Microsoft 365 for Small Business
Microsoft 365 brings business email, Office applications, cloud storage, file sharing, collaboration and security together under one platform. KPTech can help small businesses choose the right licence mix, set up the Microsoft 365 tenant correctly, migrate existing email and files, configure security, and provide ongoing support.
For most small businesses, the main choices are Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard and Business Premium. The right plan depends on whether staff need desktop Office applications, how much security and device management is required, and how the business wants to collaborate with SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams.
Business Basic
Cloud-first essentials for small business
- Business-class email using your own domain
- Web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
- OneDrive cloud storage for each licensed user
- SharePoint for shared business files and team sites
- Microsoft Teams collaboration where included in the selected licence variant
- Calendars, contacts and cloud-based productivity services
Best suited to: users who work mainly in a browser or mobile apps and do not need the full desktop Office applications installed on their PC or Mac.
Business Standard
Full Office desktop apps plus cloud services
- Everything in Business Basic
- Installable desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
- Use Office applications offline as well as online
- Business email, OneDrive and SharePoint
- Collaboration and meeting tools where included in the selected licence
- A strong general-purpose option for office-based small businesses
Best suited to: businesses that want the traditional desktop Office experience as well as Microsoft 365 cloud services.
Business Premium
Productivity plus stronger security and device management
- Everything in Business Standard
- Advanced cyberthreat protection for business users and devices
- Microsoft Defender for Business capabilities
- Microsoft Intune device and application management
- Microsoft Entra identity and access features included with the Premium plan
- More control over company data on laptops, desktops and mobile devices
Best suited to: businesses wanting a stronger security baseline, managed devices and better protection for staff working from multiple locations.
Business Email with Exchange Online
Professional email is often the starting point for a Microsoft 365 deployment. KPTech can configure Microsoft 365 so staff use email addresses at your own business domain, with shared calendars, contacts and access across desktop, web and mobile devices.
KPTech can assist with
- New Microsoft 365 tenant setup
- Domain and DNS configuration
- Email migration from existing providers
- Mailbox and shared-mailbox setup
- Aliases, distribution groups and shared calendars
- SPF, DKIM and DMARC configuration to improve email authentication
- Multi-factor authentication and sign-in security
- Ongoing user additions, removals and licence changes
Good Microsoft 365 email configuration is about more than creating a mailbox. Authentication, access controls, recovery options and ongoing administration all contribute to a more reliable business email environment.
SharePoint for Small Business
SharePoint can become the central location for business documents, policies, procedures and shared information. Instead of storing important files on one PC or sending multiple copies by email, staff can work from controlled document libraries and team sites.
- Shared company document libraries
- Team and department sites
- Permission-controlled folders and information
- Document version history and collaboration
- Company intranet or information portal
- Access from the office, home or mobile devices
OneDrive & Teams Collaboration
OneDrive is designed primarily for each user’s own work files, while SharePoint is better suited to shared company information. Teams can bring chat, meetings and collaboration together around Microsoft 365 files and services.
- Synchronise work files across devices
- Share files without emailing large attachments
- Collaborate on Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents
- Use Teams channels for projects and departments
- Control access when staff join or leave
- Reduce dependence on local-only file storage
Microsoft 365 Backup & Email Backup
Microsoft 365 is a cloud service, but cloud hosting should not automatically be treated as a complete backup strategy. Businesses still need to consider accidental deletion, malicious deletion, ransomware, compromised accounts, retention requirements and the ability to recover data quickly.
KPTech can help protect Microsoft 365 data using backup options appropriate to the organisation. Depending on the requirement, this can include Microsoft 365 Backup and/or independent cloud-to-cloud backup services.
Data that can be protected
- Exchange Online email: mailboxes and email data
- OneDrive: individual users’ cloud files
- SharePoint: shared document libraries and sites
- Microsoft Teams: supported Microsoft 365 data associated with collaboration
Microsoft 365 Backup provides backup and restore capabilities for Exchange Online, SharePoint and OneDrive. KPTech can also provide independent SaaS cloud-to-cloud backup options where a separate backup copy, different retention approach or broader SaaS protection is preferred.
Microsoft 365 Setup, Migration & Ongoing Support
Choosing the licence is only part of a successful Microsoft 365 deployment. KPTech can assist with the planning and ongoing administration around the service so that users, devices, email and business data are configured consistently.
Typical services include
- Microsoft 365 tenant setup and licence advice
- Email and file migrations
- User onboarding and offboarding
- SharePoint and OneDrive structure
- Teams setup and permissions
- Multi-factor authentication
- Microsoft Defender and security-policy configuration
- Intune device management for suitable Business Premium deployments
- DKIM, DMARC and DNS management
- Backup integration
- Ongoing Microsoft 365 support
Microsoft licensing and inclusions change over time, and some plans are offered in variants with or without Teams. KPTech can confirm the current Microsoft plan options and recommend a mix that suits the way your staff actually work.