Now that email has saturated the business marketplace, it's time for small business operators to take a second look at their email address and what it says about them.  Still today, there are too many small businesses who use an ISP email address (@rogers.com, @bellnet.ca, @verizon.com, @att.net, etc...) or conventional free email services (@gmail.com, @hotmail.com, @yahoo.com, etc...), simply because that's been their address for several years now.  Whenever I do business with a client who's still using such an email address, I explain some of the drawbacks to them:

1. It doesn't feel very 'official'.  If someone is trying to sell me something and tells me to contact them at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it there's a doubt in the back of my mind that they may not be very legitimate.
2. It feels cheap.  For around $10 you can get your own domain name and an email address @yourcompanyname.com, so why wouldn't you?
3. With ISP email systems, you're getting a substandard email solution. Most typical ISP email systems allow for up to 100MB storage before they start bouncing emails back.  100MB was great 8 years ago, but today, it doesn't cut it.
4. With ISP email systems, you're bound to having to stay with that ISP for fear of losing your address.
5. ISP email systems rarely have cloud functionality.  This means that once you've downloaded your emails to one computer, those emails are ONLY accessible from and searchable on that one computer.

Most of these issues are easily addressed by what's called "The Cloud".  Though there are many definitions (and misinterpretations) of what "The Cloud" is, for email purposes, here's all you need to know:

• The cloud is a series of interconnected servers usually dispersed around the world with multiple backup systems.
• Your data is stored in the cloud rather than on your computer, therefore, you can access it from multiple points (other computers, cell phones).  You do not need to be at your office computer to find your emails
• Because the cloud is backed up in multiple locations, your data is safer from data crashes than if it were stored on a single computer or a single backup system
• In the case of Google, the cloud is secure.  Cloud security is managed by world class computer engineers who handle security for a living - it's far more secure than ANY home or office PC
• The cloud is automatically updated for you - no patches, updates or version upgrades.  You always get the latest and greatest in technology.
• There is no such thing as a "Personal Cloud".  Beware this sales pitch.  A personal cloud is nothing more than one or two servers, which are just as susceptible to common server issues (downtime due to updates, viruses, DDOS attacks, upgrades, maintenance).  For a system to be properly considered a cloud, it should be backed by a massive array of servers, redundancies, and security.

For people who might consider a switch, consider two alternatives:

Cloud Hosted Domain Email Solution

It's no secret that Google is leading the way in cloud computing and with the advent of Google Apps, users can have a cloud based solution for their own domain name.  For basic use, there's Google Apps Standard Edition which is free, allows for 7GB of email storage, up to 50 user accounts and can be setup within minutes.  All you need is a domain name (we recommend GoDaddy).  For slightly more complex setups, there's Google Apps Premier Edition which, for $50USD/User/Year has more administrative features and even greater storage (25GB/User)

Hybrid Hosted Domain Email Solution

With Gmail specifically (Hotmail and Yahoo Mail do not support the full list of features), you can setup your account to not only receive emails @yourdomainname.com, but also get to send emails, as if they were being sent from @yourdomainname.com.  This is easily setup, again, within a few short minutes.  So though you're using Gmail as your interface, your clients will never know - as far as they can tell, they are sending to and receiving emails from @yourdomainname.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I still use Outlook with either of these two solutions?

A. Yes, you can still use Outlook with either solution.  Note however that you may not get the full benefit of either service as some features of Google Apps and Gmail are only available through the online interface

Q. What happens when the cloud goes down?

A. In the case of Google, outages are extremely rare.  When they do occur, they rarely last more than a couple of hours, and even then, less than 1% of accounts are affected.  Having used both of these solutions for several years now, we can confirm from personal experience that total downtime experienced has been less than 1 hour over 7 years.  Basically, you're more likely to have downtime due to power failures in your neighbourhood.

Q. I several thousand contacts that I don't want to lose.  Can I keep them?

A. Absolutely, it's simply a matter of exporting your contact list, then importing it into either Google Apps or Gmail.

Q. Too many people already have my current email address, and I hate to have to change it again.  What can I do?

A.  A good strategy involves two simple operations:  1. Email EVERYONE in your contact list notifying them of your new address, and 2. For the stragglers who forgot, didn't get your email, or otherwise, setup a simple auto-responder for your old address, so that as people keep emailing you at your old address, they get an automated response informing them of your new address.  Those emails will not be lost either way as both Google Apps and Gmail allow for POP retrieval of any old accounts you may have

Q. I'm not very technical.  Who can set this up for me?

A. Anyone with a moderate understanding of email systems is capable of setting this up.  If you do not know such a person, we can do it for you for as little as $49.

Q. I still feel safer knowing that my data is in my computer, rather than on some servers somewhere.  Is this normal?

A. It's an understandable sentiment, but think of cloud computing as if it were a bank.  Yes, we might feel better knowing that our money is stashed under the mattress (full control and access), but we know that it's more secure in a bank vault.

Additional questions or comments can be emailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it