Powerful and industry-leading tools are essential for every enterprise, especially when planning to upgrade services. Personal emails don’t have the reach as business emails, for that matter. One quintessential service, Gmail for Business is the most convenient. So, here’s my guide to setting up your business Gmail account and accessing the workspace. Going forward, I’ll also delineate the free access and if you need an upgrade.
Free vs Paid Gmail – the Difference
Talking of a regular Gmail, the considerate features and look are all someone asks for. But running a business will soon land you up in limitations like storage, accessibility, and a lot more. Know how to make a business Gmail to organize everything better, for you can do a lot with Workspace.
Formerly, Gmail provided crucial professional tools as a part of its G Suite. At present, this space is familiar as the Workspace and is indeed a much-needed service. A new business Gmail account is inclusive of several efficient features and apps from Google.
Before heading to how to set up Gmail for Business, you need to know when to plug in the services, especially for software tools. Futile efforts often land you in losses, especially in terms of investments. Talking of Workspace is also an investment, requiring a bit of research and familiarity. So, is the $6/month worth it?
Crucial email tools only come as a part of the productivity package of Workspace. Create a Gmail account for an organization, and you get complete access to Gmail’s Workspace and other apps from Google from this package. Robust security tools, productivity tools, and several other features work in hand to provide several benefits to your organization.
Before understanding how to create a business email in Gmail, I’ll discuss the different packages provided by Google and their pricing.
Pricing for Gmail Business
Gmail accounts for business are of great value when used in the best way. Irrespective of the odds, these little investments are quite productive and easy to manage your business. Google provides different plans suiting almost every organization’s budget when you want to create a new Gmail account for business. There are three Business plans from the platform to choose from. So, if you want to set up a Gmail account for business, you need to choose from these plans based on your organization’s requirements.
Usually, Gmail for Businesses provides the following facilities in its business packages.
Storage – 30GB to 5TB unlimited based on the package.
Domain – you can connect your domain or create a new one using Google Domains.
Workspace – every package includes Google Docs, Sheets, Drive, Calendar, and Slides.
Conferencing – you can host voice and video conferences with your employees.
Customer Support – irrespective of the package, Google provides email, phone, and online assistance.
Apart from these, secured team messaging and smart search also come included with these packages.
Here is a breakdown of these plans from Google, as a part of getting a Gmail account for business:
- Business Starter:
This plan works best for Small and Medium-sized companies opting for professional email services. Priced at $6/month, covers almost every benefit of Gmail Business, except for the Smart Search and User Management. You get the basic version of User Management along with the complete Google productivity suite and 30GB of storage.
- Business Standard:
Businesses outgrowing the small and medium-sized ones will need this plan. It is the best fit with a storage of 2TB. It is priced at $12/month and comes with the basic version of the User Management feature. Along with the complete version of the suite, the standard plan also includes the Smart Search feature.
- Business Plus:
The advanced package, Business Plus, is priced at $18/month. This plan suits when the companies need to host video conferences hosting around 150-250 members. Google provides 5TB of unlimited storage here with all the benefits of its productivity suite. Here, the User Management feature’s productivity is also advanced.
However, if your business Gmail accounts exceed the 300 accounts limit, you’ll need to shift to the Enterprise plan.
- Enterprise:
This plan is appropriate for larger companies with more than 300 user business accounts. The enterprise plan doesn’t have fixed pricing. Google considers various aspects of your organization to decide the price here. Make use of Google’s promotions to get the best of this package at a reasonable niche.
Choosing from these packages will depend on various aspects and constraints based on your organization. A Gmail account for an organization needs various things like security, storage, a stable platform for meetings, email segregation, etc. Once you pick the appropriate package, the following is how to make a business email with Gmail.
Getting Started with your Business Account
Creating a business account with Gmail is so easy that you can start using the services in a few minutes. You can create your account in four simple steps. The Gmail sign-up business process is a little different from creating a personal one.
Here’s how to create a Gmail account for a business with or without a domain.
Navigate to Workspace
Google’s business account is available as a part of its Workspace, formerly known as G Suite. So, you will first need a license for the productivity suite. Initiate your business Gmail signup by just heading to this page and choosing the appropriate plan.
Not necessary that you need to choose a plan right away. You can instead check the free trial and understand more about the tools.
Clicking on ‘Get Started’ will begin your registration to the Gmail business platform. Here, you need to fill in your company’s name, location, and number of employees. You can choose Just to make a Gmail business account for one user account or pick the number based on the employees. Note that you’ll be charged based on the users. Best to start small as you can always increase the number later.
After entering these details, click on the Next button to enter your contact and personal information as part of the business Gmail account signup. You can now proceed to set up the domain.
Input your Domain
Now, Workspace asks you for your domain name to get a Gmail account for business. If your company already has it, you can choose the Yes, I have one I can use. Else, select ‘No, I need one.’
Based on the option you choose, the platform provides you with two different options.
- Verify Existing Domain:
The first option will direct you to verify your domain name. You can use it to leverage Gmail for Business when you create a Gmail account for the company. The setup process will prompt for your domain name. Enter the same when asked, and visit your registrar for entering the MX records, which are later baked into the DNS. The process might seem tedious but, Google’s guide can help you with that.
- Set Up a New Domain:
In case you do not have a domain name, you will first need to create one. For this, you need to head to a registrar and choose the name. Google Domains is an in-built registrar from the Workspace and a great place to set up a Gmail business account. You need to verify the availability of your domain name in this case. If there is, you can proceed with the next steps. If not, the registrar will provide you with some alternatives to choose from.
Google Domains is an excellent place to start and set up Gmail for business. But if you do not want to use it, you can consider other domain registrars too. Hover, Bluehost, etc., can help you with that.
Create an Email Address
Once you complete the domain process, you can choose an email ID and password to create a new business Gmail account. Try maintaining consistency across your organization in choosing these names. You can choose your first name, last name, a combination of both, or some initial. The following combinations might help:
- adam @ yourdomain.com
- adamsmith @ yourdomain.com
- asmith @ yourdomain.com
- adam.smith @ yourdomain.com
You can create a Gmail business email with any of these domain names. Remember that this email address will henceforth be your username for all the apps and services across Google Workspace.
Tap on ‘Agree and Continue’ after selecting an address.
Make the Payment
As I quoted earlier, Workspace will require a paid license to create a Gmail business account. So, you need to give in your banking information to complete the purchase.
The free trial lasts for 14 days, and the billing begins after this period. If you wish to not continue the subscription post this time, you can go ahead and cancel the subscription, and you will not be charged.
Next Steps
At this point, your Gmail for Business is ready to go. The following step is optional. But if you want to, you can personalize its look, migrate your contacts, add users, and do a lot more.
Migrating to Gmail from Email
You can migrate the existing emails and contacts from your current email to the Gmail platform. Most businesses opt for doing so to improve their Workspace productivity. Follow these steps for migrating your information.
- Go to admin.google.com and navigate to the Apps menu. Tap on the Setup.
- You’ll find the ‘User emails upload’ option. Check it and Save the settings.
- Now, head to the Gmail Settings and initiate the process of importing your emails and contacts.
You can access Google Workspace Help if you face any issues during the import.
Adding New Users
Once you create your Gmail Business account with a domain name, you might want to create your employees’ accounts too. You can make a Gmail account for business for your employees so that no personal accounts are involved in business communications. Best to create them soon to maintain consistency and make the best out of your Workspace. You need to:
For making a business Gmail account for your employees, access Google Domains and sign in with your Workspace account.
- Select your domain name here and to the menu section.
- Tap on the Add New option from Add or remove people from the Google Workspace section.
- Select the role for the new account, i.e., Admin or User, and complete the process by clicking on Add.
You can access Google’s guide for detailed information and instructions to know how to create a business Gmail account for other users in your Workspace.
Customize Your Space
Gmail allows you to customize your Workspace in different ways. You can create a custom signature, add a profile picture, and do a lot more here. Different tools can help personalize this space better. Apart from this, you can also improve business productivity and revenue using different apps for Email. After you create a business Gmail account, you can add some default headers and footers for your emails too.
Now that the process for how to create a business email on Gmail is clear, see if you really need this platform. Moving forward, you can decide if business Gmail is worth it or if you need another email client.
Is Gmail for Business Necessary?
If you are a business user, you should consider upgrading the free services to the Gmail Business version. Considering a tiny monthly outlay, the following benefits from this space make your investment worth every moment and penny. Make a business Gmail account, and you can access the following:
- Different productivity apps like Sheets, Slides, and Docs.
- Google Drive for File Sharing and Storage on the Cloud.
- Upgraded security with different features.
Google Workspace
As mentioned above, Gmail for Business provides the entire Workspace Productivity Suite from Google. Hard to beat that, though! Apart from this space, you also get all the features included with Workspace, including Meet, Calendar, and Chat, when you get a business Gmail account.
Google Drive
Drive from Google is a file-sharing and cloud storage facility that comes out the best for Workplace license holders. Usually, every Gmail account has 15GB of storage. This is nowhere feasible for business accounts. When you want to know how to make a business email on Gmail, consider storage space as one deciding factor. Based on the package, you gain up to 5TB or unlimited spacing. Integrating Drive with Gmail eases sharing of files through Gmail, making them more secure.
Enhanced Security
Security is the primary necessity for businesses. So, whenever you choose an email client, consider the other aspects only when you are sure of the security. Advanced security measures like two-step verification, SSL encryption software, and various other features accompany your Workspace licensing from Google. So, there is an assurance that sensitive information related to your business stays private from your Gmail business account signup.
Owning your Mails
Using free email addresses for business communications is like letting people occupy your space. One best reasons for choosing Gmail for Business is to let your organization own all the emails related to your business. So, when you know how to create a new Gmail account for business using your domain, you maintain the much-needed consistency for your organization. Here, the admins can check on the employees’ accounts as they are not personal. The admins can manage the account access, limit the usage, roll out updates, and a lot more.
Google Extensions
When you make a new Gmail business account, the Workspace taps into an extensive catalog of third-party add-ons and extensions. Some of them worth trying are Grammarly, Zoom, etc.
Other Google Applications
Google apps like Docs, Sheets, etc., are included when you create a Gmail business account. Apart from these, other inclusions are Google Keep, Admin Console, Sites, Endpoint Management, etc. Each feature comes with a set of benefits, easing your work management. Your employees can also segregate their emails, notes, and all the important aspect using these.
Final Thoughts about Gmail being your Business Email clients are essential for businesses to provide certain tools. Several free clients can provide these but, there is always a compromise. This is not what you need to look at, especially when looking for business-centric solutions. When considering a business account, Gmail is one reliable place to look forward to. A workspace is a significant tool from Gmail that comes at a reasonable niche and impactful benefits. Organizations using these tools from Gmail Business found an impactful difference. The productivity tools, extensions, cloud storage, security, file sharing, and all the features add to the feasibility of Gmail for a business.
