Ditch the personal email ❌

We don’t want to be the ones to tell you this but ben4672@gmail.com or bensdisco@gmail.com doesn’t look professional (sorry Ben). Many starting out neglect a professional email for far too long but as the old saying goes, start as you mean to go on.

Let Google handle it 🚀

The problem is that emails, domains and cloud services are all still alien to most of us. Thankfully good old Google has wrapped this all up for £4.14/mo into a service called G-Suite (formerly G-Apps.). Email works with pretty much any phone, desktop or tablet you’re already using..

G-Suite Overview 👏

G-Suite is swift to become the working backbone of any business. You can create documents, spreadsheets, presentations all online and collaborate with colleagues or clients.

You’ll also receive 30GB of cloud storage via G-Drive, perfect for storing and sharing files with clients.

G-Suite Top Tip 👨‍💻

The only groundwork you’ll need is a domain to turn that @gmail.com into a @BenTheBestDJ.co.uk. Google offers this via Google Domains and a TLD (Top Level Domain) like .co.uk costs only £10/year.

We recommend heading over to https://domains.google/ to pick out a domain and add G-Suite in at Checkout. Once this is done you’ve claimed your very own stake on the internet.

Worth noting, if you’re creating a new website from scratch then a service like ‘Squarespace’ will make purchasing a working domain and accompanying G-Suite (with immediate email) very easy indeed.

Keep your personal number private  👀

When starting out, using your personal number is convenient but before you know it, you’ll have business cards, websites and social profiles all showing your 11 digits. By doing this you’ve waved goodbye to work-life balance and can be sure to expect extra calls on Sunday evenings.

What is a Second Number Service ❓

Now, before you make this fatal mistake, we’d recommend using a 2nd number service as opposed to buying a 2nd number, sim and handset for work calls. Second number services are software-based and sit on your existing personal device but keep work calls separate (see – https://www.thumbtel.com/teams/).

Another Number Additional Features 🤩

Having a dedicated work number is not only professional but by utilising the available features, you can dictate when you are and aren’t available, collect and monitor voicemail and maintain clear work boundaries from the get-go.

What is Fintech 🤔

The final piece to the professional puzzle is, of course, a dedicated business bank account.

This was a real headache back in the day. You’d have to book an appointment with the branch manager, chat about your business whilst they try to upsell you boring banking products – horrible, horrible, horrible.

Thankfully some clever chaps started the Fintech revolution and now all of the above can be done in about 5 minutes from the comfort of your home.

Free Business Accounts 💳

Monzo and Starling are the two industry leaders for British Fintech banking and worth checking out.

Their apps are intuitive and easy to use, you almost forget it’s boring old banking.

You’ll receive a shiny new card in the post to accompany your account and also receive access to a web portal if you’d prefer to see invoices getting paid on a “big screen.”

Getting Paid 🤝

Whilst we’re on the subject of invoicing and getting paid, both banks offer a Professional subscription for a small monthly fee that allows you to send invoices directly within the App with all of your company information pre-filled.

It’s worth noting, Monzo does offer 6 months of Xero when signing up to their £5/mo pro-business account. Xero is a neat accounting App that links directly to your bank accounts, importing transactions at the press of a button.

Good Luck 🍾

We hope the above recommendations have given you a helpful insight into how to launch a business with just a few simple Apps and with minimal ongoing contractual costs.

Need Help? 👋

If you’re just getting started and would like to chat more about starting a business and how Another Number can fit into your daily workflow, then please feel free to LiveChat us or direct message us via Facebook. We’d be more than happy to help.