The email address works. That does not always mean the business knows who controls it.
Perhaps the domain was registered years ago by someone who has moved on. The enquiries address is on several phones. The renewal notice goes to an inbox nobody checks. None of these is a dramatic technology problem until a person leaves or a setting needs to change.
A sensible setup conversation starts with ownership, people and the way customers contact you.
Start with the domain
Write down where the domain is registered, who can administer it and where renewal notices go. Our recommendation is to keep that record with the business, alongside an agreed way to recover access. The person doing the setup needs authorised access; you do not need to send passwords in an initial enquiry.
Changing email is different from changing the website. Ask which domain settings will change, what will stay in place and how the new arrangement will be tested. If an external provider already manages the domain, include them in the plan.
Business email
Google Workspace or Microsoft 365
Separate a person from a shared address
A named account belongs to someone doing a job. An address such as enquiries@ represents a business function. Decide who answers that inbox, who covers absences and how replies should appear to customers.
The technical arrangement depends on the provider. For example, Microsoft states that a Microsoft 365 shared mailbox is accessed by authorised users through their own accounts and is not intended for direct sign-in. See Microsoft’s shared mailbox guidance. Do not assume every provider implements shared addresses in the same way.
| Address | Decision to make |
|---|---|
| A person’s account | Which tools and information does this person need? |
| enquiries@ | Who answers new requests and who covers when they are away? |
| accounts@ | Who can see payment-related messages and send replies? |
| An old employee’s address | What needs to be retained, redirected or handed over under the business’s policies? |
Make migration a planned job
List the existing accounts, messages and files that need to move. Agree on the timing, staff instructions and checks before switching services. Our recommendation is to test sending and receiving from the devices people actually use, including access to shared addresses.
Email authentication is another part of the setup. Google recommends SPF, DKIM and DMARC to support email delivery. Its sender guidelines explain the purpose. The exact records depend on the services sending mail for your domain; they should be configured around those services rather than copied blindly.
Plan for the next starter and departure
Here is an example: a team member leaves, but customers still write to their address. Who handles those messages, and who confirms that access has been removed? Those decisions should follow the business’s retention and access policies, rather than being improvised after the last day.
Keep a short administration record of the people, shared addresses and responsibilities. Review it when roles change. The Australian Signals Directorate recommends MFA, software updates and backups as starting security measures for small businesses. Read its small business guide. These measures support a sound setup; they do not make every other risk disappear.
Your setup checklist
A clear list is more useful than choosing licences before you understand who needs what. Bring it to the first conversation and we can work through the practical setup, migration and handover.
