You may have skills that are in demand. You may want to turn this into your own business. Great!! Now, one thing is to do what you are good at. Another thing is setting up your business for success. What technology infrastructure do you need to start you down the path to success. This post is the first in a series where I share some insights into what technology services I used when I first started my company. My company is a digital marketing company focusing on B2B clients.
In this blog post, I will explain why Google Workspace is an excellent place to start and how it will help your business integrate with other critical applications. I’ll freely admit that I didn’t think I needed Google Workspace when I started my company. After a while, I got frustrated with the lack of flexibility offered by my hosting provider. Don’t get me wrong, they are great at hosting my website, but adding more features and functionalities was difficult. The services described and reviewed are tools I have used when setting up a digital marketing agency focusing on B2B companies.
OFFICE PRODUCTIVITY
I recommend Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite). It’s not just about email. You get access to a lot of useful services to help you run your business. The great thing is you only pay per user per month. When your company grows, you can easily add and manage new users. You can set up rules for which folders they can access on your storage drive and manage which features and functionalities they have access to. Below is a description of some of the useful services included. What you need to decide is: What do I want out of this service? In my opinion, having your own domain where you can send and receive messages from is a huge value-add. It makes you stand out from the crowd; you can build your brand and communicate more effectively with prospects and clients.
Whether we like it or not, email is still the most essential tool for any individual or business. Think about it. Whenever you want to sign up for something online, the service provider asks you for your email address. You may have the option of signing in with Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, or other accounts – but to be registered with any of them, you need an email address. Most people know or have a Gmail account today. Setting one up for your business is easy and straight forward. You will need a domain name, as in www.allsquaremarketing.com, to set your business up. Small businesses, even one woman or man companies, can add credibility by having their own domain. Today, the name which appears after the @-sign is very much part of your company’s identity. There are thousands of hosting providers out there catering for individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations. Find a hosting provider you like and trust, get your domain name, and you’re ready to go.
STORAGE
Google’s G-Drive is included when you set up your account. Install the app on your desktop, and it will appear in your list of files and folders. I’ve installed the app on my iPhone and iPad, and it works really well. I have full access to all my files, no matter where I am.
Other cloud storage options include Dropbox, box, Microsoft OneDrive, and many more.
Office Services
Google’s Docs, Sheets, and Slides are included (just like in your standard Gmail account). I’ll freely admit I’ve never gotten comfortable using Google services in this area. I’m much more confident using Office365, as that is what I have used my whole life. The one app that makes the difference for me is PowerPoint. For me, there are just so many more options and possibilities than with Slides.
The vital thing to determine here is what functionalities you need and what you are comfortable working with? The beautiful thing is most cloud services offer you a monthly payment plan where you can cancel anytime you want to. That means it’s easy to change your mind if the solution you chose turns out to be insufficient for your needs.
CALENDAR
Most of us know the calendar functionalities on Google. Planning your day and having easy access to your schedule is essential, especially when running a small business. Google Calendar works well and integrates with many other applications to build and grow your business, which we will get into later on.
MEET
I enjoy online meetings. One of my first jobs were in the online meeting and collaboration space, and I embraced it. This was back in 2003, and there were only a few options in this space. Today, there is a large number of providers offering online meetings and collaborations. My personal experience using Google Meet is not great. I often find the audio quality from one or more participants is really poor – and we all know that audio quality is the primary disruptor for online meetings.
Other options for meeting virtually are Zoom, GoTo Meeting, WebEx, Skype, Microsoft Teams, and others.
ADVERTISING
If you want to get new customers, you need to let the world know you exist. Google Ads allows you to target specific prospects and individuals. If you’re not in a position to spend money on advertising just yet, use the Keyword Planner to get noticed on Google searches. If you are serious about growing your business, it is worthwhile spending time getting yourself Google Ads Certified.
When it comes to advertising, it is crucial to determine where you will find your clients. Which channel will have the most significant impact on your business? Before starting with Google Ads, you should also consider what impact advertising on LinkedIn or Facebook/Instagram would have on your business. You need to determine where your prospects are most likely to see you. Actually, it’s all about the 4P’s of marketing: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.
THE FOUR P’S OF MARKETING
- Product
Product refers to a good or service you as a company offers to customers. A product should solve an existing challenge for your clients and prospect - Price
Price is the cost customers pay for a product. Many factors are influencing the price of your product or service. First of all, you need to consider the real and perceived value of the product. Then you also need to take into account supply costs, market expectations, and how much your competitors are charging for similar products and services - Place
The objective is always to get your product or service in front of your prospects and clients. You need to find out where they are most likely to buy from you - Promotion
Promotion is about how you’re going to get your message out to potential customers. There are 3 components of Promotion 1) Advertising, 2) Public Relations, 3) Promotional Strategy. The objective is to convince your target group why they need your product and why they should pay the price you are offering.
AND MUCH MORE
The really cool thing is your Google account integrates with other essential tools you need to run your business. Today, most technology providers know their customers are using similar services as well as competitors. This is why there are so many options to integrate using APIs through different platforms. The key is to find solutions that will add value and help your business grow. Have you set your business up for success?
NEXT UP
The next blog post’s topic in the series ‘Helpful tips for small businesses’ is CRM tools and why you need one. Keeping track of interactions with prospects and clients and making sure they receive relevant and value-adding content is key to nurturing relationships and driving growth and retention.
