Email is a very important part of the business world. It is one of the best-accepted ways of connecting with customers, clients and vendors. In fact, a 2013 report by Radacti estimates that there are 929 million business email accounts worldwide. As a small business owner, you have a difficult decision when it comes to handling email. Do you use a Gmail or Yahoo address or do you pay for your own server? Are there any other options? Learn more about hosted business email and how it is affordable, convenient and professional — the perfect balance of benefits for small business owners.
Affordability
Your own email server can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars to keep up and running each month. On the other hand, a hosted email server may cost a few dollars — if you need the basics. The scalability is one of the biggest benefits when it comes to cost. If you need one simple, professional address today but you grow your firm and need 10 addresses in a year, your host will work with you to provide you with the perfect service. Additionally, a host may offer security and accessibility options that you can choose to use — or not — as your needs grow and change.
Convenience
If you host your own server, you have to deal with the ups and downs associated with keeping it operational. This may involve more work for your IT professional, or even necessitating the hiring of additional support staff. If you are careful in choosing a hosting company, you will have nearly no downtime and all the issues are resolved with no effort on your part. Most hosts have customer service and technical support staff available by email and telephone to answer your questions and help you with setup or making changes to your account. Finally, many hosts keep up with the latest technologies and will upgrade the servers and add new features as they become available which makes your experience even better.
Professionalism
As a business owner, it really is important to have a professional email address. While that @gmail.com address is fine for using on a personal basis, it makes it seem as though you are less serious about your business. You also have much more flexibility with choosing a name if you have a professional domain. For instance, while ABCPlumbing may not be available in a @gmail.com address, you will be able to obtain the address Bill@ABCPlumbing.net or something similar to that. In addition, when you use a hosted email service, you have access to many important benefits like forwarding, advanced filtering and other things that you may not get with a standard free email address.
When your business grows beyond the small business stage, perhaps when you have more than twenty-five or fifty employees, go ahead and re-evaluate your decision. A PC World article points out many benefits to moving to a private server when you grow as a business. However, for many businesses, hosted email remains a great option. Keep all these benefits in mind and find the right host that provides you great service now and in the future.