Move Your Customer Spreadsheet into a Free CRM in One Afternoon

Steps follow HubSpot's own help docs (file setup and import). Screens change, so check them on the day. About 2 hours total. No affiliate links on this page.

Before you start (15 minutes)

• Make a copy of your spreadsheet. Work on the copy only.
• Decide what a "contact" is (a person) versus a "company" (a property manager or GC you bid for). Most small trade shops can start with contacts only.
• Pick your pipeline stages first — see how to track estimates and follow-ups.

Step 1: Clean the columns (45 minutes)

• One row per person. Split "John & Mary Smith" into two rows if you need both.
• Use separate columns: First name, Last name, Email, Phone, Street, City, State, ZIP.
• Put the job type (e.g. "deck repair") in its own column; it becomes a filter later.
• Delete duplicates (sort by phone, then email, and scan).
• Make sure every row has at least an email or a phone — CRMs typically use email to match and de-duplicate contacts.

Step 2: Save as CSV or Excel (5 minutes)

HubSpot's import accepts spreadsheet files such as .csv and .xlsx; the guide above lists the current file rules. Keep the first row as column headers.

Step 3: Import and map (30 minutes)

• Start the import, choose the object (Contacts), upload the file.
• Map each column to a CRM property. Create a custom property for "Job type" if it doesn't exist.
• Do a test import of 10 rows first, check them, then import the rest.

Step 4: Open jobs become deals (30 minutes)

For every estimate still waiting on an answer, create a deal in the right stage with the amount and a follow-up task. That single step is what stops quotes going cold.

Step 5: Stop using the spreadsheet (5 minutes)

Archive the old sheet (don't delete it). From today, new leads go straight into the CRM — ideally from a web form — so there is one source of truth.

Is the free tier enough?

Our take: often yes, for one owner and a small crew. Details in our HubSpot free CRM review and plans guide.