diff --git a/frontend/src/components/SideBar.vue b/frontend/src/components/SideBar.vue
index f36df01..69243cc 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/SideBar.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/SideBar.vue
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <script setup>
-import { ref } from "vue";
+import { ref, nextTick } from "vue";
 import { useRouter } from "vue-router";
 import { useModalStore } from "@/stores/modal";
 import { useNotificationStore } from "@/stores/notifications-primevue"
@@ -19,17 +19,27 @@ import {
 	NavArrowLeft,
 	NavArrowRight,
 } from "@iconoir/vue";
-import SpeedDial from "primevue/speeddial";
+import SidebarSpeedDial from "./SidebarSpeedDial.vue";
 
 const router = useRouter();
 const modalStore = useModalStore();
 const notifications = useNotificationStore();
 const isCollapsed = ref(false);
+const pendingOpen = ref(null);
 
 const toggleSidebar = () => {
 	isCollapsed.value = !isCollapsed.value;
 };
 
+const openSidebarAndDial = (category) => {
+	isCollapsed.value = false;
+	pendingOpen.value = category.name;
+	// ensure re-render picks up forceOpen
+	nextTick(() => {
+		pendingOpen.value = category.name;
+	});
+};
+
 const clientButtons = ref([
 	{
 		label: "Customer Lookup",
@@ -89,7 +99,7 @@ const createButtons = ref([
 		},
 	},
 	{
-		lable: "Note",
+		label: "Note",
 		command: () => {
 			notifications.addWarning("Sending Notes coming soon!");
 		}
@@ -100,7 +110,7 @@ const categories = ref([
 	{ name: "Home", icon: Home, url: "/" },
 	{ name: "Calendar", icon: Calendar, url: "/calendar" },
 	{
-		name: "Clients",
+		name: "CRM",
 		icon: Community,
 		buttons: clientButtons,
 	},
@@ -150,30 +160,22 @@ const handleCategoryClick = (category) => {
 				</button>
 			</template>
 			<template v-else>
-				<SpeedDial
-					:model="category.buttons"
-					direction="down"
-					type="linear"
-					radius="50"
+				<SidebarSpeedDial
 					v-if="!isCollapsed"
-				>
-					<template #button="{ toggleCallback }">
-						<button
-							class="sidebar-button"
-							@click="toggleCallback"
-							:key="category.name"
-						>
-							<component :is="category.icon" class="button-icon" />
-							<span class="button-text">{{ category.name }}</span>
-						</button>
-					</template>
-					<template #item="{ item, toggleCallback }">
-						<button class="create-item" @click="toggleCallback" :key="item.label">
-							<span class="p-menuitem-text">{{ item.label }}</span>
-						</button>
-					</template>
-				</SpeedDial>
-				<button v-else class="sidebar-button" :key="category.name" :title="category.name">
+					:key="category.name"
+					:icon="category.icon"
+					:label="category.name"
+					:items="category.buttons"
+					:force-open="pendingOpen === category.name"
+					@opened="pendingOpen = null"
+				/>
+				<button
+					v-else
+					class="sidebar-button"
+					:key="category.name"
+					:title="category.name"
+					@click="openSidebarAndDial(category)"
+			>
 					<component :is="category.icon" class="button-icon" />
 				</button>
 			</template>
@@ -217,22 +219,6 @@ const handleCategoryClick = (category) => {
 	color: black;
 }
 
-.create-item {
-	border: none;
-	background-color: transparent;
-	width: 100%;
-	text-align: left;
-	padding: 8px 12px;
-	cursor: pointer;
-	font-size: 0.85rem;
-	color: var(--text-color);
-	transition: background-color 0.2s ease;
-}
-
-.create-item:hover {
-	background-color: var(--surface-hover);
-}
-
 .button-text {
 	flex: 1;
 	text-align: left;
@@ -263,6 +249,13 @@ const handleCategoryClick = (category) => {
 	box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
 }
 
+.speeddial-caret {
+	margin-right: 10px;
+	font-weight: 700;
+	font-size: 1rem;
+	line-height: 1;
+}
+
 .sidebar-button:active {
 	transform: scale(0.97);
 }
@@ -338,21 +331,63 @@ const handleCategoryClick = (category) => {
 }
 
 /* SpeedDial customization */
-:deep(.p-speeddial) {
-	position: relative;
+.sidebar-speeddial {
+	display: flex;
+	flex-direction: column;
+	width: 100%;
 }
 
-:deep(.p-speeddial-list) {
+.sidebar-submenu {
 	background-color: var(--surface-card);
-	border-radius: 6px;
-	box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
 	border: 1px solid var(--surface-border);
-	padding: 4px;
-	margin-top: 2px;
+	border-radius: 6px;
+	margin-top: 6px;
+	padding: 6px 4px;
+	box-shadow: 0 2px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
 }
 
-:deep(.p-speeddial-item) {
-	margin: 2px 0;
+.sidebar-sub-button {
+	border: none;
+	background: transparent;
+	width: 100%;
+	display: flex;
+	align-items: center;
+	justify-content: center;
+	text-align: center;
+	padding: 8px 10px;
+	border-radius: 4px;
+	cursor: pointer;
+	font-size: 0.85rem;
+	color: var(--text-color);
+	transition: background-color 0.15s ease, transform 0.1s ease;
+}
+
+.sidebar-sub-button:hover {
+	background-color: var(--surface-hover);
+	transform: translateX(2px);
+}
+
+.sub-button-text {
+	padding-left: 0;
+}
+
+.sidebar-accordion-enter-active,
+.sidebar-accordion-leave-active {
+	transition: max-height 0.25s ease, opacity 0.2s ease, margin 0.2s ease;
+}
+
+.sidebar-accordion-enter-from,
+.sidebar-accordion-leave-to {
+	max-height: 0;
+	opacity: 0;
+	margin-top: 0;
+}
+
+.sidebar-accordion-enter-to,
+.sidebar-accordion-leave-from {
+	max-height: 600px;
+	opacity: 1;
+	margin-top: 6px;
 }
 
 /* Responsive adjustments for smaller screens */
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/SidebarSpeedDial.vue b/frontend/src/components/SidebarSpeedDial.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e2cfb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/SidebarSpeedDial.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+<script setup>
+import { ref, watch } from "vue";
+
+const props = defineProps({
+	icon: {
+		type: [Object, Function],
+		required: true,
+	},
+	label: {
+		type: String,
+		required: true,
+	},
+	items: {
+		type: Array,
+		default: () => [],
+	},
+	initiallyOpen: {
+		type: Boolean,
+		default: false,
+	},
+	forceOpen: {
+		type: Boolean,
+		default: false,
+	},
+});
+
+const emit = defineEmits(["opened", "closed"]);
+
+const isOpen = ref(props.initiallyOpen);
+
+const toggle = () => {
+	isOpen.value = !isOpen.value;
+};
+
+const handleItem = (item) => {
+	if (typeof item?.command === "function") {
+		item.command();
+	}
+};
+
+watch(
+	() => props.forceOpen,
+	(value) => {
+		if (value) {
+			isOpen.value = true;
+		}
+	},
+);
+
+watch(isOpen, (value) => {
+	if (value) {
+		emit("opened", props.label);
+	} else {
+		emit("closed", props.label);
+	}
+});
+</script>
+
+<template>
+	<div class="sidebar-speeddial" :class="{ open: isOpen }">
+		<button class="sidebar-button" @click="toggle" :aria-expanded="isOpen">
+			<component :is="icon" class="button-icon" />
+			<span class="button-text">{{ label }}</span>
+			<span class="speeddial-caret" aria-hidden="true">{{ isOpen ? "-" : "+" }}</span>
+		</button>
+		<transition name="sidebar-accordion">
+			<div v-show="isOpen" class="sidebar-submenu">
+				<button
+					v-for="item in items"
+					:key="item.label"
+					class="sidebar-sub-button"
+					@click="handleItem(item)"
+				>
+					<span class="sub-button-text">{{ item.label }}</span>
+				</button>
+			</div>
+		</transition>
+	</div>
+</template>