When it comes to business, email is critical.
Email is the perfect way to stay in touch with clients, customers, and colleagues.
But what if you’re using a personal email address for these communications? You could be putting your business at risk.
This blog post will explain why you should never use a personal email address for business purposes – and how to create a professional email address for your business.
First impressions
Your email address is often the first point of contact between you and your potential customers, and you want to make sure that you’re making an excellent first impression.
If you’re using MrFluffyPants@yahoo.co.uk for your business, you’re most certainly making a first impression, but there are better ones.
A professional email address shows that you’re serious about your business and committed to providing a high level of service.
Additionally, using a professional email address can help you avoid some common pitfalls associated with using a personal email address for business purposes.
Personal email pitfalls
A few risks are associated with using a personal email address for business purposes.
First, keeping your messages organised and separate can be challenging if you use your email address for both business and personal correspondence.
Mingling messages can lead to essential business emails getting lost in the shuffle or accidentally deleted.
Additionally, if you ever decide to change your email address, you’ll need to update your contact information on all your business materials, including your website and marketing materials. Making these updates can be time-consuming and costly.
Get serious
Another risk associated with using a personal email address for business is that it can give the impression that your business is your hobby rather than a profession.
If you correspond with potential customers or partners using a personal email account, they may question whether you’re serious about your business.
But how?
Creating a professional email address can seem a little daunting unless you’re familiar with domain names and email systems.
In my experience, the simplest way to make it happen is a combination of a domain name registration and Workspace from Google.
Assuming you don’t already have a domain name registered for your business, the first step is to register one!
Pick a domain name registration service (we’ve used 123 Reg, IONOS and GoDaddy before, but others are available) and choose your preferred .co.uk domain name.
Step two is to create an email account with Google, preferrable using their Workspace (previously called G Suite) product, which is designed for business use.
Google Workspace costs £4.60 per user per month, which is a bargain to get a professional email address and access to a range of productivity tools.
When setting up Google Workspace, it will ask you which domain name you want to use. Enter the same domain name as you registered in the first step.
You then need to verify the use of this domain name by adding a TXT record with your domain registration service. Google provides detailed instructions for doing this.
Once verified, you need to add another type of record with your domain registration service, MX records. These tell the Internet where to send your emails.
And that’s it! In two simple steps, and for a small monthly cost, you can go from MrFluffyPants@yahoo.co.uk to yourname@yourbusiness.co.uk.
Time for action
Overall, it’s best to avoid using a personal email address for business purposes.
Not only can it lead to confusion and frustration, but it can also damage your credibility as a business owner.
If you still need to set up a professional email address for your business, now is the time to do it.
It’s worth taking the time to set up a separate account that’s dedicated solely to your business emails.
Your customers and partners will appreciate the effort, and it will help you avoid any future problems.
