Inward2Onward · Quick Checklist

Business email setup — the one-pager

Everything from the full guide, condensed. Print it, tick as you go.

Work top to bottom, left column then right. Each block is one phase of the setup.

1Before you start

  • Own a domain (yourbusiness.com) — or register one at signup.
  • Have a payment method ready.
  • Set aside 15–30 quiet minutes.
  • Decide: just you, or a small team?

2Choose a provider

  • Already in Google/Microsoft? Match it.
  • Just want a real address, cheaply? Zoho or Namecheap.
  • Privacy matters most? Fastmail or Proton.
  • Weigh: convenience · cost · privacy · ecosystem.

3Create the address

  • Sign up and pick the entry business plan.
  • Connect (or register) your domain.
  • Verify the domain — paste the records they give you.
  • Wait up to a few hours for it to take effect.
  • Pick a clean name: you@, hello@, or info@.

4Connect on desktop

  • Use webmail in a browser, or add a mail app.
  • App: Add Account → pick provider (or Other/IMAP).
  • Enter full address + password.
  • Choose IMAP, not POP, so devices stay in sync.

5Connect on phone

  • Easiest: install the provider's own app, sign in.
  • iPhone: Settings → Mail → Accounts → Add Account.
  • Android: Gmail/mail app → add account → provider or Other.
  • Blocked? You may need an "app password" from the provider.

6Confirm it works

  • Send yourself a test from the new address.
  • Reply back to it from a personal account.
  • Check it arrived — desktop and phone.
  • Send one from the phone too.
  • Read on phone → confirm it shows read on desktop (sync).

7Signature

  • Name · title · company · phone · email · website.
  • Optional: one LinkedIn or scheduling link.
  • Leave out quotes, banners, walls of icons.
  • Same signature on desktop and phone.
  • Test-read it on your phone before you're done.

8Security & privacy — do all of these

  • Strong, unique password — nothing reused.
  • Save it in a password manager.
  • Turn on two-factor authentication.
  • Use an authenticator app or passkey if offered.
  • Save recovery codes somewhere off your phone.
  • Recovery email + phone current.
  • Review login sessions; sign out of the unknown.
  • Remove third-party app access you don't use.
  • Stay alert to phishing and fake login pages.
  • Use aliases to keep your main inbox private.
  • Confirm you're on the official site and app.
  • Turn on masked email / image protection if offered.