Email is quickly becoming (if it hasnt already) the easiest and most convenient method for communication within the small business community. Whether you are dealing with your suppliers, peers, or clients, communicating electronically is the way of doing business for a lot of business owners and entrepreneurs.

During my travels and experiences in the past few years, I have noticed a number of businesses are electing to use generic Internet Service Provider (ISP) email domains, examples include telus.net, shaw.ca or even free web services from hotmail.com.

Many small businesses have a website setup under their company domain name to promote their business online, however they still use a generic ISP address for their email. One reason they use a generic ISP address is, most small businesses do not have a trusted IT advisor to provide this extra consulting on the importance of using the same domain name as their website uses. Can you imagine a company like DELL, having their dell.com website up and running and all their reps using an ISPs email address? It doesnt make sense for them and the same rule should apply for your small business.

Perceptions in the business world, of companies who use a generic ISP email, may be looked at as red flags and raise concerns about the stability of the company such as: Are they just starting out?; Are they here for the long term?; and the extreme perception is: They maybe fly by night!.

It is important for small business to look professional when it comes to communicating via Email. Your Email address needs to be considered as part of your corporate branding and your overall image. This is even more critical if your operations rely on the Internet for your communications or general business practices.

Then there is the question about confidentiality. Free services like Hotmail or Yahoo cannot guarantee the confidentiality of your Email. There are some people, who use Hotmail or Yahoo, to hide their identity and use the information they receive for reasons other than the original intention. For this reason, many companies will not correspond electronically with organizations that use Hotmail or Yahoo, without first confirming your true identity. Many corporate spam filters also filter out email addresses from hotmail.com or yahoo.com, this could pose a challenge for you and your business when trying to secure new opportunities.

A small business should also consider, when it comes to hosting your own email versus using your ISP, or a free email service, is along the same lines of doing business with a company who only has a P.O. Box. There is a tendency to be cautious with a company who has a P.O. Box, as you want to ensure they are a legitimate business. Your organization may be sending out this exact same signal when it comes to your email address when using a generic ISP.

One FANTASTIC reason for having your domain for Email is when a potential client receives an Email from you or forwarded from another person, the potential client may just try surfing to the domain name tacked onto the end of your email address. If this is a generic address from an ISP, they may never get to your website, or learn more about your product and service, and/or eventually becoming a client.

There are two basic options for small business wanting to have their own domain for their corporate Email. Microsoft has Microsoft Windows 2003 Small Business Server that can provide the Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server at an attractive price for the small business. The other option is to look for a hosting company that can provide basic hosting services. You need to be careful when doing this, a number of hosting companies have limits on the size of emails you can receive and the amount you can store on their servers. There are several hosting companies in Canada and US who offer attractive hosting packages for small business. The one I highly recommend is Webcore Labs, out of Calgary. IT Matters Inc. has been working with them for the past three years and their approach to service is second to none. They have a live person answering the phones, and offer hosting packages, starting at around $8.00 CDN per month. Check them out at http://www.webcorelabs.com.

Registering a domain for your business will not break your bank; it is a small investment for the professional image it provides your business. Domains can be registered easily at http://www.webnames.ca for approx $25.00 CDN. Contact your local IT consultant if you need assistance with how to do this, this will benefit your business and will not monopolize all of your time, remember that your time away from your business may end up costing you more than the charge your IT person will bill you.

Small businesses that have both a web presence and the same domain for their Email have a professional edge on those who do not.