Google Apps is a fantastic suite of tools you can use in your small business… fo’ free. I have used Apps for my own businesses, my personal life, and I’ve even set it up for my kids’ small private school.
And just to be clear kids, I’m talking about setting up Google Apps for very own domain. So your employees can have accounts like “EmployeeName@YourCompany.com.” Of course, you can use Apps without also using the email. But…
I really can’t imagine why any small to mid size business would bother with managing their own email solution. I’ve heard a lot of excuses, all of them bogus. I may do another video specifically about that. I understand that some people may not like the Gmail interface (Although everyone I’ve convinced to use it became a convert) but you can still use Outlook or whatever email software you prefer.
As I mention in the video, “Sites” make it possible to quickly make an intranet(s) and project sites where your team(s) can collaborate. “Sites” is one of the best kept secrets in Google Apps. Stay tuned for a video on that! It’s next.
As always call or email if you have any questions about this stuff. Help is free.
Let me know if you to know more about a particular topic.
While Google is one of the best free services out there, it may not be for everyone. With Google Docs/Spreadsheets, you might not get the right formatting or features you want and end up using MS Word/Excel instead. Before deciding on Google, check out “Compare Google Apps to Microsoft and See for Yourself” for additional information: http://smb.ms/msftoft1
Regards,
Jodi E.
Microsoft SMB Outreach Team
msftoft@microsoft.com