| For many small start up businesses, they usually start | | | | then you will then firstly, reserve your web domain, |
| out by printing their Business cards on their home | | | | create your email address and lastly print off a new |
| computer and printer, before upgrading to a more | | | | round of business cards. |
| professional business card later on. Unfortunately this | | | | Using an email address from your Internet Service |
| is a small mistake, compared to using the free email | | | | Provider, will mean that you are stuck with that ISP, |
| services available. | | | | and you cannot change, as you will not receive the |
| The home made Business card is usually on light | | | | emails from people, whom you have handed your |
| weight paper (80-100gms), with some people opting | | | | business card to. |
| for photo copying of one card and distributing this as | | | | One of the largest drawbacks with setting up your |
| their business. Others will use glossy paper, where | | | | own domained email address is the technical |
| there is ink bleed, causing smudges and running of | | | | difficulties, many hosting companies do not want to |
| colours on the Business card, then there is the | | | | help you set up your email address and to get your |
| problem of cutting the Business card accurately and | | | | business off the ground. If the hosting company is |
| squarely. | | | | willing to help it is usually only in the form of a per |
| Doing this may save you some money, but your | | | | hourly rate, erasing any benefit of registering your |
| business image will suffer when networking at | | | | domain early. |
| seminars and events or meeting with a potential | | | | Presenting a Professional image is now alot easier |
| client. You only have once chance to impress a client | | | | with some companies, reserving your web domain |
| and if you miss that chance with a poor business | | | | and setting up your email address, so that you only |
| card then you will have lost that opportunity. | | | | have to print your business cards once. The cost is |
| Similarly if you are using a free email service, or even | | | | kept low (around $20-$30 per year) as just the email |
| worse, an email address from your internet service | | | | hosting portion is set up without any further web |
| provider, then you are telling the world, that you | | | | hosting requirements. |
| cannot afford to register your own web domain, that | | | | Going down the path of using email hosting will |
| you are just a small company and potentially you | | | | ensure that you, get the web domain that you want |
| may not be around in 12 months time. | | | | and that you can start to run your business |
| This problem is seen, particularly amongst artists, and | | | | professionally from the start and brand your business |
| hand crafters, who will use a free email service with | | | | correctly, hopefully setting your business up for |
| the branding at the front of the email address. | | | | greater success. |
| However if you are even moderately successful, | | | | |