How do I avoid vendor lock-in with SaaS tools?

To minimize vendor lock-in: always export and backup your data regularly, choose tools with open APIs and standard data formats (CSV, JSON), avoid deeply embedding proprietary features that don't export well, and read the data portability terms in contracts. The most dangerous lock-in is data lock-in — if you can't get your data out easily, you're stuck. CRMs with easy full exports (HubSpot, Pipedrive) score better than those that make exports difficult.