Google Workspace guide for small business.

What Google Workspace is.

Google Workspace is a set of business tools that run in the cloud. The core apps are Gmail for email on your own domain, Google Drive for file storage, Docs, Sheets and Slides for documents, spreadsheets and presentations, Calendar for scheduling, and Google Meet for video calls. Everyone works from the same files, so there is less emailing of attachments back and forth and fewer copies of the same document.

The biggest difference for a small business is the domain. A Workspace email address uses your own domain, such as you@yourbusiness.com, which looks more professional than a personal Gmail address and keeps your address when you change providers.

Choosing a plan.

Google sells Workspace in plans for businesses, and the names and included features change over time. The right plan depends on three questions:

• How many people? Plans are priced per user, so the number of people you add is the main cost driver.
• What level of control do you need? Larger teams often want more admin controls, longer security logs and archiving.
• Do you need extra storage or advanced security? Check the features on each tier before you choose.

Always compare the current plans and prices on Google’s own pricing page before you buy, because they change. You can start with a smaller plan and move up later.

Your domain name.

Business email needs a domain. If you already own one, you can connect it. If you don’t, choose a short, memorable name that matches your business, and check that the matching social media handles are free. Keep the domain registration in a place only the owner can access, because you will need it for verification and for changing mail settings.

Setup, step by step.

Follow the setup wizard on Google’s site, and use this checklist to track your progress. Google’s official quick-start guide for small businesses is also a good reference: Google Workspace quick start.

Setting up your team.

Add people with their work email addresses and give each one a clear role. Keep a shared list of who has admin access. Use shared drives for team files so they stay with the company when someone leaves, rather than in one person’s personal Drive. Agree on naming rules for files and folders early, because they are much harder to fix later.

Email groups and shared inboxes.

For addresses like sales@ or hello@, use a group or a shared inbox rather than one person’s mailbox. Several people can then read and reply, and nothing is lost when a team member changes roles.

Moving your email without losing mail.

Moving email is the step most likely to cause problems, so plan it carefully:

1. Make a list of mailboxes, aliases and forwarding rules on the old provider.
2. Set up the new mailboxes first and confirm that each user can sign in.
3. Migrate the existing mail, contacts and calendars, starting with a small test group.
4. Change your mail records last, so that new mail goes to the new account only when everything is ready.
5. Keep the old account active for a while, and check that mail is arriving in the new inbox.

Google provides migration tools for common providers. If you have a lot of mail, or the business depends on it, ask an IT partner to run the switch for you.

Using the apps well.

Drive: organise files into shared drives by team or project, and set sharing so that people can view or edit only what they need. Docs, Sheets and Slides: work on one live copy with comments and suggestions instead of sending versions by email. Calendar: share calendars for teams, and use appointment schedules so clients can book time with you. Meet: set up a standard link for regular meetings, and record meetings only when people know about it.

Security basics.

• Turn on 2-Step Verification for every user from day one.
• Give admin access only to people who need it, and remove it when they leave.
• Review which files are shared outside your company every month.
• Remove access for former staff straight away.
• Keep a copy of important data, because cloud storage is not a backup by itself.

Common mistakes.

• Switching mail records before the migration is ready. Mail can be delivered to the wrong place or delayed.
• Keeping files in personal Drives. When that person leaves, the files can be hard to recover.
• Skipping two-step verification. One stolen password can expose the whole company.
• Sharing with “anyone with the link” by default. Check sharing settings on sensitive files.
• Choosing a plan for the future team size without checking the current price. Start with what you need now.

Questions people ask.