Use Google Spreadsheets as your CRM System
I've tried to make Practicehacker the #1 place to find tools, tips, techniques, and technology for small firms and solo's; but how often do I feature a true practice hack? That is, how often can I point readers to a better, smarter, faster, or cheaper way of getting things done? Not often enough, if you ask me. But this is the real deal. A genuine practice hack born out of the need to track people, contact information, and matters - known as contract relationship management or CRM - using a freely available tool that at first glance isn't built for the job - in this case Google Spreadsheets. You can find the full hack outlined here.
It should be noted that I've been using this particular hack for years, but not in the CRM context. Instead I've used it to track the progress of my cases and keep my staff informed by having the spreadsheet send them automatic updates each time something changes. Simple, free, awesome. Now that's practice hacking!
If you have any hacks of your own or know of anything that does, please encourage them to contact me at mhedayat@mha-law.com or just add their comment to this post. I'd love to be able to feature one of these hacks every week (or more often if I can). You'll get full credit of course, and you'll be helping your fellow lawyers and legal professionals to do things that much better. :)
