The mega search engine Google is used not only by Internet searchers but also by business owners. In fact, it serves millions of advertisers and enterprises all over the world every day. The secret: it is business friendly. Here are the top five benefits of Google for business owners:

1. Ease of Use of Applications
   Virtually all business owners do not have to build anything from scratch. The applications do not require additional use of hardware or creation of another program. However, developers can modify the codes through the developer tools and resources available at http://code.google.com/intl/en/.

   The website also promotes “one account for all applications.” Upon signing, the business owner can immediately take advantage of all the tools and resources developed by Google employees themselves. Users of Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange can switch to Google Applications in very simple steps.

2. Desktop on the Go
   Google encourages everyone to be as mobile as possible. Thus, it is easier to build network connections, stay in contact with employees even when on the road, and promote telecommuting that reduces business overhead costs.

   The website has applications that are very similar to those found in desktops. An example is Google Docs, which works like Microsoft Word. Other applications include Google Spreadsheet and Google Calendar.

   Plenty of tools can also be accessible through the mobile phone. Gmail, its e-mail client, can be synced in with Blackberry’s Enterprise Server and accessed through any type of Internet-capable mobile phones.

3. Collaboration
   Google promotes collaboration among employees, business owners, and partners. Business owners can set up and share scheduled meetings and appointments, as well as documents and spreadsheets, via Google Calendar, Docs, and Spreadsheet respectively. Google Groups permit everyone to communicate more openly and upload public files such as documents and images.

   One can purchase a business account for $50 per year and make use of 10GB site storage. All chosen employees can have 500MB. There is also a shared storage for more private videos in Google Video. Google Talk allows video conferencing.

4. Marketing
   Google provides several money-making opportunities for business owners. Google AdSense allows them to monetize their blogs while Google Adwords permits one to bring the business to the search results pages, while the keyword suggestion tool helps business owners find the best keywords to use.

   Google Analytics, one of the best search engine optimization (SEO) tools so far, is free to use and can be added into any website. This can provide valuable marketing information such as number of unique visitors, pages visited, and keywords used for searching. Business ads can be customized based on the desired geographical location. It also encourages local listing.

   The search engine has Google Finance that allows any stockholder to monitor the market on a real-time basis. It has applications such as Portfolios, Stock Screener, and Google Domestic Trends.

5. Uptime
   Virtually all applications of Google are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The website also has plenty of contact details, from e-mail addresses to phone numbers, for anyone who needs additional technical and customer support.