My team hates admin. How do I get them to use HubSpot properly?

Focus on the 'what's in it for them'. Show them how a well-kept CRM makes their job easier, not harder, by automating reminders, providing sales playbooks, and making handovers seamless. Start with one small, enforced change, like logging all meeting notes. Once it becomes a habit, build on it. It's about leadership and consistency, not just a new rule.

Isn't this kind of process overkill for a small team of 10 people?

It's the opposite. The time to build good habits and processes is when you are small. It's far harder to fix the habits of 50 people than it is to establish good practice with 10. Building this system now ensures you can scale without the chaos and pain that holds so many growing businesses back.

Where is the single best place to start if our HubSpot is a mess?

Start with your active sales pipeline. Your deals are the most valuable and time-sensitive data you have. Work with your team to agree on a simple, clear set of deal stages with strict entry/exit criteria. Getting a clean, reliable pipeline is the first and most impactful step towards building a resilient system.

Succession Planning Isn't For Retirement, It's For This Quarter