Contact Management System. Suggestions for small business?

[tfboy]

After trying to things in Thunderbird or other email applications, I realise it isn't really suited for the job.

What I'm after is a simple contact management system which my father can use for his business. It could be either installed on a local PC, or it could be an online web based version (we have many apps available through cpanel on our hosting website, and can add SQL databases, etc)

Something like Act! could potentially do the job, a simple database where we can put in people's contact details, plus ancillary data such as classes they go to, what they've purchased, booked, etc.

Also, if it had the ability to do mailing lists (up to about 300 people), that would be fantastic.

Currently, I've toyed with the idea of using phplist as a mailer that could work, but coming up short on the contact side.

So, any suggestions? Key points are free / cheap and easy to learn, use and customise.

[DavidM]

Mailchimp is a rather good mailer service to check out as well.

[Funkstar]

How about Outlook with Business Contact Manager?

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/ou...101808863.aspx

[tfboy]

How about Outlook with Business Contact Manager?

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/ou...101808863.aspx

Thanks for the suggestion. We're not currently using Outlook, and only have Office 2003, not 2010 so don't think it would be available without a costly upgrade.

[Funkstar]

Well Act! is priced "fron £180+VAT" according to the Sage page, full Office 2010 Home and Business is only about £25 more.

Worth looking in to if you ask me.

What are they using for email at the moment? I know Outlook has a lot of haters, and I know there are some technical failings behind the scenes, but it is very good at what it does in my opinion. Especially when you link it to an Exchange account. My email goes through a hosted Exchange server by Simply Mail Solutions and it is fantastic.