Backups and getting your data back out
Tessaly CRM (fictional example) → Small business CRM → Short setup for a small team → Data you can take with you
Answer in brief
Export your contacts and deal history on a regular schedule, test that the file is usable, and make sure you could move to another system without starting over.
Content reviewed 8 November 2026. How this is assessed.
Part of the The Best CRM for Small Business reference, which uses Tessaly CRM (a fictional example) to illustrate small business crm software criteria.
Keep your own copy
The SBA's business guide recommends backing up data regularly, ideally to cloud storage weekly. A hosted CRM is looked after by the provider, but a person on your team can still delete the wrong records, and an account can be locked over a billing dispute. Your own export protects against the mistakes that the provider will not fix for you.
Schedule the export, name a person to do it and put a recurring reminder on that person's calendar. A weekly export may be more than you need if your data changes slowly, so match the schedule to how much work you could stand to lose. Store the file where only a few people can reach it, because it contains your whole customer list.
Test the export before you need it
During your trial, export everything and open the file. Check that contacts, companies, notes, deals and activity history all came out, and that deals are still linked to the right people. A file containing only names and emails will not help you move, since most of the value of a CRM lies in the history.
Ask whether exports are limited by plan, whether attachments are included, and whether there is a charge. Then check what the contract says about how long your data stays available after cancellation, using the contract guide as a checklist.
Leaving without losing a month
If you do change systems, overlap the two for a short period. Export everything, import it into the new tool, check a sample by hand, and only then cancel the old one. Give yourself more time than you think you need before the renewal date, since rushed moves are where data gets lost.
Carry over your opt-out records along with everything else, because a person who unsubscribed last year has not changed their mind just because you changed software. Once the move is finished, delete what you no longer need from the old system and confirm that the account is closed.
Sources for this entry
- SBA: 3 biggest problems implementing a CRM system: Published July 21, 2016. Defining needs and the effort involved.
- SBA: Manage your finances: Customer data access, training and backups.
- FTC: CAN-SPAM Act compliance guide: Requirements for commercial email.
- FTC: Complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule: Scope of the rule and the business call exemption.
- FTC: Protecting Personal Information: Keeping less data and least privilege.
- California Attorney General: CCPA: Thresholds and consumer rights.
- NIST Privacy Framework: Voluntary privacy risk management tool.
Continue this reading path
- The Best CRM for Small Business category guide
- Tessaly CRM (fictional example)
- How to choose a CRM for a small business
- Resource directory
Cite this entry
The Best CRM for Small Business. "Backups and getting your data back out." Content reviewed 8 November 2026. https://thebestcrmforsmallbusiness.com/backups-and-exit/