Google Workspace Setup for Small Businesses

Is Google Workspace right for you?

Google Workspace is a good fit when your team already thinks in Gmail and Google Docs. You get Gmail on your domain, shared calendars, Drive storage, Docs and Sheets, and Meet for video calls, all managed from one Admin console.

It is worth the per-user cost if you share files and calendars every day. If your team only needs to send and receive email, basic email hosting may do the job for less. If you work in Outlook, Word and Excel, look at Microsoft 365 instead. We compare the two in Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 email.

What we set up

1. Domain verification. Google gives you a TXT record to prove you own the domain. We add it in your DNS.
2. Users and addresses. We create users, aliases and any groups such as sales@ or info@.
3. MX record. New set-ups use one MX record, smtp.google.com at priority 1. Older set-ups with five Google MX records still work, but we tidy them up when we touch the zone.
4. SPF. We add include:_spf.google.com to your single SPF record, alongside anything else that sends as you, such as your website or newsletter tool.
5. DKIM. We generate a key in the Admin console, publish it as a TXT record at google._domainkey (2048-bit), then switch signing on.
6. DMARC. A TXT record at _dmarc starting at p=none, so you get reports without risking delivery.

Avoiding the common mistakes

• Two SPF records. Adding a second v=spf1 record for Google, rather than merging into the existing one, makes SPF fail for everything.
• Too many lookups. SPF allows 10 DNS lookups. Several includes from different tools can push you over, and then SPF fails.
• DKIM left off. Google does not sign with your domain until you publish the key and press start. Without it, DMARC relies on SPF alone.
• Proxied mail records. In Cloudflare, mail-related records must be "DNS only".
• Old MX records left behind. Mixing Google MX records with your previous provider's splits incoming mail between two places.

For the records themselves, see SPF, DKIM and DMARC records and MX records set-up.

Bringing your existing mail across

If your team already has mail on another service, we copy it into Google Workspace before switching the MX record, so nothing goes missing. The full method, from lowering the TTL to the final catch-up copy, is on moving email provider. Contacts and calendars move separately from mail, so we plan for those too.

Keeping it healthy after go-live

Set-up is not quite the end. DMARC reports show every service sending mail as your domain, and whether it passes. Once the reports show only Google and your known tools passing, we move the policy from p=none to p=quarantine, then to p=reject, so spoofed mail claiming to be you is refused.

This also keeps you on the right side of Google and Yahoo's sender rules. Since February 2024 every sender needs SPF or DKIM, and bulk senders (around 5,000 or more messages a day to personal Gmail accounts) need SPF, DKIM and DMARC with alignment. Most small businesses never reach that volume, but a newsletter list can.

How dijitul helps

You buy Google Workspace at Google's own per-user price and stay the account owner. Our set-up is £45 an hour + VAT, or a fixed quote for a move with existing mailboxes. We manage the DNS in Cloudflare afterwards, so later changes are quick. Call 01623 650333 or email info@dijitul.uk, or ask for a quote.

How it works and what it costs

Domains are priced live in the client portal. DNS management and 10 mailboxes are included with dijihost Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT. On their own, DNS and email set-up is £45 an hour + VAT or a fixed quote.

1. Tell us what you have

   Your domains, who they are registered with, where your DNS and email live today, and what you want to change.

2. Plan the change

   We list every DNS record and mailbox first, so nothing is forgotten, and agree a time to switch.

3. Make the switch

   Transfers, nameserver changes, DNS records and mailbox moves, done carefully with low TTLs and a rollback plan.

4. Check it works

   We test the website, email delivery, SPF, DKIM and DMARC from the outside before calling it done.

5. Look after it

   Renewals, records and email stay looked after, and you can call a person when something changes.

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