What is your email saying about your business?

To get a professional email or to continue using @gmail.com, @outlook.com, or @yahoo.com, that is the question.

It is my motto to get straight to the point and not sugar coat my message. Upgrade that email address!

Basic definition: A professional email address is an email address that includes the business name in the address.

Example: info@ohexascreatives.com

Non-professional: ohexasceatives@gmail.com

1. Using a @gmail.com, @outlook.com, or @yahoo.com tells clients- “We broke broke.”

I say this because you can get a business email for as low as $38.28 plus tax for the year. That’s less than most people spend on lunch or dinner for one day. You have to remember, clients judge every superficial thing about your business when they are deciding to spend money with you. Facts!

2. Using a @gmail.com, @outlook.com, or @yahoo.com tells clients –“This is a hobby, and my customer service is going to suck.”

It is safe to assume business owners that couldn’t take the time to run a 5-minute google search on affordable professional email servers aren’t trying to build a credible business. This is also a sign that same business owner is spreading themselves super thin. If I am talking about you, PAUSE. You are at the point where you should find someone to help you with the administrative task (NOTE: There are sooooooooooo many free services that can get you on track with organizing your actions. There are also paid professionals that can get you together. Invest in the growth of your business. PLEASE!)

3. Using a @gmail.com, @outlook.com, or @yahoo.com tells clients –“I am ok with you going with my competitors.”

We live in a very judgmental society. Facts. It does not matter how good your product or service is; you will lose potential clients over the presentation of your business. That’s cool for owners that are running their small businesses as side hustles. But for the individuals that are trying to build something real, don’t lose customers over things that you can control.

Today’s takeaway- Upgrade your email to a professional email. And as always, secure the bag.

Here are my picks for professional emails for small business owners:

1. Yahoo! Small Business

Hands down, the best choice for an owner looking to get the most bang for their buck! The cost is low, and the storage is high. Each email address comes with 1TB of storage . The cost for one email address is $38.28 plus tax a year.

2. Zoho

For those against the yahoo brand, here is your next cost-efficient option. This company offers a low cost and decent storage. Storage comes in at 30 GB, and the cost of one email address is $36.00 plus tax a year.

3. G Suite

For the business owner that is looking to interact more with their email and wants more features with their email, Google is an option. Higher price point and a decent amount of storage. Storage comes in at 30 GB, and the cost of one email address is $72.00 plus tax a year.

To me, this is a no brainer, but you should go with what works best for your brand.

Let’s talk about it: A Basic Business Plan

I’m going to talk to you guys the same way I talk to people who ask me for advice every day. Straight to the point. Most people reading this usually ask, “do I need to a plan?” Instead of asking, “how do I use my business plan for? The short answer is, there are only two practical uses for a business plan:

1. To force you to think about back-office structure (finance, legal, and all the other stuff that goes into running a business) or

2. To get someone to invest in your product or service.

If the business plan is just for you, it’s a starting point. It’s not complicated. Well, it can be if you want to plan out every little detail. But it doesn’t have to be overly complicated. That’s what “traditional” business planners want you to think. If you’re reading this post, there’s nothing traditional about how you’re trying to push this idea forward. And that’s ok. Really, it’s ok to not know every little detail or plan for every possible hurdle at this point. Don’t get it twisted; you will need to think about some basic concepts as you move forward, which is the point of today’s post.

Let’s talk about a basic business plan. First, I’ll provide you with a definition of this concept. A basic business plan covers the general thought process of a product or service an entrepreneur wants to put in commerce. A basic business is simplistic in nature and answers specific questions that are designed to get the company started. A basic plan covers six (6) key areas:

1. Your idea.

2. Why people will pay for your idea;

3. The cost to produce your idea;

4. How you will measure the success of your concept;

5. Identifies the providers your idea will compete with;

6. And the essential steps you need to take be an official business .

In a nutshell, the basic business plan pushes you to take your idea out of your head and put it down on paper. The key to being successful at this stage is to remind yourself NOT TO OVER COMPLICATE IT. At this point, you are transforming your idea/side hustle/something you’re good at into a PROFITABLE business. Your focus should be more perfecting the product or service rather than overthinking the basic business plan. You have to remember that this is the starting point. In about six (6) months to a year, you will have some business history. That newfound business history will give you the necessary information that will help you take the business to the next level. And when you’re ready, I have a full business plan structure waiting for you.

But we are not there yet. To help you start the business, I’ve developed a basic business plan that can fit on one sheet of paper. If you are just beginning, go check out the resources and download the “The Basic Business Plan.” Fill out the paper. Send me a message if you want to talk about your completed plan.

You got this! And I am here to help.