The CRM Switching Checklist

Your switching checklist

Before you cancel anything

• Export every active client contact, contract, and invoice history from your current CRM — most tools have a CSV or PDF export buried in account settings.
• Screenshot or save every active automation/workflow sequence so you can rebuild the logic, not just guess at it later.
• Note every integration connected to your current CRM (Stripe/Square, QuickBooks, Zapier, email, calendar) — each one needs to be reconnected on the new platform.
• Check your current contract's cancellation terms and billing cycle so you don't pay for a month you don't use, or lose data by cancelling mid-cycle.

Choosing the new tool

• List the 5 features you use weekly. Cut anything from your shortlist that doesn't cover all 5 at the plan tier you can actually afford.
• Price the new tool at your real client volume for a full year, including add-ons for extra users or brands — not just the homepage sticker price.
• Start a trial and import 2–3 real (not test) clients before committing, so you catch workflow gaps before your busy season, not during it.

During the migration

• Run both systems in parallel for at least one full inquiry-to-booking cycle so no lead falls through a gap between platforms.
• Rebuild your top 3 automations first (usually: inquiry response, contract + invoice send, and post-booking welcome sequence).
• Update every public-facing link — website contact forms, Instagram bio, email signature — to point to the new booking/contact flow.
• Tell active clients you're changing systems before they get a confusing email from an unfamiliar platform.

After the switch

• Keep read-only access (or an export) of your old CRM for at least one tax year, in case you need historical invoice or contract data.
• Cancel the old subscription only after your first full client cycle has gone smoothly on the new one.
• Re-check your payment processing fees on the new platform against what you were paying before — this is where a lot of the "hidden" cost difference actually lives.