Business

5 Reasons Why Any Successful Shopify Dropshipping Business Needs The Right CRM

Published

5 years ago

April 27, 2020

Here at SaleSource we often get questions like: “Is dropshipping legal?”, “Is dropshipping dead?”, etc. It’s important to get it out of the way first – the short answer is no, dropshipping is not dead and yes, dropshipping is absolutely legal.

Next off, what is a CRM? Well, CRM stands for customer relationship management. Essentially what that means is your CRM is your customer database and your leads database, and also your business management software. So it’s really important. If you want to effectively manage your business and scale your business, you’re going to need a great tool to do so and that’s a CRM. And that’s why it’s so important to have the right CRM. So if you’re not using a CRM, if you’re using yellow pads or spreadsheets, it’s a no-brainer, you need a CRM. And if you’re using a CRM that you don’t love, maybe this article will help you identify the right CRM to use to truly grow your business.

So there’s really six points that I want to touch on to help you determine if you’re using the right CRM for your business or which CRM you might use that would be the right CRM for your small business, so let’s go through those one by one.

1. Lead management

So the first thing to look for within a CRM is the appropriate lead management tools you have for your sales team. For any small business, such as shopify stores, to grow – they really need a good convertible process with regards to taking a lead and turning it into an account, that’s your sales process. And all of the leads that you have are your lead pipeline. And so you need a sales team to be most effective to grow your business in terms of taking those leads and turning them into accounts. Well, your CRM really helps for that because CRM will allow you to do things like when somebody fills out the lead form on your website or on social media, let’s say, like on an ad, it will automatically build that contact within your CRM, automatically assign it to your sales rep, and also give them the process that they should follow in order to close that deal. Whether it’s an initial call and then seven days later an email follow-up, and then another call; you can predetermine what that needs to be and you can build that template right into your CRM so that your sales team can just follow that and close more deals. So a CRM is really, really valuable because it allows you to optimize that process so that all of your sales people are following the same process with the same piece of software system so that you can have consistent performance over time.

2. Account management or customer management

Customer management is really important because you don’t want to have a bad customer experience and you want those customers to keep coming back. So a CRM allows you to do that because it does such things as when a lead becomes a customer, it unlocks additional fields of information that can be populated by your account managers and your customer service reps, et cetera, so that you have all the information you need for all of your customers. It can also do things like send email communications automatically. So as that customer moves through their life cycle, at key points when they need certain information sent to them, instead of counting on somebody to do this manually all the time, your CRM can serve as an automated worker for you, basically, and send this messaging out in an automated way to your customer base, which is really, really powerful if you create these journeys in the right way. The CRM also has all the notes and history logs that you might have had on a client, and it pulls in all of the data and all the pieces so that you can see the full story of each customer within a CRM. So if you don’t have that right now, definitely take a look out there and see if there’s a CRM software that fits what you’re looking for with regards to customer management.

3. Task management tools

So task management, really important. Basically everybody in your company has tasks that they’re trying to accomplish every single day. And so a CRM is a great way to have that basically streamlined in a more automated way to where as certain tasks are completed, other tasks are unlocked. So it really helps you to identify the things that need to get done. I found over the years that if somebody doesn’t really have their day planned out, they’re not very efficient because they’re always spending a lot of time thinking about what to do next, instead of just having tasks organized for them so they can come in and just start knocking them out one after the next. So a CRM allows you to think proactively because you can create these tasks for different leads you’re talking to, for different customers you’re working with, you can schedule them out so that you’re always building out your future plans of what needs to get done proactively so that when that day comes into today, I have the things that I need to do right in front of me and it keeps a log of all of this for me automatically within the CRM so that I always have a history of what’s been done.

4. Project management tools

The fourth thing to look for within a CRM is the appropriate project management tools that you might need. So you always have these little side projects going on, right? Whether it’s something you’re personally doing, or something for a customer, it could be a project you’re doing for a customer, it could just be something you’re doing yourself because you just want to do some self-development or something like that. Within a CRM, you should be able to create a project with different stages within it and tasks that need to be accomplished within each of those stages. And then you can use those templates moving forward if you wanted to, maybe it’s a project that you typically do for customers over and over again, right. Maybe it’s like a kitchen remodel, you need to do these things whenever there’s a kitchen remodel, it’s like a checklist, it’s a no-brainer. So if that’s a service that you provide, every time you have a new customer that needs a kitchen remodel, you just add that project to it and then your team can start working on it. This is really effective because it allows you to streamline and make sure that you have all of the checklists or processes built out ahead of time for all of your projects. And then if you ever need to add a stage or add a step, when you do that, it immediately is added to all the other projects because it’s a template. And so it really helps your whole team make sure that nothing gets missed along the way.

5. Company calendar

Company calendars are really nice because it helps you just see what’s going on at the company level with regards to all the events, things coming up, different customers that you’re interacting with for the day, that kind of a thing. So we all have our personal calendar usually in our email whether it’s in Gmail or those things, and that’s really good. What I’m talking about here though is a company calendar. As a team, you want to be able to see what the rest of the team is doing, and so a CRM is nice because the calendar there shows you from a business perspective what’s going on for the day for not just you but you can toggle and you can say, hey, show me everything that, all the events happening today for my whole team. And that helps you identify what’s going on as an organization, especially if you’re a manager, so you can make sure that you’re effectively managing your team appropriately.

Business

Remote Professionals Getting More Value for Their Work Thanks to Borderless Banking

Published

1 week ago

July 10, 2025

Matthew Wiles

Not too long ago, the idea of working remotely from an island in Thailand or a co-working space in Berlin sounded like the kind of fantasy only tech moguls or backpacking freelancers could afford.

Fast forward to today, and it’s as good as a global reality. Millions of professionals have cut the cord from traditional office life in exchange for flexibility, freedom, and a work-life balance that fits their personal rhythm and not their employer’s timezone.

However, as remote work has reshaped how people earn a living, it’s also pointed out the existing limits to most of the world’s financial systems. Traditional banking simply wasn’t built for a workforce that’s always on the move, operating in multiple currencies, and getting paid across borders.

Thankfully, that’s where borderless banking like Black Banx have proven vital, and has quietly transformed the way money is managed for people vacationing and working overseas alike.

The Rise of the Remote Work Economy

Remote work isn’t just a pandemic-era trend that faded with Zoom fatigue—it’s become a defining feature of the modern workforce. A recent survey revealed that over 39% of Gen Z and Millennials planned to live and work abroad for extended periods this year, many staying six months or more in a single location. That’s beyond a short trip, and can be considered as good as a sabbatical with a substantial lifestyle shift.

According to recent estimates, the digital nomad economy now also contributes as much as US$787 billion annually to the global economy. And this isn’t just entry-level gig work. A third of digital nomads earn between US$100,000 and US$250,000, while another third take in US$50,000 to US$100,000 annually.

It is indeed evident that the manner in which many make a living has changed. Unfortunately, most financial systems haven’t kept up.

Where Traditional Banks Are Still Falling Short

For those who have ever tried to open a bank account abroad or receive payment from a foreign client, they already know the drill: the paperwork is endless, delays are frustrating, and the fees? So much to do, even for the smallest amounts of money.

Just to name few of the hurdles remote workers still face with conventional banking:

Account setup restrictions: Need proof of residence, tax IDs, or a local job offer—things many digital nomads simply don’t have.
Slow international transfers: Payments can take days to process, which is a nightmare when rent’s due.
High foreign exchange fees: Currency conversions often come with steep, hidden costs.
Limited multi-currency support: Most banks still force users to operate in a single currency, making financial planning chaotic at best.

And perhaps most tellingly, many banks have digitized their operations but haven’t personalized their services. According to Accenture’s 2025 Banking Trends Report, while digital transformation has improved efficiency, it often sacrifices the customer experience. That’s not great news for people who live outside the lines.

Borderless Banking for Professionals Across the Globe

The concept of borderless banking goes far beyond wiring money internationally. Fundamentally, it’s also about being able to eliminate the friction between people and their money, no matter where they are in the world, and maintaining an ecosystem where geography, bureaucracy, and currency don’t stand in the way of financial freedom.

A working example of this is Black Banx, a Toronto-based fintech founded by German billionaire Michael Gastauer. Since launching globally in 2015, it has grown to serve over 78 million clients in 180+ countries as of Q1 2025, proof that people take to digital banking solutions when it is accessible, affordable, and is useful in just about any locale.

In the first three months of this year, Black Banx had also earned US$4.3 billion in revenue and US$1.6 billion in pre-tax profit, more than double from the same quarter the previous year and showing it has consistently delivered tangible value to global customers—remote professionals included

How Borderless Banking Maximizes Value for Remote Workers

1. Instant Account Access—No Strings Attached

The times of hunting down local branches or collecting endless documents just to open an account are finished. With borderless banks, users can open an account in minutes using just a photo ID—no proof of address or income required. That’s a lifesaver for anyone living outside their passport country or hopping from one location to another.

2. Multi-Currency Mastery

Managing money in multiple currencies used to mean juggling several accounts—or worse, losing money on conversions. Borderless platforms like Black Banx support 28 FIAT currencies and allow real-time currency conversions at competitive rates. That means remote workers can:

Invoice clients in one currency
Spend or save in another
Hedge against local currency fluctuations
Avoid excessive conversion fees altogether

3. Seamless, Real-Time Global Payments

Getting paid late, or paying others late, isn’t just inconvenient; it can damage relationships and disrupt your cash flow. With real-time payment support, remote workers can receive funds instantly, no matter where their clients are. This is particularly valuable for freelancers and entrepreneurs juggling multiple contracts across time zones.

Plus, bulk payment features and API integration streamline processes for those running teams or businesses.

4. Built-In Crypto Options

It isn’t surprising that many digital nomads are already deep into crypto. Whether it’s for investment, faster transactions, or avoiding traditional finance red tape, crypto is becoming essential.

Since 2016, Black Banx has allowed users to send, receive, and convert crypto (like BTC and ETH) within their accounts. That integration saves users from having to manage separate crypto wallets, and adds another layer of flexibility to their financial toolkit.

5. Secure Transactions

Remote workers often log in to work from cafés, coworking spaces, and airports, to name a few. Of course, this flexibility of being able to work almost anywhere should never come at the cost of security. Borderless banks like Black Banx use end-to-end encryption, AI fraud detection, and two-factor authentication to keep accounts safe from risky elements.

Financial Freedom, Not Just Convenience

Perhaps the most overlooked benefit of borderless banking is the freedom it provides. Not just to access money, but to fully participate in the global economy. For millions of professionals in underbanked regions like Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, borderless banking has become a gateway to financial inclusion and a way to take on opportunities that typically wouldn’t be available to them if not remote.

By removing barriers to entry, platforms like Black Banx empower underserved individuals to both take control of their finances and increase their earning power by working with companies from higher paying markets. This democratization of finance isn’t just good for individuals, it’s good for the global economy as a whole.

As Black Banx CEO Michael Gastauer put it: “Our multi-currency solutions enable businesses to tap into global talent without worrying about payment complexities. We make cross-border transactions as seamless as local ones.”

The Road Ahead

By 2030, the number of digital nomads worldwide is expected to soar past 60 million, according to the Forbes Technology Council. That means tens of millions of workers will be navigating foreign currencies, time zones, and financial systems—all while expecting the same seamless experience they’d get at home.

Indeed, remote professionals aren’t just looking for places to work—they’re looking for systems that work for them. In a lifestyle built on flexibility, traditional banking is proving too rigid, too slow, and too expensive.

Borderless banking services like those offered by the likes of Black Banx, on the other hand, offer exactly what today’s global workforce needs: instant access, multi-currency support, real-time payments, crypto integration, and enterprise-level security—all in a streamlined experience.