When we needed information, Google gave us a search engine; when we needed to send written communication over the internet, Google gave us emails; when we wanted virtual meetings, Google gave us Meet… From time to time, Google has been addressing our personal and professional (business) needs with its high-efficiency, easy-to-use SaaS products.

Now, taking its services up a notch, Google introduced an exclusive package – Gmail Business (Google Workspace). The SaaS offering from the world’s No. 1 company is a comprehensive suite designed for the workplace. With tools for communication, collaboration, and file sharing, Gmail Business has all that today’s workspaces need. The package has exceptional features and products that increase organizational efficiency and collaboration.

Among the many tools offered by Gmail Business is the Gmail Calendar. With abilities like auto-syncing contacts and events to scheduling meetings, the calendar is simple yet immensely powerful! While we already know a few things about the calendar, there is still a lot to know, especially the new features.

This blog gives you a brief of Gmail Business and Gmail Calendar. Let us start discussing Gmail Business. 

Gmail Business: What is it, and how to set it up?

Google Workspace, a.k.a. Gmail for business, is an email service designed for organizations. The SaaS-based workplace service is a comprehensive suite that also includes most of the Google tools. Before being rebranded as Google Workspace in 2020, the service was called Google Apps for Work and then G Suite. 

With communication and collaborative tools necessary for teamwork, Spreadsheets, and Docs, and with robust security options, Gmail Business is comprehensive and convenient.

Features of Google Workspace 

Designed to make the workspace more assessable, even in a virtual environment, Google Workspace offers a host of features for communication, file storage, editing, and security and control. 

Gmail Business Features: File storage and access

To make file storage and access easy for teams, Gmail Business offers –

1. Google Drive – One place to store and synchronize all your files and data.
2. Google Cloud Search – A dedicated search engine that can be used to search the company’s data that has been stored in the cloud.

Gmail Business Features: Security

Gmail Business gives specific capabilities to the admin to ensure the security of the data stored on the cloud. The capabilities include –

1. Two-step verification
2. Custom security alerts
3. Control the strength of passwords 
4. Managing security keys for login authentication
5. Ability to blacklist domains that you do not trust
6. Single sign-on with Google accounts 
7. Access permissions
8. Recovery permissions

Gmail Business Features: Editing 

With Gmail Business, you can create and edit documents, presentations, and even spreadsheets in real-time. The suite has different tools for this –

1. Google Docs 
2. Google Sheets 
3. Google Slides 
4. Google Keep 
5. Google Forms 

All the files can be edited, have controlled access, and can be downloaded.

Gmail Business Features: Communication 

Gmail Business is a comprehensive package for businesses and offers several tools for communication and collaboration. It offers several tools that facilitate teams (and individual employees) to chat and video meetings with each other, and with clients worldwide. 

The communication tools in the package include – 

1. Gmail 
2. Calendar 
3. Google Chat 
4. Google Meet 

Of the many tools from Gmail Business, the Gmail Calendar has captured our interest because of its simplicity and efficiency. The tool offered by google takes workplace communication to a whole new level. 

Let us discuss it in detail 

Gmail Calendar: What is it?

Google Calendar is the company’s time management and scheduling tool developed especially for businesses. Using the calendar, you can organize daily tasks, make appointments, send emails, and more. It can also be used to schedule Google Meet calls and remote meetings. 

What makes it a stand-out product is that the tool is quite simple and does not require a lot of time to get used to it. 

Gmail Calendar: What makes it different

In recent times, we have seen an increase in the popularity of digital calendars – they let you set up reminders and get notifications for appointments. Some digital calendars can also be shared with others so they can see the calendar and know the slots available. But Gmail Calendar is much more than that.

So, what makes it stand out? Here is a list of Gmail Calendar’s capabilities that make it the best –

1. Set auto reminders

It is common for people to create events and forget about them until time go! One workable solution is to have reminders about the event. This way, you can also get to finish the task beforehand (if there is a window*). 

Setting auto reminders for events – is a brilliant feature of Gmail Calendar. The reminders can be set from the Setting menus à Settings for my calendars à Event notifications à Add notification.

2. Viewing your colleagues’ calendars

In a workplace, especially in a virtual setting, you might want to know when your colleague would be free to have a meeting. Not knowing the availability of someone could create confusion, especially when you want to set up a meeting with a group of people.  

This problem can be solved if you can see each other’s calendars and set meetings accordingly.  

Gmail Calendar has a feature where you can share the calendars with everyone involved to schedule meetings accordingly. 

To view/share calendars, select the ‘Add calendar’ on the left side of the Gmail Calendar and then add the co-worker’s email. 

3. Let colleagues know when you are not available 

Out of the office for multiple days? Let your teams know your unavailability through Gmail Colander. It could be a holiday or a conference in another state; whatever the reason for your unavailability may be, just drag and drop to create an event colander for multiple dates. This cuts redundancy and saves a lot of time.

4. Create links for remote/virtual meetings 

Digital calendars and their scheduling feature is a lifesaver. But the Google Calendar makes it even better by allowing you to create a Google Hangouts link to set up a virtual meeting.

With the Google Hangouts link, it is easier for employees/ clients to add it to their calendars and join the meeting directly.

To set up, you will have to Create an Event à More options à Add conferencing à Hangouts. 

5. Daily agenda on email

This is yet another brilliant feature of Gmail Calendar and saves a lot of time. It is a customary practice for professionals to check their agenda before starting the day – the tasks and the events for the day. Gmail Calendar sends the day’s events and tasks as the agenda via email. 

To get the agenda on email, you must go to Settings > Settings for my calendar’s > General notifications > Daily agenda and choose Email.

6. Embed the calendar into your website

Embedding the calendar to a company’s website is a fantastic way to let clients/ potential customers access your calendar and schedule meetings directly. This is a good strategy as you are giving the customers the option to schedule the meeting. 

To embed the calendar to the website, click Settings à Settings for my calendars and select the calendar you want to embed, and select Integrate calendar à copy Embed code.

After copying the code, you add it to the website’s design and Save the webpage.

7. Get notified only during your working hours 

It can be frustrating to get work emails or have meetings at odd hours, especially with family or friends. Gmail Calendar addresses this concern by letting you set your ‘working hours, and you would not be bothered at odd times. 

To set your work hours, go to the settings menu à working hours and choose timing and days. 

8. Add attachments

It can be tiring to send emails or documents about something to be discussed during the meeting. Plus, forgetting to send these attachments can create inconvenience and waste time. But worry no more! Gmail Calendar lets you add files and attachments so all the people in the meeting can access that.

You can add files any time before your meeting. 

To do this, open the time-management tool à click the day of the event à Select the paperclip icon and add the attachment.

9. Prioritize the contents of the calendar

Google’s calendar is smart, for sure. It understands that you may have multiple events or tasks scheduled for the same day. While it prioritizes them based on the chronological order, you also have the option to prioritize them based on personal preference. 

If you want to custom-prioritize your events, just put a number in front of the event title. 

10. Sync meetings with your organization’s CRM

This is a splendid feature if you use a CRM. CRM users often find it exhausting to go back and forth between their Calendar and CRM. To make things easier, Gmail Calendar offers CRM integration to save time and effort. 

11. Pin meeting locations

You may be meeting someone in person at a specific place… say a restaurant or a coffee shop. You have arrived at the destination, but the other person landed at a different location or has difficulties finding the location! This is a major inconvenience that could also lead to postponement or cancellation of the meeting. 

Well, you do not have to worry about this when you have Gmail Calendar. With this smart calendar, you can pin meeting locations at the event so everyone in the loop gets the location details.

Just add the address in the “where” tab on the event creation window to provide the meeting location details. 

12. Set goals via Gmail Calendar

Setting goals and meeting them are two critical aspects of growth and development. The AI-powered feature of the google calendar prompts goal suggestions based on your schedule and thus helps you set goals. It can be goals related to a project, an event, or personal development; the AI-enabled feature suggests the goals according to your schedule and interests. It also provides an option to edit or delete the goal when done. 

To put it all in a nutshell, it can be said that the Gmail Calendar is one of the most dependable tools for streamlining meeting planning with features like sharing the calendar and video conferencing. At the same time, professionals find the meeting reminders and the daily agenda sent by email very convenient.  

Conclusion 

Gmail Business is an amazing package designed for businesses of all scales. The SaaS offering makes workplace management, communication, and collaboration quite easy. The Gmail Calendar is among the most outstanding features provided in the package.

When you use it right, Gmail Calendar can sort your workplace communication and make your life easy. We have listed the features you should know before signing up for the package.

Do check out the features that we have discussed above. Did we miss mentioning any? Let us know…

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