Before talking about SugarCRM let’s explain what is a CRM and why it might be interesting for some small business owners to understand CRM and maybe know the basics of any CRM software and in this case might give SugarCRM a look. CRM stands for customers relation management which is a fancy name for a software that is used to manage, synchronize, organize, and automate technical support, customer service, sales and marketing.

SugarCRM was an open source CRM that is developed by a company called SugarCRM. It’s worth noting that that as of February 2014 the community edition will no longer be released as an open source software.

Learning SugarCRM is very helpful for administrators working in companies already using this solution, and for small business owners who want to deploy a CRM solution that would help them manage and grow their customers which are the bread and butter of their business.

The aim of this post is to present and compare between free online sources that beginners can rely on to learn SugarCRM, the sources stated here are full-structured courses that beginners can follow along.

If you just want the bottom line (the road map to learn SugarCRM) and you don’t wish to read the entire article then go to the “Bottom Line” section at the end of the article.

Getting Started with SugarCRM from Scratch

SugarCRM Website

The self paced training on SugarCRM Website is the first free online outlet where beginners can start learning SugarCRM through video tutorials, you don’t have to register to have access to the free video training lessons.

Structure: The training is divided into three main sections; the end user, administrator and developer section. Each of these sections has a group of video lessons that covers the various aspects of that section.

Interface: the interface is very simple, just click on the section you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to the page where the section resides, click on the video lesson you’re interested in and the video will start right away.

Now the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well organized for beginners.

Cons

1. The training doesn’t cover every aspect of the software.
2. The training doesn’t cover the latest release of the software.

Verdict: This is the best free online outlet where beginners can start learning SugarCRM through video tutorials.

The Sugar Refinery

The Sugar Refinery is the second free online outlet where beginners can start learning SugarCRM through video tutorials, you’ve to register to have access to the training.

Structure: The training is divided into 10 video lessons, each video lesson covers certain tools in the software. It’s worth noting that the lessons here are from the DiscoverSugarCRM YouTube channel as the above outlet but the videos here are unlisted so you can’t have access to them by simply searching YouTube.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the video lesson you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to the page where the video lesson resides.

Now the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training covers the basics beginners should be familiarized with in order to start using SugarCRM.

Cons

1. The training doesn’t cover every aspect  of the software.
2. The training doesn’t cover the latest release of the software.

Verdict: This is an excellent free online outlet where beginners can start learning SugarCRM through video tutorials.

DiscoverSugarCRM YouTube Channel

DiscoverSugarCRM YouTube Channel is the third free online outlet where beginners can start learning SugarCRM through video tutorials, the “How do I – Administrator” is the best playlist for beginners to start from.

Structure: The playlist is divided into 16 video lesson, each video lesson covers certain tools that you might need as a SugarCRM administrator.

Interface: Standard YouTube interface.

Now the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The training is well-structured for beginners.

Cons

1. The training isn’t well-organized for beginners

Verdict: This is a very good free online outlet where beginners can start learning SugarCRM through video tutorials.

Bottom Line

The recipe for learning SugarCRM:

1. SugarCRM Website is the best outlet for beginners to start learning SugarCRM through video tutorials.

Remember that the first step is always the toughest step, and the aim of this post is to provide you with resources that will help you take your first step in learning SugarCRM.