I am about to launch my search for a sub-$2M EBITDA business around my home state of South Carolina. Primary focus area is the upstate (Greenville/Spartanburg metro area) with secondary search areas in the lower part of the state.

Because of my tight geographic footprint, my day-to-day will be a little different than that of a national searcher. I will be spending a lot more of my time with in-person meetings and spending significantly less time on cold email outreach. So, I wonder if 1) a CRM would even be useful for this type of search and 2) what options for CRM you all recommend, if any?

If I don't use a CRM, I will probably just keep track of my network and contacts in some master Excel file. If I do use a CRM, most of my contacts in this space have recommended the free version of HubSpot. What do you all think?