Marketing Coordinator; Third Image: Lars Helgeson, CEO