In a Google Sheets-based CRM, building customer relationships can be disorienting at first but becomes surprisingly effective for small business owners and those just starting out. A free spreadsheet CRM template is available to help users get started. To build the CRM in 4 steps, one must create a centralized customer database with column headers, track interactions in a separate worksheet, ensure data consistency using data validation, and finally, create a simple dashboard to visualize key metrics. Additionally, Google Sheets can be connected to other apps via Zapier for automation and workflow integration, allowing users to streamline their business processes.