Introduction. 

Thinking about using Google workspace for your business?

If you’re a business owner or department lead, there’s no doubt managing the various aspects of your organisation can be challenging.

From keeping track of finances to managing projects and communicating with clients and team members, there’s always something needing your attention. But the good news is productivity tools, like those from Google Workspace, can help with streamlining your operations and increasing productivity.

In this article, we’ll introduce each of the solutions included in Google Workspace – as well as the key advantages and limitations for business users.

What is Google Workspace?

Back in 2004, Google launched their email service, Gmail. At the time, many people thought the 1GB of storage was simply too good to be true. It was even dismissed as an April fool’s joke!

But in the nearly 20 years since, things have changed.

Gmail now forms a key part of the Google Workspace suite and it’s one of the most-used online productivity tools in the entire world. It’s often referred to as Google’s answer to Microsoft Office, but with more variety and focus on cloud-based collaborative tools.

With apps focusing on documents, chat, calendars, messaging tools, storage (and more), it’s certainly a comprehensive business solution.

Most of these apps are free for anyone with a Google account. However, you can also subscribe to paid business plans – providing customer support, extra security controls, and additional perks like business email and 100+ participant video meetings.

What solutions does Google Workspace provide?

Google Workspace offers many apps to help businesses (both small and large) manage their operations. Indeed, one of the main strengths of Google Workspace is the sheer variety of productivity and collaboration tools it offers.

Here are some of the most commonly used Workspace apps:

• Gmail: An email application widely used for both professional and personal email.
• Google Calendar: A calendar app (for events, meetings, tasks, reminders… you name it) that’s easy to share with other team members and integrate with Gmail.
• Google Drive: A cloud-based storage solution letting you store and access files from absolutely anywhere.
• Google Docs: A word processing app (comparable to Microsoft Word) that lets you create and edit documents. Changes are made in real time, with no saving necessary.
• Google Sheets: With functions similar to Microsoft Excel, this spreadsheet app helps you create, share and manage various spreadsheets.
• Google Slides: A presentation app (a bit like Microsoft PowerPoint) helping users create and deliver professional presentation slides.
• Google Meet and Chat: Google Meet is a video conferencing app allowing you to host, schedule and record virtual meetings with team members and clients. Chat, as the name suggests, is more about text communication. Both offer powerful integrations with Google’s other tools like Calendar and Gmail.

Google Workspace for businesses is also much more than just the applications it offers. You’ll also have access to a powerful admin console dashboard (letting you manage your organisation’s set up and accounts) as well as the Google Help Centre offering 24/7 priority support.

What benefits does Google Workspace offer businesses?

Google Workspace has a lot to offer businesses of various sizes and sectors. With over three billion daily users and millions of companies on the platform, plenty of businesses are already reaping the benefits.

Just some advantages include:

• Variety of apps: We’ve only mentioned some of the main apps available with Google Workspace. Because these apps are being developed and updated constantly, there’s a good chance whatever your business needs – Google Workspace has a solution to help. You can find a full list of features and apps on Google’s website.
• Accessibility: With Google Workspace, you can access your files and collaborate with team members from anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection. There’s plenty of cloud-based storage on offer, with basic plans starting at 30 GB per user. All you need is a device with a web browser, and you’re ready to go. You can also sync apps for offline use, letting you edit documents and emails even when you don’t have an internet connection.
• Security: Google Workspace provides enterprise-grade security, including two-factor authentication, encryption, and regular security updates. It clearly works too. Gmail boasts 99.9% accuracy in blocking phishing and malware emails, with security updates and fixes implemented all the time.
• Flexibility: Google Workspace is flexible and scalable, meaning you can add or remove users as your business grows or changes. You can also change plans, as your business needs develop.
• Sustainability: Google proudly boasts “the cleanest cloud in the industry” and for good reason. Their cloud data centres use 50% less energy than industry averages, with net-zero operational carbon emissions. By 2030, Google also aims to run completely carbon free data centres. It’s a benefit for the planet, as well as something you can share with employees and customers.
• Improved collaboration: Google Workspace apps like Gmail and Google Meet make communication with team members and clients easy and efficient. You can also have multiple people working on a Google Doc or Sheet simultaneously, with notifications on comments, tags and edits.

Are there any limitations of Google Workspace?

While there are many advantages to Google Workspace, there are also some considerations worth bearing in mind when implementing the software…

• Learning curve: If you and your workforce previously used Microsoft productivity tools, it might take some time to learn how to use Google products effectively. They are very intuitive (with plenty of tutorials), however, so this process shouldn’t take too long.
• Internet connection: As Google Workspace is cloud-based, you’ll need an internet connection to fully access your files and collaborate with team members. While you can sync the main apps for offline use, this means instant cloud-based saving and sharing aren’t possible. If you’re often on the go, or don’t have a stable internet connection – this is worth bearing in mind.
• Limited features: Many users say Google apps like Docs and Sheets provide fewer customisation features than their Microsoft counterparts. It’s a case of weighing this up against Google’s superior collaboration capabilities though… which will come down to your individual business needs.

A quick look at Google Workspace pricing.

Google’s pricing might be an advantage or a limitation, depending on your businesses’ size and budget. In general though, it’s highly affordable. Google Workplace “Business Starter” plans begin at £4.60 per user, per month – offering 30 GB of storage.

This rises to £9.20 with 2 TB of (for “Business Standard”) and £13.80 for “Business Plus” providing 5 TB of storage and advanced security controls. You’ll have to contact Google’s sales team for Enterprise plans and pricing.

Most small to medium-sized businesses will probably opt for the Business Standard Plan, which removes any worries about running out of storage. If you’re running a larger organisation however, Plus or Enterprise solutions might be best for you.

In Summary.

Google Workspace is a powerful suite of productivity and collaboration tools that can help businesses of all sizes streamline their operations and increase productivity.

With its affordability, security, accessibility, flexibility, data storage, and communication features, it’s a great choice for businesses taking their operations to the next level. While there are some considerations, in our opinion, the benefits of using Google Workspace far outweigh potential drawbacks.