Setting Up Your Business Email
Look professional and build trust with a custom domain email address
Why Your Business Needs a Custom Email
Sending business emails from a Gmail or Yahoo address makes your company look unprofessional. A custom email like you@yourcompany.com builds instant credibility with clients, partners, and vendors.
Beyond appearances, business email platforms include essential features like shared calendars, admin controls, and advanced security — things free email simply doesn't offer.
Professional Credibility
75% of consumers say custom email makes a business look more legitimate
Better Security
Admin controls, 2FA enforcement, anti-phishing, and data loss prevention
Team Collaboration
Shared calendars, contacts, file storage, and team chat built in
IT Control
Manage accounts when employees leave, set policies, control data
Email Provider Comparison
The two leading platforms for small business email, side by side.
Microsoft 365
Business Basic: $6/user/month
- 50 GB mailbox per user
- 1 TB OneDrive storage per user
- Outlook desktop app (Business Standard+)
- Teams, SharePoint, Word, Excel included
- Advanced anti-phishing and compliance
Best for: Businesses that rely on desktop Office apps, need Teams for meetings, or require advanced compliance features.
Google Workspace
Business Starter: $7/user/month
- 30 GB storage per user (pooled in higher tiers)
- Gmail web interface (familiar and fast)
- Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides included
- Google Meet for video calls
- Excellent mobile experience
Best for: Teams that prefer browser-based tools, already use Gmail personally, or want a simpler admin experience.
Setup Step-by-Step
From zero to professional email in about 30 minutes.
Get a Domain Name (If You Don't Have One)
Your domain is the "yourcompany.com" part of your email address. If you already have a website, you already have a domain. If not, you can buy one from registrars like Namecheap, Google Domains, or GoDaddy for about $10-15 per year.
Tip: Choose a .com domain when possible — it's the most recognizable and trusted. Keep it short, easy to spell, and avoid hyphens.
Choose Your Email Provider
Sign up for Microsoft 365 Business Basic ($6/user/month) or Google Workspace Business Starter ($7/user/month). Both offer a free trial. During signup, you'll enter your domain name and create your first admin account.
Verify Your Domain
Your email provider needs to confirm you own the domain. They'll give you a TXT record to add to your domain's DNS settings. This proves ownership and typically takes 5-15 minutes to propagate.
Update Your MX Records
MX records tell the internet where to deliver your email. Log into your domain registrar's DNS settings and update the MX records to point to your email provider (Microsoft or Google). Both providers give you the exact values to enter.
Important: Remove any old MX records first to avoid delivery issues. Changes can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate, though most complete within an hour.
Create User Accounts
In your admin console, create email accounts for each team member. Use a consistent naming convention — firstname@company.com or firstnamelastname@company.com work well. Also create shared mailboxes like info@, support@, or sales@ for general inquiries.
Set Up Email Clients and Mobile
Configure Outlook or Gmail on each user's computer and phone. Both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace offer guided setup wizards. On mobile, use the Outlook app (for M365) or Gmail app (for Google Workspace) for the best experience.
Essential DNS Records Explained
DNS records sound complicated, but they're just settings that tell the internet how to handle your email. Here's what each one does.
MX Records (Mail Exchanger)
Points your domain's email to your email provider. Without correct MX records, email sent to @yourdomain.com won't reach your mailbox.
Example: yourdomain.com → MX → yourdomain-com.mail.protection.outlook.com (Priority: 0)
SPF Record (Sender Policy Framework)
Tells receiving servers which mail servers are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. Prevents spoofing — so spammers can't pretend to be you.
Example: v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all
DKIM Record (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
Adds a digital signature to your outgoing emails, proving they haven't been tampered with in transit. Like a wax seal on a letter.
Your email provider generates these keys — you just add the DNS record they give you.
DMARC Record (Domain-based Message Authentication)
Tells receiving servers what to do when an email fails SPF or DKIM checks. Start with "monitor" mode to see reports, then move to "reject" to block forged emails.
Start with: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yourdomain.com
Don't Worry — We Can Help
DNS configuration is the most technical part of email setup. If this looks intimidating, Simplissit can handle all of these records for you as part of our email setup service. Most setups take under an hour.
Email Best Practices
Set your business email up for long-term success with these tips.
Enable 2FA for All Accounts
Two-factor authentication is the single most effective way to prevent email account takeover. Require it for every user — especially admin accounts.
Create Role-Based Addresses
Set up info@, support@, billing@, and sales@ addresses. These survive employee turnover and make your business look established.
Set Up Professional Signatures
Every email should include a consistent signature with name, title, phone number, and website. Keep it clean — avoid quotes, images, and multiple fonts.
Plan for Offboarding
When an employee leaves, have a process: disable their account, set up forwarding or an auto-reply, and transfer ownership of their files and shared data.
Configure Spam Filters
Both M365 and Google Workspace include spam filtering. Review quarantined messages weekly to catch false positives, and report missed spam to improve the filter.
Back Up Your Email
Cloud email providers protect against hardware failure, but not accidental deletion. Consider a third-party backup solution like Backupify or SkyKick for an extra safety net.
Need Help Setting Up Business Email?
Simplissit can set up your professional email, configure DNS, and migrate your existing emails — usually in under a day.
Get in Touch