What’s the difference between tags and categories?

Categories are structured — a contact belongs to one category at a time (Customer, Lead, Vendor, etc.).

Tags are loose. Stick as many tags on a contact as you want (vip, referral, holiday-card, prefers-text, etc.). Tags are flexible and searchable.

Use categories for the big picture. Use tags for the messy details that don’t fit a clean hierarchy.

How do I search across everything in my CRM?

Click Advanced Search in the sidebar (or use the search bar at the top of any list view). It searches across contacts, businesses, projects, items, and notes — all at once.

You can narrow results by type (only contacts, only projects) and by date.

What format should my CSV file be in?

A standard comma-separated CSV with a header row. The first row is column names, every row after is one contact.

You don’t need specific column names — the importer lets you map whatever columns you have to SJ CRM fields. Common columns: First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone, Business, Address, Notes.

If your file has special characters (accents, é, ö, etc.), make sure it’s saved as UTF-8. Excel sometimes saves as ANSI which can break those characters.

Can I export all my data?

Yes, anytime. Go to Export/Import and choose what to export (contacts, businesses, projects, items, etc.) and the format (CSV or JSON).

Your data is yours. There is no “export ransom” if you cancel.

Where is my data stored?

On US-based servers (Namecheap, Inc.) with HTTPS encryption in transit, password hashing at rest, and daily backups.

Each customer has their own isolated data — one customer can never see another customer’s contacts, businesses, or anything else.

How often is my data backed up?

Daily automated backups with 30 days of history. If something catastrophic happens on our end, your data can be restored to any point within the last 30 days.

You can also export your own data at any time as a personal backup.

What happens to my data if I cancel?

Your account stays active until the end of the period you’ve already paid for. Before that end date, export everything you want to keep (Export/Import → Export).

After cancellation, your data is retained for 30 days in case you change your mind, then permanently deleted from production. Backup copies are purged within an additional 60 days.

How to set up your CRM in under 5 minutes

The fastest path from sign-up to a usable CRM:

  1. Sign up at the registration page and confirm your email.
  2. Log in — you’ll land on the Dashboard.
  3. Click Add New Contact in the left sidebar and enter one real contact (your own info works).
  4. Click Business → Add New Business and add the business that contact belongs to.
  5. Click into the contact and link it to the business you just created.

That’s the core loop. Everything else — projects, deliveries, items, health profiles — works the same way.

How to add and link a new contact to a business

Contacts in SJ CRM can stand alone or be linked to a business. Here’s how to do both:

  1. Click Add New Contact in the sidebar.
  2. Fill in the basics: First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone.
  3. In the Business field, start typing the business name. If it exists, pick it from the dropdown. If not, save the contact and create the business separately, then come back and link it.
  4. Add any notes in the Notes field — this is searchable later.
  5. Click Save Contact.

Tip: Use the Tags field to group contacts however you want (clients, leads, vendors, friends-and-family). Tags are flexible — categories are not.