Software built by one person who actually uses it — for people who want to get back to their actual work.
Who’s Behind SJ CRM
Hi — SJ CRM is built and run by a single independent developer based in Braintree, Massachusetts, USA, operating under the name SJ Notebook.
No team. No investors. No marketing department. Just one developer who got tired of bad CRM software and decided to build a better one. When you email support, I’m the person who answers. When something gets fixed, I’m the person who fixed it.
Why I Built SJ CRM
SJ CRM didn’t start as a product. It started as a problem.
I needed a CRM for my own work. I tried the usual suspects:
- The free ones locked everything useful behind a $30/month upgrade.
- The cheap ones felt like 2010 with a fresh coat of paint.
- The expensive ones required a week of training and a “Customer Success Manager.”
- The “simple” ones were so simple they couldn’t handle a small business.
So I built my own. Contacts first, then businesses, then projects, then equipment tracking, then health records, then onboarding, then billing — one piece at a time, every piece because I needed it.
After about a year of building and using it myself, it became clear other small businesses were stuck in the same loop. SJ CRM is what came out of that.
What I Believe
Software should respect your time
If you need a 45-minute demo to understand a CRM, the CRM is broken. The goal is “sign up, start working” within 5 minutes.
Small businesses deserve real tools
Good software shouldn’t be reserved for companies with 500 employees. A two-person operation has the same need to stay organized — just on a smaller budget.
Your data is yours
I don’t sell it. I don’t mine it. I don’t train AI on it. You can export it whenever you want and take it with you when you leave. Read the Privacy Policy.
Boring is a feature
I don’t chase trends. I don’t add features just because a competitor has them. A feature ships when customers (or I) actually need it.
Independence over scale
I’ve chosen not to take outside investment. That means I answer to you, the customer — not to investors pushing for quarterly growth at any cost. Your subscription is the entire business model.
How I Work
| Practice | What It Means For You |
|---|---|
| Direct support | Email me — the same person who wrote the code replies, usually within a business day. |
| Public changelog | Every release is documented. You can see exactly what changed and when. |
| No surprise pricing | If pricing ever changes, existing subscribers are notified before the next renewal. Early Access subscribers keep their original price for life. |
| Daily backups | Your data is backed up daily on US-based servers with HTTPS encryption in transit and password hashing at rest. |
| 30-day money back | If SJ CRM isn’t right for you during Early Access, I’ll refund your first 30 days. No paperwork. |
What’s Coming Next
SJ CRM is built in public. Here’s what’s actively in development — not vaporware, real code being written right now:
- Mobile app (iOS & Android) — native apps with offline data sync so you can work without a connection and sync when you’re back online.
- Desktop app (Windows, Mac, Linux) — same idea: a focused, distraction-free desktop client with offline support.
- Continued web improvements — new features ship every month based on customer feedback.
These are in active development but not yet released. Web access works today on every device with a browser, including phones and tablets. Native apps will be a free addition for active subscribers when ready — no extra charge.
Where I Am
- Company: SJ Notebook (independent developer)
- Headquarters: Braintree, Massachusetts, USA
- Hosting: US-based servers (Namecheap, Inc.)
- Payment processing: Stripe, Inc. (your full card number never touches my servers)
- Status: Early Access — building in public, shipping every month
Get In Touch
I like hearing from real people:
- Support & product questions: support@sjnotebook.com
- Legal & privacy: legal@sjnotebook.com
- Feature suggestions: Reply to any email from me — I read everything.
If something’s broken, tell me. If something’s missing, tell me. The product gets better because customers speak up.