Guide
A simple CRM for sole traders
When you are the whole business, the CRM has one job: make sure nothing you promised gets forgotten.
30-day free trial · no card · £12.99 + VAT per person a month after
The short answer
A sole trader needs a CRM that holds each client, the people you deal with, dated notes and a list of what is due next, and works on a phone. Skip pipelines and automation. Free options (a spreadsheet, or free plans from bigger CRMs) suit very light use; Gather360 costs £12.99 + VAT a month for one person, with a 30-day free trial.
Last checked 27 October 2026
What a one-person business needs
A list of what is due
Quotes to chase, call-backs, renewals. Overdue at the top.
Dated notes
What you agreed and when, so you can pick up a conversation months later.
Works on your phone
You are on site or on the road. It has to work in a mobile browser.
Somewhere for paperwork
The quote, contract or certificate filed against the client it belongs to.
What to skip
Most CRMs are built for sales teams. As a sole trader you can ignore:
- Sales pipelines and forecasts unless you run lots of deals at once
- Email automation and sequences, which are for marketing at volume
- Lead scoring and dashboards, which need far more data than one person produces
- Integrations you will spend longer setting up than using
If you do need those, look at the bigger tools in our best CRM for small businesses guide. If you do not, simpler is faster.
Your realistic options
| Option | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| A spreadsheet | Very small client lists; free | Nothing reminds you; notes lose their dates |
| A free CRM plan | Trying a CRM at no cost | Limits on contacts or users; upsells to paid tiers |
| Gather360 | Clients, notes, follow-ups and documents in one simple place | £12.99 + VAT a month; no email sync or pipelines |
| A full sales CRM | Busy sales with pipelines and email campaigns | More to set up and learn; higher tiers cost more |
Gather360 is our product, so weigh that. Free CRM plans and their limits change; check the vendor’s own pricing page. See our compare pages for details checked on 27 October 2026.
Gather360 for one person
One seat is £12.99 + VAT a month, or £129.90 + VAT a year. Every feature is included, and if you take someone on later you just invite them.
It opens on what is overdue and what is due this week, which for most sole traders is the only screen that matters.
Try it on your own clients
30-day free trial, no card. Add your ten most important clients and see if you open it every morning.
30-day free trial · no card · £12.99 + VAT per person a month after
Questions people ask
Do sole traders need a CRM?
Not always. If you have a few regular clients and nothing slips, a spreadsheet is fine. A CRM earns its keep when you start missing follow-ups.
How much does Gather360 cost for one person?
£12.99 + VAT a month, or £129.90 + VAT a year. There is a 30-day free trial with no card.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes, in your phone’s browser. There is no app-store app; you can add it to your home screen like a bookmark.
Can it send invoices or quotes?
No. Gather360 is not an invoicing tool. You can file your quotes and invoices against the client as documents.
Will I be locked in?
No. There is no contract. Cancel any time, and a copy of your data is available on request.
See if it fits in ten minutes
Click round the live demo with no sign-up, or start a free trial with your own clients. No card, no sales call.
30-day free trial · no card · £12.99 + VAT per person a month after