Email is a crucial tool for start-up businesses. It is accepted by most of the world as the most professional form of digital communication and is used consistently by thousands of businesses every day.
It is the quickest and cheapest way to communicate with another individual. Messages arrive in a recipient's inbox within seconds, even if they're on the other side of the world.
The advent of email arguably increased globalization - and the speed at which business occurs - more dramatically than any over occurrence over the last 50 years. Now that it's possible to email colleagues from your mobile phone, the business world is faster than it ever has before.
A company email address is often the first thing that potential customers, clients, employees will look for when attempting to communicate with a business. Job applications are often sent using this medium in many industries. It is also used to send invoices, orders and receipts. Needless to say, it's very important for a start-up business to have access to email.
Email hosting
When you consider the rate of which most businesses send and receive email, it's usually very important to choose a great email host. It looks far more professional to pay for a host that will give you a personal email suffix, rather than a free service like Gmail or Hotmail. Paid services offer a lot more in terms of inbox size, security and technical support. There are plenty to choose from, each offering a slightly different service, so be sure to compare these factors when selecting a host.
Most hosts charge depending on the amount of email addresses needed. A few email hosts will offer scalable pricing packages, which is often very useful for start-ups who are planning to expand in the near future. In the midst of a recession, it could be an intelligent choice for businesses who are forced to downsize too.
Self-hosted email vs. cloud hosting
There is the opportunity to host your company email on your own servers. This requires investing in servers and the personnel to maintain them, which isn't always a sensible financial option for start-up businesses.
Instead, they opt to work with a cloud email provider that has a history of delivering impressive up-time, tight security and helpful customer service. Investing in cloud hosting means that businesses don't have to worry about fixing, maintaining or upgrading their email servers.
Cloud email allows employees to access their email from any location with a web connection, which is often key in today's lightning fast always-on business environment. As a concept, the cloud is catching on incredibly fast. More and more businesses are recognizing the cost benefits of cloud hosting and for many cloud email has become a no-brainer.
Whether you opt for cloud hosting or self-hosted, it is hard to underestimate the importance of a professional email setup. It may not be the first element of a small business that you set up, but it is certainly one of the most important.
About the author:
Cobweb is Europe’s leading provider of Hosted Microsoft Exchange services, supplying secure and uninterrupted access to applications, email and the internet for more than 5,000 business customers. Find us at www.cobweb.com
