We’ve been using Google Workspace under one name or another (initially it was named Google Apps, and then later GSuite) for more than 10 years, and so we thought we’d share some of the reasons we’re just as keen on it today as when we started using it.
Easy to set-up
No process is ever 100% easy and simple, but considering the end result, the process to get the core of Google Workspace set-up is remarkably straightforward. If you’ve successfully bought a domain name for your business, and have gotten your website set-up on it, then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. If you do hit any issues, then the same technical suppliers or employees that helped get the website up and running should be able to help. It’s also possible that your domain or hosting company may be able to help.
It just works
In our 10 years experience with Google Workspace we can’t remember any major issues with it. The email especially has always been rock solid, and is one less thing to worry about, and it should free up your own team to spend time on your product for your customers.
Use your own domain name
Of course you can use GMail by simply signing up for an address such as [email protected]. It might even be worth considering this in the very early days if you’re just trying to get your business going. But it’s such an easy confidence boost to potential customers to be emailing an address which includes your business’s domain name.
One of the best webmail interfaces around
Gmail has one of the best and easiest webmail interfaces we’ve seen, and generally speaking it’s only gotten better over the years as they continue to develop and tweak. It’s got a range of options that let you tweak it to your needs. This web interface is especially valuable with the increased levels of working from home that are likely to be here to stay. All you need is a modern web browser and it’s going to work exactly the same on any computer!
Security best practices
Without being too pushy about it, Google Workspace does everything it can to encourage you to use security best practices, like two-factor authentication. This takes a lot of guesswork out of trying to be as secure as possible. You don’t necessarily need to do all the research yourself, just turn on and set-up the tools Google gives you and feel confident that your business IT setup just got more secure. We’d always encourage you to go even further, but these tools are a fantastic first step.
One Google account to manage a lot of different services
Chances are that in the process of running a business, you might want to use another of Google’s services (Analytics or Google My Business possible?), which are free but just require you to sign-up for an account. With Google Workspace you can skip that step and save yourself time because you’ve already got an account!
Storage
If a lot of your work flow is online then you are likely to generate a lot of files, and need somewhere to store them. The current cheapest tier which is £4.14 per user per month comes with 30GB of storage for each user. This is really useful for a flexible work flow which requires you to temporarily store files for sending to clients or colleagues, even if you eventually do need to store it elsewhere in the long term.
Of course everyone’s requirements are different, but Google Workspace is a great option for new and old businesses to consider.
