CRM CLEANUP & MIGRATION

Moving a Nepal business from Google Sheets and WhatsApp into a CRM for the first time is not a migration — it is a data structure project, and most businesses underestimate how much cleaning the existing data needs before it can go into a CRM

Before any CRM import happens, the contact data sitting in your Google Sheets needs consistent columns, deduplicated rows, and enough context to be useful. Without that groundwork, you are importing noise.

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This is for you if

This service is for Nepal-based businesses that have been running their sales process through a combination of WhatsApp Business, personal phones, and Google Sheets — and have now decided to move into a proper CRM.

Your contact list exists across multiple Google Sheets maintained by different team members, each with a different column structure

You have exported contacts from WhatsApp Business and now have a list of names and phone numbers with no additional context

You have never defined what fields, pipeline stages, or lead source categories your CRM should have

You want to set up HubSpot, GoHighLevel, or a similar platform but are not sure what data to import or how to structure it first

What's broken

What's Broken

Google Sheet contact list with no standard structure

Each team member has maintained their own format. One sheet has phone numbers in column B, another has them in column D. Some rows have email addresses, most do not. Company names are in some rows and absent from others. Lead source is recorded in a free-text notes column by one person and missing entirely from another person's sheet. Before any CRM import can proceed, this data needs to be standardised into consistent columns for name, email, phone number, company, and lead source. Without that standardisation, the CRM import wizard cannot map fields correctly, and the resulting contact records are incomplete from day one.

Duplicate contacts across multiple Google Sheets

Three sheets with significant overlap is a common pattern. The sales team has "leads 2022," "leads 2023," and "WhatsApp contacts" as separate files. The same contact appears in all three, sometimes with a different phone number format (+977-98XXXXXXXX in one, 98XXXXXXXX in another, 977 98XXXXXXXX in a third). When all three sheets are imported without deduplication, the CRM starts with multiple records for the same person. Deduplication before the import is the first step. It requires standardising phone number formats so that matching logic can identify duplicates correctly, then merging or removing the redundant rows before the import file is finalised.

WhatsApp contact list with no conversation context

A contact exported from WhatsApp Business is a name and a phone number. There is no conversation history attached to the export, no record of what was discussed, no indication of where the lead is in the sales process, and no notes from the sales person. Importing a WhatsApp export directly into a CRM produces a contact database that has names and numbers but no sales intelligence. For each WhatsApp contact that matters, the context needs to be added manually or through a structured interview with the sales team before the import. Without that step, the contacts are in the CRM but the information needed to action them is not.

No lead source data in the existing contacts

The Google Sheet has names and contact details but no record of where each lead came from. Without that data, the first CRM reports cannot show which channels — Instagram, referral, website, trade fair — are producing the best leads. The business cannot make a channel allocation decision based on CRM data if the CRM was never given that information. Adding lead source data retroactively is partially possible through team recall, invoice records, and message history, but it requires a structured process. Where it cannot be recovered, a consistent "source unknown" classification needs to be applied so that future data is not contaminated by blanks that look like a separate category.

What we engineer

What We Do

CRM data structure definition

Before any import, we work with you to define what fields the CRM needs, what your pipeline stages should be named, and what lead source categories apply to your business. This becomes the schema that all imported data maps to.

Google Sheet audit and standardisation

We audit all existing Google Sheets, identify inconsistencies in column structure and data formatting, and produce a single cleaned master import file with consistent columns, standardised phone number formats, and clear handling of blanks.

Cross-sheet deduplication

We identify contacts that appear in more than one sheet, standardise the matching fields, and merge duplicate rows so that each contact appears once in the final import file.

WhatsApp export processing

We take your WhatsApp Business contact exports, merge them with the Google Sheet data, and flag contacts that need additional context before they can be actioned in the CRM.

CRM import and configuration

We import the cleaned file into your chosen platform — HubSpot, GoHighLevel, or an equivalent — with correct field mapping, pipeline stage setup, and lead source property configuration.

Post-import validation

After the import, we check for records that did not map correctly, contacts missing required fields, and any duplicates that were not caught before the import. We provide a validation report and fix any issues before handing the CRM over for active use.

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What changes

What Changes

Before
After
Before Each team member has maintained their own format. One sheet has phone numbers in column B, another has them in column D. Some rows have email addresses, most do not. Company names are in some rows and absent from others. Lead source is recorded in a free-text notes column by one person and missing entirely from another person's sheet. Before any CRM import can proceed, this data needs to be standardised into consistent columns for name, email, phone number, company, and lead source. Without that standardisation, the CRM import wizard cannot map fields correctly, and the resulting contact records are incomplete from day one.
After A single cleaned contact list exists, deduplicated and standardised, ready for import
Before Three sheets with significant overlap is a common pattern. The sales team has "leads 2022," "leads 2023," and "WhatsApp contacts" as separate files. The same contact appears in all three, sometimes with a different phone number format (+977-98XXXXXXXX in one, 98XXXXXXXX in another, 977 98XXXXXXXX in a third). When all three sheets are imported without deduplication, the CRM starts with multiple records for the same person. Deduplication before the import is the first step. It requires standardising phone number formats so that matching logic can identify duplicates correctly, then merging or removing the redundant rows before the import file is finalised.
After The CRM is configured with fields, pipeline stages, and lead source categories that reflect how the business actually works
Before A contact exported from WhatsApp Business is a name and a phone number. There is no conversation history attached to the export, no record of what was discussed, no indication of where the lead is in the sales process, and no notes from the sales person. Importing a WhatsApp export directly into a CRM produces a contact database that has names and numbers but no sales intelligence. For each WhatsApp contact that matters, the context needs to be added manually or through a structured interview with the sales team before the import. Without that step, the contacts are in the CRM but the information needed to action them is not.
After Every imported contact has a consistent data structure so that filters, segments, and reports work from day one
Before The Google Sheet has names and contact details but no record of where each lead came from. Without that data, the first CRM reports cannot show which channels — Instagram, referral, website, trade fair — are producing the best leads. The business cannot make a channel allocation decision based on CRM data if the CRM was never given that information. Adding lead source data retroactively is partially possible through team recall, invoice records, and message history, but it requires a structured process. Where it cannot be recovered, a consistent "source unknown" classification needs to be applied so that future data is not contaminated by blanks that look like a separate category.
After The team has a defined process for adding new contacts so the CRM stays clean going forward
How it works

Process

  1. 01

    Discovery call (60 minutes)

    60 minutes

    We review your existing Google Sheets and WhatsApp exports, understand your sales process, and define the fields, pipeline stages, and lead source categories your CRM needs.

  2. 02

    Data audit

    We audit all source files for structural inconsistencies, blank fields, phone number format variations, and duplicate entries. We provide a written audit report with findings and a recommended approach.

  3. 03

    Data standardisation and deduplication

    We produce a single cleaned master import file with standardised columns, consistent phone number formats, merged duplicates, and retroactively recovered lead source data where possible.

  4. 04

    CRM configuration

    We configure your chosen CRM platform with the agreed field structure, pipeline stages, and lead source properties before the import runs.

  5. 05

    Import and validation

    We run the import, check for mapping errors and missed duplicates, and produce a post-import validation report. Any issues identified are fixed before the platform is handed over.

  6. 06

    Team handover

    We walk the team through the configured CRM, explain how to add new contacts correctly, and document the data entry standards so the clean database stays clean.

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Common questions

FAQ

How do I import contacts from a Google Sheet into HubSpot or GoHighLevel for the first time?

To import contacts from a Google Sheet into HubSpot or GoHighLevel, the sheet must first be structured with one row per contact and consistent column headers that match the field names in the destination platform. HubSpot's import wizard accepts a CSV file and maps each column to a contact property during the upload; GoHighLevel has an equivalent import flow. The most common import failures come from inconsistent column headers, phone numbers in non-standard formats, and duplicate email addresses in the source file. Cleaning and standardising the Google Sheet before export reduces import errors significantly.

How do I deduplicate a Google Sheets contact list before importing it into a CRM?

Deduplicating a Google Sheets contact list before a CRM import involves identifying rows that represent the same contact and merging or removing the redundant ones. The most reliable matching field is email address, but for Nepal business contact lists where many rows have no email, phone number becomes the primary matching field. Because phone numbers are stored in multiple formats (+977-98XXXXXXXX, 98XXXXXXXX, 977 98XXXXXXXX), the first step is standardising all phone numbers to a single format before running any deduplication logic. Google Sheets does not have a native deduplication tool that handles format variations, so the standardisation step typically requires a script or a manual process.

What contact fields should I include when setting up a CRM for a Nepal-based business for the first time?

The minimum useful contact fields for a Nepal-based business CRM are: full name, primary phone number (standardised to +977 format), email address, company name, lead source (the channel where the contact was first acquired), and pipeline stage (where the contact currently sits in the sales process). Additional fields that are useful for Nepal B2B businesses include: district or city, industry, and a notes field for context that does not fit a structured property. The field list should reflect the decisions the sales team actually needs to make, not an imported template from a generic CRM setup guide.

How do I add lead source data to existing contacts in a CRM when it was not captured originally?

Adding lead source data to contacts that were imported without it requires a combination of team recall, message history review, and pattern matching. For contacts with a known introduction date, matching that date against campaign or event records (trade fair attendance lists, Instagram campaign dates, referral partner introductions) can recover the source for a portion of the database. For contacts where the source cannot be determined, assigning a consistent "source: pre-CRM / unknown" value is the correct approach. This keeps the field populated so that filters and reports work correctly, and distinguishes historical contacts from future contacts where source capture is required at the point of entry.

How do I export WhatsApp Business contacts and import them into a CRM correctly?

WhatsApp Business allows contact export as a .vcf file, which contains name and phone number for each contact. The export does not include conversation history, deal context, or any notes. To import these contacts into a CRM, the .vcf file needs to be converted to a CSV format with consistent column headers, phone numbers need to be standardised to the platform's required format, and any context that exists in conversation history needs to be manually added to a notes field before or after the import. For larger WhatsApp contact lists, the most efficient approach is to export, convert, standardise, and then bulk-import the file rather than adding contacts one at a time through the CRM interface.

Our team

The people behind the work

Not a black box. Real specialists you can call, with their names on the work.

Niraj Raut

Niraj Raut

Founder — Ecommerce SEO
Keshab Joshi

Keshab Joshi

PPC Expert
Hawrry Bhattarai

Hawrry Bhattarai

Google Ads Expert
Arogya Rijal

Arogya Rijal

SaaS SEO Expert
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CRM cleanup and first-time CRM setup for Nepal businesses

If your contact data is currently split across Google Sheets and WhatsApp exports, the right starting point is a data audit, not a CRM purchase. The audit identifies what you have, what state it is in, and what work is needed before a CRM import will produce a usable database.

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Ignited Nepal is a Growth Engineering Company based in Kathmandu. We work with Nepal businesses setting up their first CRM and with teams that need their existing data cleaned before it can be used.