01 / Server setup
What server setup for a small business means here
Most small businesses do not have a server in a back room, and they do not need one. They have a domain with one company, mailboxes with another, the website with a third, files spread across Dropbox, USB sticks and email attachments, and nobody is quite sure where the passwords are. For us, server setup means making those pieces fit together, keeping them secure and making sure someone understands them.
We are a web studio, not a managed IT provider. We do not sell hardware or printer contracts. We look after everything connected to your domain, your email, your website and your files in the cloud, and we hand over documentation that anyone else could pick up and work with.
02 / Server setup
The five building blocks
Book one block on its own or everything as one project. The first two have their own pages with more detail.
Business email
Mailboxes on your domain, a move from your old provider without losing mail, and SPF, DKIM and DMARC so your messages stop landing in spam.
Nextcloud instead of Google Workspace or Microsoft 365
Files, calendars, contacts and shared editing on a server in the EU, with an honest look at the trade-offs.
Website moves
New host, new domain or leaving a site builder: website, DNS, email and redirects move together, so rankings and mailboxes survive.
Backups that follow the 3-2-1 rule
Automatic backups of website, mailboxes and cloud, stored in a second location and restored as a test on a schedule.
VPN and remote access
Secure access to the office NAS or internal tools from anywhere, without open ports or remote desktop tools with shared passwords.
03 / Server setup
Business email on your own domain
An address like hello@yourcompany.com looks more trustworthy than a Gmail address, and it belongs to you: change provider and the address comes with you. We set up mailboxes with the right provider, move old mail over IMAP and add the DNS records that Google, Microsoft and Yahoo now expect from senders.
If your messages already land in spam, start with our guide emails going to spam: how to set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Two DNS records often fix most of it. The full service is described on business email setup.
04 / Server setup
A European alternative to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365
More and more European businesses want client data, contracts and calendars stored in the EU with an EU provider. Our default answer is Nextcloud: open source, developed by Nextcloud GmbH in Stuttgart, and run on a server in Germany or another EU country.
Nextcloud is a strong replacement for Google Drive or OneDrive, calendars and contacts. For real-time co-editing and heavy Excel work it is not quite at the level of the big two. What that means for your team is set out on Nextcloud for business.
05 / Server setup
Website moves that keep email and rankings
Hosting companies often move a website for free. What they leave behind: the mailboxes, the SPF and DKIM records, redirects for old URLs and contact forms that suddenly stop sending. That is where moves lose enquiries and Google positions.
We plan the move as one job: an inventory of every DNS record, a low TTL the day before, moving website and mailboxes, the switch, then checks. If you want a new website at the same time, that becomes part of our web design or development work.
06 / Server setup
Backups for small businesses: the 3-2-1 rule
A backup that has never been restored is a hope. We set up backups that follow the well-tested 3-2-1 rule:
- 3 copies of your data: the original plus two backups
- 2 different locations or media, for example the server and separate object storage
- 1 copy off-site, with another provider or in another data centre, so a fire, an attack or a closed account cannot take everything
- Versioned backups, so a file from last week comes back, not only last night's state
- A test restore after setup and then on a schedule, with a written record
07 / Server setup
VPN and remote access for small teams
If people need the office NAS, an inventory system or internal tools from home or on the road, they need a safe route in. What we often find instead: forwarded ports on the router, remote desktop tools with shared passwords, or a NAS sitting directly on the internet.
We replace that with a VPN, usually WireGuard, with one access key per person that you can revoke in a click when someone leaves. In simple cases, moving the files into Nextcloud is enough and nobody needs a tunnel into the office at all.
08 / Server setup
How a project runs
- 01
Short call
In 20 to 30 minutes we go through what you use today, what is annoying and what the budget is. You get a fixed quote afterwards.
- 02
Inventory
We collect domains, DNS records, mailboxes, logins and data volumes in one document. Often that alone is half the win.
- 03
Setup
We set up the services, test them with you and move the data, usually in the evening or at a weekend so work carries on.
- 04
Handover
You receive the logins, plain-language documentation and a short walkthrough for the team. Every account is in your company's name, not ours.
- 05
Ongoing care if you want it
We can take over updates, backups and monitoring afterwards, together with the care of your website.
09 / Server setup
Do it yourself or have it set up?
| Task | Fine to do yourself if | Worth handing over if |
|---|---|---|
| Email on your domain | you add one mailbox at your host and have no old mail to move | several mailboxes, old mail and SPF, DKIM and DMARC are involved |
| Nextcloud | you want to try it privately or know your way around Linux | client data will live there and updates, backups and permissions must be right |
| Website move | only the website moves and the host does it for free | email, domain and SEO redirects move as well |
| Backups | your host makes daily backups and you know how to restore | several systems need backing up and one copy must be off-site |
| VPN | only you need access and your router offers it out of the box | several people need access and access must be revoked cleanly |
10 / Server setup
Who does the work
Tanomedia was founded in Düsseldorf in 2023 and works from Lisbon for clients in Germany, Portugal and across Europe. Our team of three senior specialists has delivered more than 45 projects. Our own website analytics run on our own server in Germany without third parties, and contact-form data is stored encrypted. We do not set up anything for you that we would not run ourselves.
We are a verified Hostinger partner. When Hostinger suits your project we recommend it and tell you about the partnership. When another provider fits better, we recommend that one.
FAQ
Common questions
01How much does server setup for a small business cost?
It depends on which building blocks you need and how much data has to move. After a short call you get a fixed quote. Running costs for servers, mailboxes or storage are billed by the provider directly to your company.
02Do I need my own server in the office?
Almost never. For small teams, a rented server or a managed service in an EU data centre is more reliable and cheaper than office hardware that needs cooling, securing and maintaining.
03Where will my data be stored?
We recommend providers with data centres in Germany or another EU country. For every service we tell you in advance who the provider is, where the servers are and whether a data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR is available.
04Can I keep Google Workspace or Microsoft 365?
Yes. If your team works well with it, we only clean up DNS, email authentication and backups. Switching is only worth it if privacy, cost or dependence on one vendor really matter to you.
05Do you look after everything afterwards?
If you want us to: updates, backups and monitoring alongside the care of your website. Either way you get the documentation and every login, so you are never locked in with us.