Microsoft 365 for small businesses: what to watch out for
Microsoft 365 is much more than an email service. Here is what to watch out for so the rollout really pays off.
Many small businesses use Microsoft 365 only for email, even though the monthly fee also covers document management, teamwork and plenty of security features. A few principles turn the rollout into a real advantage.
Choose the plan that fits your real needs
Business plans mainly differ in whether they include the installable desktop Office apps and the more advanced security and device management features. Not everyone needs the same licence: people who only work in the browser are often fine with a basic plan. Licences can be mixed.
Make security part of day one
Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) for every user. On its own it stops the vast majority of break-ins based on stolen passwords.
Plan your document library
SharePoint works well when you think in advance about who needs access to what. Start from your existing folder structure and set permissions to match it.
Migration without downtime
With proper preparation, email can be migrated without your team noticing anything: we switch over at the weekend and on Monday everything is where it was.
Don’t leave your team on their own
A rollout succeeds when people actually use it. A short, practical training session prevents many questions later.