Why Tradespeople Need a Proper Business Email Address

Plenty of good tradespeople run their whole business from an address like davesplumbing1987@hotmail.com. It works. But it is costing them a little bit of trust on every quote they send, and it is cheap and easy to fix.

Why it matters

• It looks established. dave@taylorplumbing.co.uk reads as a proper business. A free address reads as someone doing a bit on the side.
• It matches everything else. Same name on the van, the website and the email.
• It is yours. A free account can be closed or locked by the provider. An address on your own domain moves with you, whichever email service you use.
• It can grow. Add accounts@ or a second person later without changing anything customers already know.

What you need first

Your own domain name. If you do not have one yet, here is how to register it. It costs around £10 a year.

Three ways to set it up

1. Email forwarding

Many domain registrars let you create an address that simply forwards to the inbox you already use, often at no extra cost. Customers email info@yourbusiness.co.uk and it lands in your existing account. It is the quickest option. The catch is that replies may still come from your old address unless you set that up as well.

2. A mailbox from your domain registrar

Most registrars sell basic mailboxes for a pound or two a month. You get a real inbox you can send from and receive to, usable on your phone.

3. Google Workspace or Microsoft 365

The full business versions of Gmail and Outlook, on your own domain. Typically a few pounds per person per month. More reliable, better spam filtering, and you get calendars and file storage with it. This is what most established businesses use.

Which address to use

• info@ or hello@ for the website and van.
• yourname@ if you want it personal.

Either is fine. Just pick one and use it everywhere.

After you set it up

• Put it on your phone so you see enquiries during the day.
• Add a signature: name, business, phone number, website, and any registration numbers you are required to show.
• Update it everywhere: website, Google Business Profile, invoices, van, social media, directories.
• Forward the old address for a year or so, so nothing gets lost.
• Use a strong password and turn on two-step verification. Business email accounts are a common target for scammers who send fake invoices.

A note on your website's contact form

Make sure enquiries from your website are sent to an inbox you actually check. It sounds obvious, but forms pointing at a forgotten address are one of the most common reasons a website "does not bring any work".