About the Client
BST Capital is a UK-based commercial finance provider offering flexible and transparent funding solutions tailored to small and medium-sized businesses. Founded in 2015, the company was established to address the limitations of traditional lending by delivering fast, efficient, and accessible finance options to support the diverse needs of growing UK enterprises.
With a commitment to speed, flexibility, and customer-centric processes, BST Capital empowers businesses to access funding quickly, enabling them to reach their goals without unnecessary delays or red tape.
The Challenges
Before implementing Zoho CRM, BST Capital’s UK operations faced several operational and process challenges that limited efficiency, visibility, and scalability across their sales and funding workflows. While their US team used Microsoft Dynamics 365, the UK branch relied primarily on manual tools, including Google Sheets and email correspondence, to manage leads, deals, and lender relationships. Reporting was limited and time-consuming, hindering data-driven decision-making. Calls and follow-ups were poorly tracked, reducing accountability and productivity. Overall, these disconnected and manual workflows restricted BST Capital’s ability to scale efficiently, maintain transparency, and deliver a seamless client experience.
Solution
To modernize and streamline its UK operations, BST Capital partnered with ThoughtLogik to implement a custom-built CRM system using Zoho CRM and related Zoho tools. While BST Capital’s US team previously used Microsoft Dynamics 365, the UK branch relied heavily on manual processes and Google Sheets for managing leads, deals, and lender interactions.
The new CRM solution was designed to:
- Replace spreadsheets with structured modules
- Automate workflows for funding applications and deal cycles
- Enable real-time updates, lead nurturing, and lender communication
- Centralize all client, deal, and funder data
Implementation Process
The Zoho CRM implementation for BST Capital was carried out in a structured and iterative manner, focusing on user experience, automation, and scalability.
1. CRM Setup & Module Customization
- Customized standard modules: Leads, Deals, Contacts, and Accounts.
- Created two custom modules:
- Funder: Manages lender data; also embedded as a custom layout within the Accounts module.
- Funding Application: Tracks funding requests and their statuses.
2. Data Migration
- Imported historical data for:
- Leads
- Accounts
- Funders
- Deals
- Funding Applications
3. Companies House Integration
- Installed and configured the UK Companies House Extension to auto-populate company data into Zoho CRM, enhancing data accuracy and saving manual entry time.
4. Lead Capture & Email Automation
- Created a Zoho Form integrated with the Leads module to auto-create lead records upon submission.
- Configured an email automation:
When the “Send Email” action is triggered in a Lead record, an email is sent with:
- All lead data pre-filled
- A link to the Zoho Form
- Upon submission, the form updates the original Lead record with additional info
5. Blueprints & Automations
- The process has been automated using blueprint to create a Deal depends on the Funding Application.
- Lead Conversion Blueprint used to create the Accounts and Contacts
- Account Level Blueprint handles the deal process.
6. Kiosk Interface for Call Management
- Designed a lightweight Kiosk UI for call tracking
- Added a custom button “No Answer” to Leads, Contacts, and Deals.
7. “Send to Lenders” Kiosk for Funding Applications
As part of the Account Blueprint, a “Send to Lenders” button was implemented. When clicked, it launches a kiosk displaying all active funders Users can select one or more funders, and upon submission, a custom function is triggered that automatically creates a separate Funding Application record for each selected lender, links it to the current client Account, and sets the application status to “Not Sent.”
Results and Impact
- Centralized Sales & Funding Management
Replaced manual Google Sheets processes with a structured CRM platform, enabling complete visibility across the sales and funding lifecycle.
- Enhanced Automation & Workflow
Blueprints and custom functions reduced manual effort across departments by automating lead conversion, deal creation, and lender engagement.
- Real-Time Lead Tracking
With integrated Zoho Forms and custom email automation, BST Capital now collects and updates lead information faster and more reliably.
- Scalable Custom Modules
Funder and Funding Application modules are fully customized to BST’s business logic, ensuring long-term scalability as operations grow.
- Improved Call Management
The kiosk interface and “No Answer” button helped standardize call logging and follow-ups across the CRM, improving sales team efficiency.
- Streamlined Lender Submission
The “Send to Lenders” kiosk and related automation dramatically simplified how funding applications are submitted and tracked – saving time and reducing errors.
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