Case Study: ALTUS Wealth Solutions achieves streamlined business management and major cost savings with Zoho CRM

Financial services firm utilizes Zoho CRM's Gmail integration for increased efficiency

ALTUS Wealth Solutions, a San Luis Obispo–based RIA run by John Buerger, needed an easy-to-use, customizable, and affordable CRM to manage roughly 60 active clients and hundreds of prospects while operating as a sole proprietor. Previously on Salesforce, ALTUS moved to Zoho CRM because it met key criteria—customization, Gmail/email integration, and lower pricing—while supporting the firm’s financial planning workflow.

Zoho CRM was implemented as a web-based solution (with mobile access) that Buerger customized extensively—renaming Accounts to “Households,” Contacts to “Individuals,” and creating a “Planning Documents” module to build client-specific financial plans—plus invoicing, reporting, and bulk mail. The switch to Zoho CRM cut subscription costs from about $100 to $15 per month per user (saving over $1,000 per year per user), delivered faster search and reporting, and enabled ALTUS to manage its business without third‑party help.

ALTUS Wealth Solutions

John Buerger

CFP™ Professional