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Small business guide

Google Workspace for small businesses: choose well, start right

Email on your own domain, shared files, video meetings and built-in AI: this guide helps you pick the right plan, estimate the real cost and migrate without losing a single email.

Why Google Workspace suits small teams

No server to maintain, no software to install: everything runs in the browser and on mobile, at a fixed cost per person.

A professional address

contact@your-company.com builds more trust than a free Gmail address. Aliases and group addresses (sales@, billing@) come at no extra licence cost.

Real-time teamwork

Docs, Sheets and Slides are edited together, live. No more "quote_v3_final_OK.xlsx" emailed around.

Files that belong to the company

Shared drives keep documents in the business, even when an employee leaves.

Enterprise-grade security

2-step verification, device management, phishing protection: the Admin console centralises everything.

Gemini AI included

Email drafting, summaries, help in Docs and Sheets: depending on the plan, Gemini is built in with no separate subscription.

Automatable

With Apps Script, repetitive tasks (reminders, reports, mail merge) are automated right inside your tools.

Which plan should you choose?

All three Business plans cover up to 300 users. You can upgrade at any time.

Business Starter

Freelancers and very small teams who mainly need professional email.

€6.80

excl. VAT / user / month, with annual commitment

€8.10 flexible

  • 30 GB pooled storage per user
  • 100 video meeting participants
  • Gmail on your own domain
  • Meet, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Slides
  • Gemini in Gmail and the Gemini app
Try it free for 14 days
Most popular choice

Business Standard

Most small businesses: more storage, meeting recordings and AI across all apps.

€13.60

excl. VAT / user / month, with annual commitment

€16.20 flexible

  • 2 TB pooled storage per user
  • 150 video meeting participants
  • Google Meet recordings
  • Appointment booking pages
  • Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Meet…
Try it free for 14 days

Business Plus

Businesses with archiving or stronger security requirements.

€21.10

excl. VAT / user / month, with annual commitment

€25.30 flexible

  • 5 TB pooled storage per user
  • 500 video meeting participants
  • Vault: retention and eDiscovery
  • Advanced device management
  • Enhanced security controls
Try it free for 14 days

Indicative prices as of October 2026, excluding new-customer promotions. The exact price is shown at sign-up. See official pricing

What does it really cost?

Example for a team of 5 people, with annual commitment:

Business Starter
€408
excl. VAT per year
Business Standard
€816
excl. VAT per year

You only pay for real people: a generic address like contact@ or sales@ can be a free group or alias.

Migrate in 5 steps

A well-prepared migration happens without any email downtime.

  1. 1

    Prepare

    List people, generic addresses and files to move. Make sure you can access your domain's DNS settings.

  2. 2

    Create the account

    Start the 14-day free trial with your domain, then create users and groups.

  3. 3

    Verify the domain

    Add the verification record at your registrar. Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC so your emails don't land in spam.

  4. 4

    Import history

    The Admin console migration tool brings over email, contacts and calendars from your previous provider.

  5. 5

    Switch and train

    Update MX records, create shared drives and spend an hour with the team on good habits.

The mistakes I see most often

One account shared by the whole team

No way to know who did what, and a password passed around. One account per person, groups for shared addresses.

Everything stored in the owner's "My Drive"

Files follow their owner. Use shared drives per department or project from day one.

Skipping 2-step verification

It is the most effective protection against account takeover. Enforce it in the Admin console.

Mishandling employee departures

Transfer their files and emails before deleting the account, or they are lost.

Paying for unused licences

Generic addresses, old accounts and "just in case" accounts cost money every month. Clean up regularly.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between free Gmail and Google Workspace?

Google Workspace gives you an address on your own domain, an Admin console to manage your team's accounts, more storage, shared drives, Google support and contractual data-processing commitments. A free Gmail account is personal and cannot be managed at company level.

Do I need a domain name already?

No. You can use an existing domain or buy one during sign-up. If you already have one, you keep your registrar and website: only email moves.

Will I lose my old emails when migrating?

Not if the migration is prepared. The tool built into the Admin console imports email, contacts and calendars from most providers (Microsoft 365, Exchange, IMAP).

Can I change plans later?

Yes. You can upgrade at any time from the Admin console. Downgrading depends on your commitment type.

What about GDPR?

Google offers a data processing amendment you accept in the Admin console. You remain responsible for your own records of processing and for informing employees.

How can I get a discount?

If you sign up through my referral link, you can ask me for a promo code for your first year. I send it privately via the contact form.

Want some help?

I administer Google Workspace every day and develop with Apps Script. I can help you choose the right plan, prepare the migration and set things up properly from the start.

Disclosure: the "Try" buttons use my Google Workspace referral link. If you subscribe through it, I may receive a commission from Google, at no extra cost to you.

FF

Fabrice Faucheux

Expert Google Workspace & Apps Script, Bretagne

Développeur freelance spécialisé dans l'optimisation des flux de travail professionnels, le développement d'add-ons sur-mesure (Google Sheets, Docs, Gmail) et l'intégration de modèles IA (Gemini).

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