Meta: A free Google Sheets CRM template built for micro-agencies: client rows, project status, monthly value, and an optional automation that logs new inquiries for you.
Google Sheets CRM template for micro-agencies
A micro-agency (you + maybe a contractor) doesn't need Salesforce — it needs one place where every client, project, and dollar is visible in under ten seconds. That place can be a Google Sheet, if it's built like a tool and not a tab graveyard. Here's the template micro-agencies actually keep using.
The three-tab structure
Tab 1 — Pipeline: every inquiry and open deal. client | contact | source | service | value | stage | next_action Stages: NEW → QUOTED → WON → ACTIVE → DONE (+ LOST). One row per deal, not per client — a client with three projects is three rows.
Tab 2 — Clients: the stable facts (billing email, rate, contract terms, account manager = you). Pipeline rows reference this for contact info — don't duplicate it in both tabs.
Tab 3 — Revenue: a running log — date | client | project | amount | status(invoiced/paid) — because "how much is outstanding this month?" should be a SUM, not a feeling.
The formulas that make it feel like software
- Open pipeline value:
=SUMIF(Pipeline!F:F,"QUOTED",Pipeline!G:G)— your honest backlog. - Aging:
=TODAY()-Pipeline!H:Hon the next_action column — red when >7. - Monthly recurring:
=SUMIFS(Revenue!D:D,Revenue!A:A,">="&DATE(y,m,1))— the number you put in your metrics review.
Three formulas. If you need more, you're building a system, not a tracker — stop.
The automation that keeps it honest
Agencies abandon CRMs when data entry becomes a second job. The fix targets the worst chore — logging new inquiries. A free n8n workflow watches your Gmail leads label and appends the row: client name, email, timestamp. You only flip stages (5 seconds per deal) and fill value when you quote.
The Follow-Up Autopilot pack ($39) ships this pipeline-plus-automation pattern with follow-up scheduling included — and the agency reporting pack turns Tab 3 into the client digest that emails itself.
The adoption rule for micro-agencies
Start with Pipeline only. Add Clients when you hit 10 active. Add Revenue when invoicing gets messy. A CRM you use with three tabs beats a CRM you designed with twelve and abandoned by February. Sheets scales down to zero cost and up to your first hire — and your first hire already knows how to use it.