Free guide for shop owners
How to set up business email — [email protected]
Customers trust “[email protected]” far more than “[email protected]” — and business registrations (Google Business Profile, texting, payments) expect it too. Google Workspace puts Gmail behind your own domain in about 30 minutes. Here's every screen.
Before you start: you need a domain
Business email lives on your own domain (yourbusiness.com). If you don't have one yet, buy a .com first at Porkbun or Namecheap (~$10/year, about 10 minutes) — pick the same domain your website will use. If MeraFix built your website, you already have one — and we can add the DNS records from steps 5–6 for you.
Step-by-step domain guide (Namecheap) →Setup, screen by screen
- 1
Start the signup
Go to workspace.google.com and click “Get started” (or “Start free trial”).
Business name — your shop's name. Number of employees — “Just you” or “2–9”. Region — United States.
Enter your name and your current email address (the free one you use now) as the contact.
- 2
Connect your domain
When asked “Does your business have a domain?” choose “Yes, I have one I can use” and type it exactly (e.g. smithappliance.com).
- 3
Create your first business address
Choose the username for your main mailbox — “info@” is the classic choice for a shop; “yourname@” works too.
Set a strong password. This first account is also the administrator of your whole Workspace.
💡 Don't create extra paid users for support@ or billing@ — after setup, add them as FREE aliases that deliver into this same mailbox.
- 4
Pick the plan and start the trial
Business Starter ($7/user/month with annual commitment, ~$8.40 month-to-month) is plenty: Gmail on your domain, 30 GB, Calendar, Drive, Meet.
Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial — you add a card but aren't charged until the trial ends.
- 5
Verify you own the domain
Google shows a TXT record (starts with “google-site-verification=…”).
Open your domain's DNS settings — wherever the domain lives (Porkbun, Namecheap, Cloudflare) — add a TXT record with Host “@” and paste the value, save.
Back in Google, click Verify. Usually instant, occasionally up to an hour.
💡 If MeraFix manages your website's DNS — just send us the TXT value and we'll add it for you.
- 6
Switch on Gmail (one MX record)
In the setup tool, click “Activate Gmail”. Google now uses a single MX record:
Type: MX · Host: @ · Value: smtp.google.com · Priority: 1.
Add it in your DNS settings — heads-up for Namecheap: the MX record goes under Mail Settings → Custom MX, not the regular Host Records (see our domain guide). Remove any old MX records if your registrar pre-filled some, save, then click Activate. Mail typically starts flowing within 30–60 minutes.
- 7
Finish: phone, signature, aliases
Sign in at gmail.com with [email protected] — it's regular Gmail, same app on your phone (add account → Google).
Settings → add a signature with your shop name, phone, and website.
Admin console (admin.google.com) → Users → your user → “Add alternate emails” — add support@, billing@, scheduling@ as free aliases. They all land in your inbox.
If something goes wrong
Verification keeps failing
Check the TXT record's Host field — it must be “@” (or blank), not “www” or the domain repeated. DNS can take up to an hour to propagate; wait and retry. Make sure you saved the record at the DNS host your domain actually uses.
Emails aren't arriving at the new address
Almost always the MX record: confirm it's exactly smtp.google.com with priority 1, and that old MX records (registrar defaults like “parking” mail) were removed. Give it up to an hour after saving.
“This domain is already in use” at signup
Someone (maybe a previous owner or an old trial) already registered a Workspace on this domain. Google's sign-up flow offers a domain-reset / support path — follow it; you'll prove ownership via DNS and take the domain over.
This guide is general information. Google Workspace screens and prices are Google's and may change. Verified: July 2026.
Email done? You're most of the way there
EIN, domain, business email, texting, payments — that's the paperwork side of a repair business. MeraFix handles the customer side: a website with online booking, a 24/7 AI receptionist, dispatch, estimates customers approve by phone, invoicing, and review requests — set up for you in one call.