¿Su CRM habla español? MioWorks does that and more

For individuals and small businesses—especially in the creative or Web space—trying to find tools to deal with clients, vendors, and projects usually leads them to tools like 37signals‘ Basecamp or Highrise. And for as good as those tools are, there’s still room for improvement.

That’s why Portland-based MioWorks is looking to deliver something better. And today, they’re also delivering that solution en español.

Now, I’ve been a Basecamp user longer than I care to remember. Like since about 5 years ago. I’ve been using Highrise since it was released. And for as much as I love the system there are still two things that tend to aggravate me about it on a regular basis: Basecamp is too project centric and it doesn’t share contacts with my CRM system—even though my CRM is Highrise, which is built by the same folks as Basecamp.

That’s why the MioWorks take on the whole customer/vendor relationship management conundrum is appealing to me. You see, instead of taking a project-centric approach, they take a people-centric CRM approach to managing your clients, vendors, and your ongoing relationship with them, be that projects or just staying in contact.

I mean, you can’t have projects without people, right? And where do projects usually start? That’s right. With people.

Your customers demand the immediacy and flexibility of using the web 24 hours a day. MioWorks.com is a simplified solution that provides the latest web based technologies to streamline your interactions with your customers. From sharing documents, gaining approvals, responding to questions and acknowledging requests, the MioWorks.com interactive portal gives you the control you need. Hosted in the world class datacenters of Amazon.com and run by an experienced team, MioWorks.com gives you amazing value without the need to buy hardware, software or to pay for leasing servers.

MioWorks feels very much like a traditional CRM app (and if I’m talking in wacky acronyms that you don’t understand, by that I mean Customer Relationship Management). You start by adding people and their contact information. Then you can associate details, documents, and other accouterment with them. Add people to groups. Capture details about client interactions. Gather libraries of documents. Monitor the Workbench.

All while focusing on the people.

The system is straightforward and easy to use. And it’s wicked fast. In fact, some of the most impressive parts of the whole system are invisible to the eye. You see, MioWorks is one of the most incredibly well thought-out Cloud-based apps I’ve ever had the pleasure to see. But that’s a post for another time.

What’s more, MioWorks really affordable small-business oriented pricing—at $25 per month—to boot. Plus it has a 30-day free trial for your test driving pleasure.

Didn’t you start this whole thing off with something about español?

But what about that whole headline hook with which I tried to draw you in? That whole Spanish thing?

Well, it seems a bit ironic to be reporting this from one of the least ethnically diverse cities in the US—read “white bread”—but MioWorks has done another incredibly cool thing with their app: they’ve ported the entire MioWorks app to Spanish.

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And while that might not have a great deal of play here in Portland, it could reap huge rewards in any number of other places where an affordable Spanish language CRM is completely missing. Plus, it’s a cogent reminder that Web based apps have an international audience—and potentially an international customer base. That’s something to remember for all of us on the all too often Anglocentric Web.

Isn’t there a new release?

Lest I forget, MioWorks just pushed an update with a number of new features.

Like what? Well, like:

• Most importantly, they made it easier to use with an improved user interface.
• Share a lot of information with your customers? Let them organize it. MioWorks now offers file folders that allow customers to better organize what you share with them.
• Like smart folders on your Mac or smart playlists on iTunes? Then you’re going to love MioWorks SmartGroups that allow you organize contacts on the fly based on a series of characteristics—even as new contacts are added.
• Need to get your information out of MioWorks? Now you can export lists, smart groups.
• Want your entire team on the same page? MioWorks now offers a media library that allows you to store all of your documents in a central location.

Whew.

That’s a lot of information, I realize. But I’ve been meaning cover these guys for awhile. So it all kind of just kind of came tumbling out.

But there’s still more to learn. Head on over to MioWorks to get more information on the product, see demos of how it can be used, and register for a test drive.

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