An easy way to look professional in your new business
Even if your business is just getting started, or perhaps you are only thinking about starting a business, it’s easy to look professional right from the outset.
You can quickly and fairly inexpensively set up your own email address (for example, michelle@mynewbusiness.com.au) and keep a domain name reserved for later setting up your own website.
The first step in this is your domain name – in order to have the end part of your email (the bit after the @) you need to “own” this address which is called the domain name. It is very easy to buy a domain name, but the hardest part is thinking up what your domain name should be and then checking that it is available.
In my book “Technology Made Simple for Start-up Businesses” (you can purchase it here), I provide a number of ways you might think about the name that is best for your business. There will be two uses for your business name.
- offline uses (business registration, ATO, stationery, business cards, bank, etc) – this is your business name
- online uses (website, email address, social media, etc) – this is your domain name.
Remember, shorter and more memorable is better than long and complex. It pays to have a few alternatives in mind because not all your choices will be available – like most things, you will probably not be the first to have thought of a particular name. It is also a good idea to start thinking about images that might go with your name. You may not think you’ll need it now and you probably won’t, but if your business goes ahead you will need to be able to build on it to develop a greater profile and presence and further promote yourself.
This post will only deal with how to get your domain name secured, but you should check the advice on the ASIC website about registering your business name (and this is worth doing early so no-one else nabs your name – it can cost as little as $34 for a year and can be completed very simply online).
To check your domain name is available you can start with Go Daddy or Melbourne IT, although there are others. Both offer an easy check of whether your domain is available, and they offer hosting services and website design for when you go live with your website.
You can secure your domain name for a small annual cost (usually less than $15). Once you own the domain name you are free to set up email addresses with that domain name. The above providers offer options to buy one or more email addresses attached to the domain name for a monthly fee (with Go Daddy it’s currently about $7/month), or you can subscribe to Google Apps for Work (currently $5/month/user after a 30 day free trial). Google Apps for Work provides you with connectivity from anywhere so if you’re looking at expanding your team beyond just yourself you can take up extra users at anytime. Both these options will allow you to set-up and use email addresses with your newly purchased domain name. For perhaps an hour of work in registering, setting up and paying and a low upfront cost, you can have your own business email addresses, along with a domain name that you can later use to set up your website!
