The $50,000 Mistake Most Brisbane Business Owners Make
I was sitting in a cafe in Newstead last month with a mate of mine who runs a successful commercial glazing business. He was frustrated. Not because he lacked work—his team was flat out—but because he felt like he was losing control.
"I’ve got enquiries coming in via email, notes scribbled on the back of site plans, and my sales guy has half his leads stored in his personal phone contacts," he told me. "I know we’re dropping the ball on follow-ups, but I don't know which software will actually fix it without costing me a fortune and a year of my life to set up."
He’d been looking at the two big names: HubSpot and Salesforce.
If you’ve searched for a way to manage your customers, you’ve seen these two. They are the heavyweights. But for a small business owner in Brisbane, the choice isn't about which one has more features. It’s about which one will actually get used by your team and which one will actually put more money in your bank account.
Most of what you read online is written by tech geeks for other tech geeks. Today, I’m going to break this down the way I did for my mate: plain English, focused on your bottom line, and based on what actually works for businesses with 5 to 50 employees.
The Real-World Difference: A Tale of Two Businesses
To understand which one is right for you, let’s look at two real scenarios I’ve seen play out right here in Queensland.
Scenario A: The Landscaping Company in Coorparoo (HubSpot)
This business had ten staff. They were great at the job but messy with the paperwork. They needed something that "just worked." They chose HubSpot because the interface looks like something you’d actually want to use.Within two weeks, their office manager had imported all their old customers. Within a month, the owner could see exactly how many quotes were outstanding just by looking at his phone while having a coffee. It didn't require a degree to figure out. They stopped losing leads because the system reminded them to call people back. It was simple, clean, and fast.
Scenario B: The Specialist Engineering Firm in Geebung (Salesforce)
These guys had a very complex sales process. They needed to track massive government tenders, detailed equipment specs, and long-term maintenance contracts that spanned ten years. They chose Salesforce.It took them six months to set up. They had to hire a specialist consultant to build it out. It cost a lot of money upfront. But, because their business was so specific, they needed that "heavy lifting" capability. It wasn't pretty, and the staff complained it was hard to use, but it handled the massive amount of data they needed to track.
The Lesson: If you want speed and ease of use, you’re usually looking at HubSpot. If you have a highly complex, non-standard business that requires massive customisation, you might need Salesforce. But for 90% of the Brisbane businesses I talk to, Salesforce is like buying a B-Double truck to deliver a single loaf of bread. It’s overkill.
Will This Actually Make You Money?
Let's get down to brass tacks. You aren't buying software to have a fancy list of names. You're buying it to grow.
1. No More Leaking Buckets
Think about the last three people who called for a quote but didn't book. Did you follow them up? Twice? Three times? Most sales are made on the fifth to eighth contact. If you’re relying on your memory, you’re leaving money on the table. Both these tools help you stop losing customers by putting a system in place that tells you exactly who to call and when.2. Seeing the Future (Forecasting)
When you use a proper system, you can see your "pipeline." This isn't just a fancy word; it means knowing that you have $200,000 worth of quotes out there and, based on your history, $60,000 of that will likely close next month. This allows you to hire staff or buy equipment with confidence rather than crossing your fingers.3. Saving Your Time
If you are spending Sunday nights moving data from one spreadsheet to another, you are wasting your life. A good system allows you to automate your business so that when a lead comes in from your website, they get an automated "Thanks, we'll call you" text immediately. That speed wins jobs.The Truth About Costs (It’s Not Just the Monthly Bill)
This is where most business owners get stung. They look at the website and see "$50 per month" and think that’s it. It’s not.
HubSpot Pricing
HubSpot is famous for its "Free" version. It’s actually quite good for very small operations. However, as soon as you want to do anything serious—like automate your emails or remove their branding—the price jumps.The Good: You can start for free or cheap. The pricing is relatively predictable. The Catch: Once you move to their "Professional" tiers, it gets expensive quickly (think $600+ per month). But, for most small businesses, the "Starter" bundle is plenty to get the phone ringing.
Salesforce Pricing
Salesforce looks cheaper on paper for the basic versions, but it’s a trap for the unwary.The Good: The entry-level price per user is low. The Catch: You almost always need a "consultant" or a tech expert to set it up. I’ve seen Brisbane businesses spend $10,000 to $20,000 just on the setup before they even sent their first email. Also, many of the features you actually want require the more expensive "Enterprise" versions.
My Advice: If you don't have a dedicated IT person or a massive budget for consultants, HubSpot’s total cost of ownership is usually lower because you (or your office manager) can actually run it yourselves.
Ease of Use: The "Tradie Test"
I call this the Tradie Test: If I give this to a bloke on a job site who just wants to get his work done, will he use it or will he ignore it?
HubSpot: Passes the test. The mobile app is excellent. It feels like using Facebook or Instagram. It’s intuitive. If your team hates paperwork, they will tolerate HubSpot. Salesforce: Often fails the test. It looks like an old-school spreadsheet from 1998. It’s clunky. There are too many buttons. If it’s hard to use, your staff won't put the data in. And if the data isn't in there, the whole system is a waste of money.
I’ve seen dozens of businesses spend a fortune on Salesforce only to find that six months later, the sales team is still using their own private spreadsheets because the main system is "too hard."
Which One Should You Choose?
I’m going to be blunt here because that’s what I’d tell a mate over a beer at the Brewhouse.
Choose HubSpot if: You want to get started quickly (days, not months). You want your staff to actually use the software. You want your marketing (emails, website leads) and sales in one place. You value your own time and don't want to become a software expert.
Choose Salesforce if: You have more than 50-100 staff. You have a very complex, unique business process that no other company has. You have a dedicated IT department or a large budget for ongoing tech support. You need to integrate with very old, "dinosaur" accounting or inventory systems.
How to Get Started Without Losing Your Mind
Don't try to build the Taj Mahal on day one. Most businesses fail at this because they try to do everything at once. They want automated emails, fancy reports, and AI chatbots all in the first week.
Here is my 3-step plan for Brisbane business owners:
1. Clean Your List: Get all your current customers and leads into one clean Excel sheet. If your data is a mess, the software won't fix it. 2. Pick One Goal: Maybe it’s just "make sure every quote gets a follow-up call." Focus on that one thing first. Don't worry about the rest of the tech stack yet. 3. Get Help with Setup: Even though HubSpot is easier, it’s worth paying someone for a few hours to set it up correctly so your emails actually land in inboxes and your forms actually work. It saves you weeks of frustration.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, these are just tools. A $500 hammer won't build a house for you, and a fancy CRM won't close deals for you.
But in the competitive Brisbane market—whether you’re a plumber in Morningside or an accountant in the CBD—the business that responds the fastest and follows up the most consistently is the one that wins.
For 9 out of 10 small businesses I work with, HubSpot is the clear winner because it’s a tool that actually gets used. It turns "I think we're doing okay" into "I know exactly where our next $100k is coming from."
Stop overthinking the tech. Pick a system, get your leads into it, and start calling your customers. That’s how you grow.
Ready to stop guessing and start growing?
If you’re tired of losing leads in your inbox and want a system that actually helps you close more deals, we can help. At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in helping Brisbane businesses set up the right tools to get real results—without the technical jargon.
Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s get your sales engine running properly.