SmallBusinessNewz

No one complained too loudly (or at all, really) after we published a follow-up article yesterday on Microsoft Office Live Small Business.  Thanks.  Still, to balance things out, we're going revisit Google Apps today.

Like Microsoft's offering, one of the best things about Google Apps is its price; the base version is completely free.  Also like Microsoft's offering, it's possible (and sometimes recommended) to add not-free upgrades, but Google Apps still has some other things going for it.

In reference to Office, Ritu Raj told USA Today, "You have no idea how much time it takes to train people."  He then continued, "The young people we attract to work here are very familiar with Google.  That's a tremendous savings."

Raj runs a luxury pet hotel, and that, to be honest, makes us inclined to like and trust him a little more than normal.  Furthermore, a list of Google Apps's users names another 31 small businesses, and giants like GE and Proctor & Gamble are mentioned in a separate section of the literature.

Still, go with whatever works for you, whether it's from Microsoft, Google, or another entity entirely - market share and previous precedents aren't everything.