No, your personal email isn’t enough!

Here are 5 reasons to separate your work and business emails (& advice on which services to use).

Email is a vital part of every business, no matter what industry you’re in. And there’s a good chance that it’s become a part of your personal life as well. Doesn’t it make sense to combine them?

At first glance, it may seem as though using your personal email address for your business is more efficient—you can kill two inboxes with one stone and you don’t have to set up a whole different email address. Maybe you’ve even been using your personal email for years with no problems.

However, setting up a separate business email is more than just a signal that you’re taking your business seriously. It has real, measurable benefits that can lead to greater productivity and more sales!

Why You Need a Business Email

Your personal email might be fine for making travel arrangements or receiving an invitation to your niece’s birthday party, but your business deserves better.

Here are 5 reasons why you need a dedicated business email.

1. Builds Trust & Credibility With Clients

If your business is still in the growth stage, you might think that using your personal email is fine. However, the smaller your business, the larger the trust gap between you and your clients.

You might think that Bob1234@gmail.com makes you look folksy and humble. Or maybe you think it doesn’t matter at all. But your clients would likely feel a lot better seeing something like info@yourcompanyname.com.

One email address looks like a valid company that will remain in business for many years. One looks like it belongs to a guy who works out of his basement.

Which would you rather be perceived as?

2. Separates Personal and Business

You know what they say about entrepreneurs: they work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week. But you deserve a break from your work inbox!

Having a dedicated email address allows you to keep you from getting distracted while at work and avoid getting sucked into work on your personal time. Plus, each inbox will be half as full, so it’ll be easier to find that invoice you’re looking for.

3. Protects Your Privacy

Still like having a single inbox? I can respect that. However, work email accounts tend to offer a better experience.

With a business email, you’re likely to experience fewer ads, better SPAM filters, and better security (so your emails are safe from third parties). How many more hours would you have in the day if you didn’t have to delete all those emails from a Nigerian prince?

4. Provides Support

It’s normal to be a little intimidated by new tech, but setting up a business email is one of the easiest changes you’ll ever make.

And if you do encounter any difficulties—during setup or any time after that—you can get customer support.

5. Gives You More Control Over Your Business

Even if you don’t have any employees right now, you might later. And if you do, a dedicated work email allows you to onboard them swiftly and efficiently.

Choosing A Business Email Service

There are a handful of email companies available…how do you choose which one?

Well, we could list all of the pros and cons, but at the end of the day, there are two that we recommend: Google Workspace and Outlook For Business.

These two companies offer the best user experience overall (in addition to seamlessly blending with your existing software). Sure, there might be several companies offering business email for $1/month, but if your emails don’t get delivered or your inbox is full of SPAM, does it matter how much you’re “saving”?

Plus, if you decide to change your website’s domain or hosting company, your email doesn’t always come along with it, so you’ll have to set it up all over again.

Steps To Get Started

Google and Microsoft both work in pretty much the same way, with the same cost (starting at $6 a month) and features, so the deciding factor is likely to be what you already use for business. If you use Google Docs and Sheets, you’ll likely want to stay in the Google Suite of services. If you use Word and Excel, you’ll probably lean more towards Microsoft.

Once you’re set up, don’t forget to add the app to your phone for ease of access and change your mail on your website, business cards, and other marketing materials so your clients know where to find you.

Google Workspace Setup

Outlook 365 Setup

Conclusion

If you want your business to be successful, you need to start by taking it seriously. And before you even move out of your home office or get a business phone number, you should focus on separating your personal and business emails.

Have further questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us! At Clarity Creative Group, we pride ourselves on being able to provide bespoke solutions that address your most pressing concerns.

Contact us today to schedule your free strategy session and see how we can help grow your business!