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How to Build a Minimal Viable CRM Using a Spreadsheet and Notepad Tables

UUnknown

2026-02-14

10 min read

Build a no cost MVP CRM with a spreadsheet and Notepad tables. Rapid capture, structured records, and a migration path to paid CRM in 2026.

Stop losing leads to scattered notes and slow follow up: build a no cost MVP CRM with only a spreadsheet and Notepad tables

If you are a founder, operator, or buyer running a small business in 2026, you know the pain: leads trapped in email, contact details on business cards, and follow ups that fall through the cracks because you arent ready to pay for or commit to a full CRM. This guide shows how to build a minimal CRM using a spreadsheet as the system of record and Notepad tables for rapid capture. No budget, no vendor lock in, and production ready for the first 3 to 12 months.

Why a no cost spreadsheet CRM makes sense in 2026

Two big shifts make this approach especially relevant today. First, the rise of micro apps, no code tools, and AI assisted tooling means non developers can assemble lightweight, effective systems in days, not months. Second, major desktop apps have added table features that let you capture structured data fast. In particular, Notepad now supports tables, making rapid offline capture trivial for Windows users. Combine this with the flexibility of Google Sheets or Excel and you have a reliable, free MVP CRM.

"Micro apps let people build what they need fast instead of buying heavy software"

What this MVP will do

This tutorial builds a CRM that covers the most critical workflows for small businesses and early stage projects:

Capture leads quickly from meetings, phone calls, and business cards
Store structured contact and company records centrally
Track opportunities with simple pipeline stages
Log activities and set next actions with reminders
Enable simple automation like email follow ups and calendar events

Core design principles

Single source of truth Keep one spreadsheet file as the system of record
Minimal schema Only add fields you will use for segmentation or automation
Rapid capture Use Notepad tables for offline or desktop capture and paste into the sheet
Export and migrate Keep CSV compatible fields so you can import to a paid CRM later

Data model and required sheets

Set up a single workbook with these sheets. Keep the first row as headers and freeze it.

1. Contacts

Suggested headers (CSV friendly):

contact_id, first_name, last_name, email, phone, company_id, role, source, created_date, last_contact_date, status, owner, notes

2. Companies

Headers:

company_id, company_name, website, industry, address, created_date, owner, notes

3. Deals

Headers:

deal_id, deal_name, company_id, contact_id, value, currency, stage, probability, close_date, created_date, owner, notes

4. Activities / Log

Headers:

activity_id, activity_date, contact_id, company_id, activity_type, summary, outcome, owner, next_action_date

5. Tasks or Follow ups

Headers:

task_id, due_date, owner, contact_id, company_id, task_text, status, created_date

Step by step setup in Google Sheets or Excel

Pick Google Sheets for real time collaboration and built in version history. Use Excel and OneDrive for tighter offline integration with Windows Notepad tables.

1. Create the workbook and sheets

Create a workbook and add the five sheets above. Name them exactly to avoid confusion.
Freeze the header row and change the header background color so the sheet is scannable at a glance.
Format the date columns as ISO dates to keep imports clean: YYYY-MM-DD.

2. Generate unique IDs

Use simple formulas to create stable IDs. Example for contact_id in row 2:

In Google Sheets: ="C-" & TEXT(ROW()-1, "00000")

This produces C-00001, C-00002 and so on. Do similarly for company and deal IDs with prefixes like CP- or D-.

3. Add data validation and drop down fields

Keep stages and status consistent with dropdowns. Example pipeline stages: Prospect, Qualified, Proposal, Negotiation, Won, Lost. Use a hidden sheet called _lists to store lists and reference them for data validation.

4. Formulas you will use

Last contact date for a contact: use MAXIFS on Activities. Example Google Sheets: =MAXIFS(Activities!activity_date, Activities!contact_id, A2)
Days since last contact: =IF(ISBLANK(last_contact_date), "-", TODAY()-last_contact_date)
Deal health score: A simple weighted score using value and probability: =value * probability

Using Notepad tables for rapid capture

With Notepad tables, you can capture structured data on the desktop in seconds. The goal is a one click copy paste into your sheet.

Notepad table template examples

These are plain text examples that will copy cleanly into the spreadsheet. Open Notepad and paste the template when you need to capture a new lead.

Business card capture table:

  | field | value |
  |------|-------|
  | first_name |   |
  | last_name  |   |
  | email      |   |
  | phone      |   |
  | company    |   |
  | role       |   |
  | source     |  business card |
  | notes      |   |

Quick meeting note template:

  | field | value |
  |------|-------|
  | date  | 2026-01-17 |
  | contact |   |
  | company |   |
  | summary |   |
  | outcome | next action: follow up email |
  | next_action_date |  |

How to move from Notepad to sheet

Fill the table in Notepad or paste from an OCR app or mobile Notes.
Select the table and copy.
In Google Sheets use Paste special and choose plain text or paste into Notepad first to remove styling.
Use Text to Columns in Excel or Split text to columns in Google Sheets with a pipe delimiter if needed.

Rapid capture patterns and offline workflows

Notepad tables shine for desktop, offline, or low bandwidth capture. Here are patterns to make them fast:

Business card to Notepad Use your phone camera with OCR to capture text, paste into Notepad table and add a source value.
Meeting notes Open the meeting template in Notepad during calls and paste the summary into Activities later.
SMS to email Forward inbound SMS leads to a dedicated email that you manually paste from into the sheet once a day.

Basic automations without paying for a CRM

Even a no cost setup can do useful automation:

Google Forms for web lead capture that writes directly to your Contacts sheet.
Mail merge from Google Sheets or Word to send templated outreach emails.
Zapier, Make, or n8n free tiers to automate new row triggers for sending notification emails or creating calendar events.
Scripts Google Apps Script or simple Excel macros can auto assign owner, set next_action_date, or dedupe daily.

Security, backups and compliance

As you centralize contacts, lock down access. Follow these minimum controls:

Access control Limit editing to core team and use view only for others.
Version history Use Google Sheets history or OneDrive file versioning to recover mistakes.
Encryption Store the file on encrypted cloud storage and enable two factor authentication on accounts.
Privacy For GDPR or similar rules, record consent source in the source field and remove data on request using a redaction process.

Scaling and migrating to a paid CRM

One of the advantages of keeping CSV friendly fields is fast migration. Use this checklist when youre ready to move to a paid CRM:

Clean duplicates and normalize emails and phone formats.
Export each sheet as a CSV. Keep IDs so you can map contacts to companies and deals.
Create a field mapping document listing spreadsheet headers and target CRM fields.
Test import with a small batch, validate links between records and histories.
Plan for cutover: freeze changes in the spreadsheet during final import to avoid lost records.

Advanced strategies and future proofing

Think of this MVP as your launchpad. Here are ways to get more value while keeping costs low:

AI enrichment Use APIs to enrich company data like industry and revenue. This can be a batch job that writes back to the sheet with a timestamp and source.
Automated dedupe Use fuzzy matching scripts to find likely duplicate contacts based on email similarity or name plus company. See the integration blueprint for patterns that keep data hygiene clean.
Mini micro app Build a single page web form backed by the sheet for faster capture and better UX using no code builders or simple Google AppSheet. This aligns with the 2026 micro apps trend where operators assemble bespoke tools. For offline-first and local workflows see local-first edge tools.
Audit log Keep a hidden ChangeLog sheet that logs who changed what and when using a simple script. This helps for compliance and troubleshooting; for evidence capture patterns see the operational playbook.

Case study snapshot

Example: A boutique B2B services firm that started in late 2025 used this approach for 6 months before choosing a paid CRM. Results:

Time to implement: 2 hours to setup core sheets and 1 hour to create Notepad templates.
Lead capture improved: average lead response time fell from 48 hours to 6 hours once the Notepad to sheet routine was adopted.
Cost: 0 dollars for 6 months, saving the company approximately 600 to 2400 dollars compared to entry level CRM plans while revenue per lead increased due to faster follow up.
Migration: Data imported cleanly into a paid CRM later with a field mapping document and no lost activities.

Practical templates and quick reference

CSV headers you can copy

Contacts CSV header line:

contact_id,first_name,last_name,email,phone,company_id,role,source,created_date,last_contact_date,status,owner,notes

Notepad capture checklist

Always include date and source
Use consistent date format YYYY-MM-DD
When pasting into the sheet, place new rows at the top to keep history chronological or use created_date to sort

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Over modeling Dont add dozens of fields you wont use. Start lean and expand after 30 days of usage data.
No ownership Assign an owner field and a daily triage window to keep inboxes from piling up.
Broken links Keep IDs consistent when copying or sorting. Avoid reordering rows without thinking about ID stability.

Why this remains a strong short term strategy in 2026

Paid CRM platforms continue to be powerful, but they also bring cost, complexity, and sometimes feature bloat. For many small businesses, a lightweight, controlled, and exportable spreadsheet backed by quick Notepad capture delivers the essentials of customer tracking at zero cost. The 2025 2026 evolution of desktop and micro app tooling makes this approach faster and more robust than ever.

Actionable next steps

Create the workbook with the five sheets now and paste the CSV headers.
Save the Notepad templates to your Desktop for one click access.
Run a 30 day experiment: log every new contact and activity. Measure lead response time and follow up completion rate weekly.
After 30 days, review fields used and automate one repetitive task using a free Zapier or Google Apps Script.

Final thoughts

Building a minimal CRM with a spreadsheet and Notepad tables gives you immediate control over lead capture and follow up while keeping future options open. Its cheap, fast, and aligns with 2026 trends toward micro apps and lightweight tooling. Use the templates and routines in this guide to reduce friction, centralize records, and get consistent follow up without paying for a full CRM until you need it.

Get the free template pack and migration checklist

Ready to start? Download the free MVP CRM template pack and a one page migration checklist to cut your setup time in half. Try the 30 day experiment and see which fields matter to your business before investing in a paid CRM.

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