How much does a Salesforce solution cost?
This is the classic ‘piece of string’ question. A Salesforce project can take just a few days to be delivered by a lone consultant, take a team of developers two years to roll out around the globe, or it could be any of a number of levels in between. With a little reflection (and a quick chat!) we should be able to tell whether our string is closer to a shoelace, or to a geostationary tether!
The cost of a Salesforce solution is made up of three main elements:
- The cost of Salesforce and other licences
- External expertise (consultant fees)
- The cost of internal resources
Ultimately, a Salesforce project might range from a single day spent setting up a new system, addressing the quick-wins (Web-to-Lead forms, Sales Process, a few email templates and maybe a small dashboard) and supplying some basic training, to several months’ building a complex, multi-phase solution integrated into several other systems, perhaps with a number of communities, and rolling it out across several global territories. The latter are always fun to work on, and could get headlines at Dreamforce (the annual Salesforce expo), but it should come as no surprise to hear that most projects we work on are at the more modest end of the scale.
Bear in mind that some projects may be considered “consultancy-only” – if you’ve been using Salesforce for some time, and we’re not rolling out to new users as a result of the work we’re doing, then the licences have already been factored into an earlier project. In this case we can think purely in terms of the work being carried out in the new project.
In terms of our services, these typically range from three-day or five-day “quickstart” projects (to get a new Salesforce system bedded into your business, apply quick wins, build some custom solutions and automation, and get the users trained up and confident) to more involved, months-long projects where extensive integration and development is required. I provide ad-hoc technical support, where the time logged against a client is charged at month-end for the time spent (to the nearest quarter-hour.) I also offer a business coaching service, as an Entrepreneurs Circle Certified Coach, helping my clients to crack the rhythmic acquisition of customers.
Salesforce are very keen to support the non-profit industry; they grant free licences to non-profit organisations, and encourage their partners to offer a discounted rate to their non-profit clients. Accordingly, I offer a 20% discount to non-profit organisations across the range of services offered.
So, in answer to the question at the top of the page: It depends, but you should probably expect something in the order of £2,500 to £5,000 to get up and running with Salesforce, in addition to the costs of the licences. I’m more than happy to have a quick chat to discuss your requirements in a little more detail and to give you a more reliable ball-park figure. Call me on 02393 96 06 42, email me at enquiries@sekules.com, request a meeting or submit an enquiry through my Contact page.