What Do You Need to Set Up Google Workspace for a Small Business?
Q: What is the main problem this article solves?
A: It walks you through setting up Google Workspace for your business from scratch – account creation, domain verification, DNS configuration, user setup, security hardening, file organization, and team training.
Q: Who is this guide for?
A: Business owners setting up Google Workspace for the first time, or upgrading from personal Gmail accounts to a professional business setup.
Q: What are the key steps to solving this problem?
A:
- Choose a Google Workspace plan and sign up
- Verify your domain and configure DNS records
- Create user accounts and set up email aliases
- Enable security (2FA, password policies)
- Set up Shared Drives with proper permissions
- Train your team on the Google Workspace workflow
Q: What is itGenius?
A: itGenius is an IT consultancy that helps small businesses scale effectively by providing affordable and effective technology services, specializing in Google Workspace support and strategy. We offer both transactional support and an “all-you-can-eat” Cloud Concierge subscription.
Why Google Workspace Over Personal Gmail?
If your business still runs on @gmail.com addresses, you’re operating without a safety net.
Here’s what you’re missing:
- Professional email. [email protected] instead of [email protected]. Clients notice.
- Admin control. You own the accounts. When someone leaves, you control their data – email, files, calendar. With personal Gmail, they walk out the door with everything.
- Shared Drives. Company files belong to the company, not to whoever created them. No more “can you share that folder with me?” when someone goes on holiday.
- Security. Enforce 2FA, set password policies, control which apps connect to your data, remote-wipe lost devices.
- Support. Google Workspace comes with actual support. Personal Gmail gets a help article and good luck.
The cost? Google Workspace plans are affordably priced per user per month. Business Standard (which most businesses need) gives you professional email, 2TB storage per user, Google Meet with recording, and full admin control. Check Google’s current pricing at workspace.google.com.
Step 1: Choose Your Plan
| Feature | Business Starter | Business Standard | Business Plus |
|———|—————–|——————-|—————|
| Storage | 30 GB/user | 2 TB/user | 5 TB/user |
| Meet recordings | No | Yes | Yes |
| Shared Drives | No | Yes | Yes |
| Vault (archiving) | No | No | Yes |
| Advanced security | Basic | Standard | Advanced |
| Price | See Google pricing | See Google pricing | See Google pricing |
Our recommendation: Business Standard for most businesses. You get Shared Drives (essential for file organization) and Meet recordings. If you need eDiscovery or advanced compliance, go Business Plus.
Don’t start with Starter and upgrade later – migrating from Starter’s My Drive to Standard’s Shared Drives creates unnecessary work.
Step 2: Sign Up and Verify Your Domain
Sign Up
- Go to workspace.google.com
- Click “Get Started”
- Enter your business name, team size, and country
- Enter the domain you want to use (yourbusiness.com)
- Create your first admin account (this becomes a Super Admin)
Already own a domain? Select “I have a domain I can use” and enter it.
Don’t have a domain yet? You can buy one during signup, or purchase separately from Namecheap, Cloudflare, Squarespace, or another registrar.
Verify Your Domain
Google needs to confirm you own the domain. The easiest method:
- Google gives you a TXT record value
- Log in to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, etc.)
- Go to DNS management
- Add a new TXT record with the value Google provided
- Wait 15-60 minutes
- Return to the Workspace setup wizard and click “Verify”
Step 3: Configure DNS Records
This is where most businesses get it wrong – and where email problems start. Set all of these up now, not later.
MX Records (Mail Delivery)
Replace any existing MX records with:
| Priority | Server |
|———-|——–|
| 1 | SMTP.google.com |
This tells the internet to deliver your email to Google.
SPF Record (Sender Authorization)
Add a TXT record:
“`
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
“`
This tells receiving mail servers that Google is authorized to send email on your behalf. Without it, your outgoing emails may go to spam.
DKIM (Email Signing)
- Admin Console > Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > Authenticate email
- Click “Generate new record”
- Add the TXT record to your DNS (name: `google._domainkey`)
- Wait 24-48 hours
- Return to Admin Console and click “Start Authentication”
DMARC (Enforcement)
Add a TXT record:
“`
v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:[email protected]
“`
Start with `p=none` (monitoring). Tighten to `p=quarantine` after 2-4 weeks.
Get all four records right from day one. Fixing email deliverability after the fact is frustrating and costs your business credibility with clients who see your messages in their spam folder.
Step 4: Create User Accounts
Add Users
Admin Console > Directory > Users > Add new user.
For each person, enter:
- First name, last name
- Primary email address ([email protected] or [email protected] – pick a convention and stick with it)
- Temporary password (they’ll change it on first login)
Set Up Email Aliases
Most businesses need shared addresses:
- info@ – general inquiries
- support@ – customer support
- sales@ – sales team
- accounts@ – billing
You have two options:
Option A: User alias. Admin Console > Users > select user > Account > Add alternate email. Email to info@ goes to that person’s inbox. Simple, but only one person sees it.
Option B: Google Group. Admin Console > Groups > Create group. Email to info@ goes to multiple people. Better for teams. Enable “Collaborative Inbox” if you want to assign and track conversations.
Step 5: Lock Down Security
Do this before your team starts using the system. Retrofitting security is harder than setting it up on day one.
Enforce Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Admin Console > Security > Authentication > 2-step verification.
- Set to “Enforcement ON”
- Set a start date 1-2 weeks in the future (gives staff time to set up)
- Allow authenticator apps and security keys
- Disable SMS/voice codes (vulnerable to SIM-swapping)
Set Password Policies
Admin Console > Security > Authentication > Password management.
- Minimum length: 10 characters
- Enforce on next sign-in: Yes
- Allow password reuse: No
Control Third-Party App Access
Admin Console > Security > API controls > App access control.
Set to “Don’t allow users to access any third-party apps” and then whitelist the specific apps your business uses (Slack, Asana, Zoom, etc.). This prevents staff from connecting random apps to your company data.
Step 6: Organize Google Drive
How you set up Drive now determines whether your files are organized or chaotic in 12 months.
Create Shared Drives (Not My Drive)
The most important rule: Company files go in Shared Drives. Personal files go in My Drive.
Shared Drives are owned by the organization. When someone leaves, the files stay. My Drive files are owned by the individual – if their account is deleted, those files can be lost.
Recommended Shared Drive Structure
For businesses under 20 staff, keep it simple:
| Shared Drive | Who Gets Access | Permission Level |
|————-|—————-|—————–|
| Executive | Directors, owners | Manager |
| Finance | Accounts team, managers | Content Manager |
| Team | Everyone | Contributor |
| Contractors | External contractors | Contributor (no delete) |
For larger teams, add department-specific drives (Marketing, Sales, Operations).
Set Permission Levels Right
| Level | What They Can Do | Use For |
|——-|—————–|———|
| Manager | Add/remove members, delete drive | Owners and IT only |
| Content Manager | Add, edit, move, delete files | Department heads |
| Contributor | Add and edit files, NO delete | Staff and contractors |
| Viewer | Read-only | Company policies, manuals |
The golden rule: Default to Contributor for most staff. They can add and edit, but they can’t delete. This prevents accidental (or intentional) data loss.
Use Google Groups for Access
Never add individuals directly to a Shared Drive. Create Google Groups in Admin Console and add the Group to the drive.
Why? When a new person joins, add them to the Group and they instantly get access to the right drives, calendars, and chat spaces. When someone leaves, remove them from the Group and access is revoked everywhere.
Step 7: Train Your Team
The tools don’t matter if your team doesn’t use them properly. Focus training on three things:
1. Email Workflow
- Search over filing. Gmail search is powered by Google. Teach staff to search by sender, keyword, or date instead of filing into folders.
- Labels, not folders. One email can have multiple labels. Use labels like “To Action”, “Waiting”, “Reference”.
- Archive, don’t delete. Storage is cheap. Archived emails are still searchable. Deleted emails are gone.
2. File Management
- Save to Shared Drives. Not My Drive, not Desktop, not a USB stick.
- Use Google Docs/Sheets/Slides natively. Stop downloading Word files, editing locally, and re-uploading. Edit directly in Google Docs – everyone sees changes in real time.
- Share links, not attachments. Sending a Drive link means everyone always sees the latest version.
3. Communication
- Google Chat for internal. Quick questions, project updates, team discussions. Not email.
- Google Meet for meetings. Integrated into Calendar. One click to join.
- Email for external. Clients, vendors, formal communication.
The Growth Roadmap
Getting Google Workspace set up is step one. Where you go next depends on your business stage:
| Stage | Team Size | Next Steps |
|——-|———–|————|
| Launch | 1-2 | Get foundations right: professional email, basic security, password manager |
| Startup | 2-5 | Consolidate tools (replace Zoom/Slack with Meet/Chat), start documenting SOPs |
| Growth | 6-20 | Add CRM (Copper), shared inbox (Hiver), automate with Zapier |
| Scale | 20+ | Dashboards (Looker Studio), advanced security policies, Chrome device management |
Each stage builds on the last. Don’t over-engineer your setup for 2 people. Don’t under-engineer it at 20.
Common Setup Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | What Happens | Prevention |
|———|————-|————|
| Skipping DNS authentication | Your emails go to spam | Set up SPF, DKIM, DMARC on day one |
| Using My Drive for company files | Files lost when staff leave | Use Shared Drives from the start |
| No 2FA enforcement | One compromised password = full breach | Enforce 2FA before staff start using the system |
| Everyone gets Manager access | Accidental deletion, security risks | Default to Contributor, promote sparingly |
| Buying Business Starter | No Shared Drives, no Meet recording | Start with Business Standard |
| No naming convention for email | john@ vs j.smith@ vs johnsmith@ | Pick a format (first.last@) and enforce it for everyone |
Ready for Expert IT Support?
Our mission is to give you control over your technology strategy. If you’d rather have an expert handle your setup, we have a few ways we can help:
Cloud Concierge Membership: Get unlimited, “all-you-can-eat” tech support for you and your team with our yearly subscription. We handle your entire Workspace setup, ongoing support, staff onboarding, and proactive security monitoring. Learn More
One-Off Projects: Need your Google Workspace set up properly from the start? Our Tech Done service handles full workspace setup, user migration, DNS configuration, Drive structure, and security hardening. Explore Tech Done
Quick Fix: Got an urgent issue during setup? Get rapid, fixed-price support for common Google Workspace problems. Get Quick Fix
Free Consultation: Not sure which plan or service is right for your business? Book a free 20-minute consultation and we’ll assess your needs against our Growth Roadmap. Book a Consultation
