8 Great ways to use Google for your start-up
Google is more than a search engine or an advertising company. Of course, it’s their core business, but Google has more to offer. In this article I’ll describe how you can put Google to work for your start-up (or existing business!). Oh, did I mention you can do all of this for free?
The most commonly known service Google provides besides search and advertising is Gmail. Nowadays Gmail is a common concept in the field of e-mail services. When the services started you got a 1Gb inbox. Today you can store up to around 2.8Gb of emails and Google Talk chat transcripts! Wouldn’t it be great to use this for you company for free?
Well you can! And a lot more!
Most people may have heard about Google Apps.
So, what is Google Apps and how can I put it to use for my start-up?
When you visit Google Apps you can sign up for the “free” edition which will give you the following
- Gmail with 2Gb inbox per user - You know how it works. Just for @yourdomain.com
- Google Talk - Allow your users to chat easily with Google Talk
- Google Calendar - Shared and personal calendars for free!
- Docs & Spreadsheets - Write documents and spreadsheets easily online and collaborate with co-workers.
- Page Creator - Creating a web site has never been easier!
- Start Page - Know Google Personal Homepage? Same stuff but for yourdomain.com!
- Easy administration panel to manager services and users
- Unlimited number of users and online support
So, if you already own a domain name, or register one for a few bucks (or for $10 at Google), you can run email, instant messenging, calendar services, online office (docs & spreadsheets), page creator and a custom start page for your users for free!
This will cost you $10 bucks a year (for the domain name when registered with Google). All you need is a computer, Internet connecton and a decent browser.
How’s that for an initial investment in your start-up company? Oh, don’t forget that you can access all the above everywhere as long as you have an Internet connection! You can always (and easily) access your documents and e-mail or check your calendar. You can even do that with your mobile phone!
Personally I think Google Apps are a great investment in your start-up company. I’ll give you the pro’s and cons one more time:
Pro
- It’s free (except for the domainname)
- Quality service you expect from Google
- You have it all under one roof ready to go.
- Access to your stuff everywhere in the world!
Con
- Nothing really.
Let me know if you have any experience with Google Apps. Did I miss some feature? Please let me know!
You aren’t very fair there on the “Cons” side. Here are just a few for you to consider:
- Privacy and security. If you choose to use Google Apps for your startup, all you data - emails, meetings, docs - will be stored on the servers that you don’t have any control over.
- Flexibility. Google Apps, as any other application, impose certain business logic on the way you do things. Email filtering, for example, can be much better configured on the servers you have shell/procmail access to.
- Extra bandwidth. Sending files and messages back and forth seems like an overhead when communicating within the office.
While Google Apps are an excellent set of tools (I know, because I use them for my startup), they do have their own set of cons, as any other system.
@Leonid: You are right in a way.
Bandwidth is not an issue. I mean, how big are those documents really? Besides that most people have broadband internet access with no real data transfer limit imposed.
Flexibility is a valid point. But I’m not a guy who has written every procedure in stone. I’m agile and I like the Google approach a lot. I haven’t find anything I wanted to do that I couldn’t with Google.
As for privacy and security there have been a lot of discussion about that. Personally, I trust Google. It would be a good thing if Google added an option to backup your entire mailbox or document tree. However, I don’t see that happening anytime soon.
Thanks for your insights on the issue.