Much of what is written on this site assumes a business already pays for Microsoft 365, because most of the businesses that ask for help do. Plenty do not. They run on Gmail or Google Workspace, a handful of subscriptions and a lot of spreadsheets, and they are often told that the route to anything better runs through buying Microsoft licences first.
It does not. This is what I would actually build for a business with no Microsoft licences, and the few cases where I would tell them to buy Microsoft 365 after all.
The first rule: do not buy a platform to fix one process
Buying Microsoft 365 for everyone in order to build one app in Power Apps is like buying a van to carry one parcel. Power Apps and Power Automate are excellent when the licences are already paid for and the data already lives in SharePoint. Starting from nothing, the per-user cost runs forever, and the licensing has layers that are easy to underestimate. Automating without Microsoft 365 covers why the alternatives are usually cheaper in that position.
The layers, and what goes in each
Most small businesses need the same five layers, whoever supplies them.
Email, documents and calendars. Keep what you have. If the business runs on Google Workspace, it is a perfectly good home for email, files and shared calendars, and changing suite is a large disruption for little gain. If staff use personal Gmail addresses for business, moving them to proper accounts on the business’s own domain is the one change worth making.
The shared record. This is the spreadsheet that runs the business: jobs, customers, stock, bookings. It is where most problems live, and the spreadsheet running your business explains why. The answer is either a good off-the-shelf product for your industry, or a small web app with a proper database behind it.
Automation. The repetitive work between systems: reminders, follow-ups, copying details from a form into the record. A workflow tool such as n8n, Zapier or Make handles most of it. Some jobs are better as scheduled tasks inside the app itself.
The customer-facing part. The website, plus anything customers use directly: a booking form, a quote request, a portal to check an order. This is where a custom build has its clearest advantage, because outside users cost nothing extra.
AI, where it earns its place. Reading incoming enquiries, drafting replies, answering the phone out of hours. Built against an account the business holds with the AI provider, so the business owns the costs and the terms rather than paying a markup on someone else’s.
What I would actually build
Take a typical case: a ten-person trades business. Email on Google Workspace. Jobs tracked in a shared spreadsheet that three people edit at once. Quotes written in a word processor. Reminders sent by hand when someone remembers.
First, I would check whether a job management product for trades already fits. Several do, and if one covers most of what they need, renting it is the honest answer. Assume none fits, because their pricing or scheduling is unusual.
- A small web app where staff log in, see the jobs list, update a job from their phone, and generate a quote from the job details. One database, one source of truth, no more overwritten cells.
- Hosted on what they already pay for, if their hosting can run it, or on a small server sized to the job if not.
- A scheduled job each morning that emails customers a reminder the day before a visit and flags quotes nobody has followed up.
- A workflow connecting the app to their accounting package, so an accepted quote becomes a draft invoice without retyping.
- Everything in the business’s name: the hosting, the domain, the code repository, the database, and any AI or workflow accounts.
No new per-user licences. Adding an eleventh person costs nothing. The ongoing cost is hosting, the workflow tool’s subscription, and care for the app.
When I would tell them to buy Microsoft 365 after all
The point is the honest fit, not avoiding Microsoft. I would recommend Microsoft 365 when:
- Their clients live in Word and Excel, and documents go back and forth with tracked changes and complex formatting all day.
- They are growing and need managed IT: company laptops, device security, controlled access to files. Microsoft’s business plans do this well.
- A client, insurer or tender requires it. Some contracts specify the tools.
- Most of the team already uses it informally, and making it official is a small step rather than a migration.
In those cases, buying Microsoft 365 is the right decision for its own reasons, and the apps and automation can then live inside it.
The cost shape
Licensing costs little to start and never stops. A build costs more to start and then mostly stops. The comparison is worth making over three years at your real headcount, which is set out in what a small custom app costs and in buying, renting or owning software. For a small team on Google Workspace, the build plus a workflow tool often comes out ahead. For a large team already halfway into Microsoft, it often does not.
Three situations, worked through
A dog grooming business with two locations runs everything from Gmail and a paper diary. An online booking product built for salons fits well. Rent it, connect it to their calendars, and stop there. No build, no Microsoft.
A training provider on Google Workspace wants a portal where clients book courses and download certificates. The certificates follow rules specific to their accreditation body. A small web app, with a scheduled job that issues certificates when a course completes, fits exactly and charges nothing per client.
An engineering consultancy of fifteen people uses Google Workspace, but every client sends Word documents with tracked changes. Staff are constantly converting files and losing formatting. Here Microsoft 365 is the right move for its own sake. Once it is in place, their project tracker can be built inside it.
Five things worth doing
- Write down the one process that hurts most, in a few sentences.
- Look for a product built for your industry before considering anything custom.
- Move staff off personal email addresses on to accounts on the business’s domain.
- Find out what your existing hosting can run, in case a small app can live there.
- Ignore anyone whose answer is always the same platform, whichever platform it is.
Common misconceptions
- “Proper business software means Microsoft.” Microsoft is one good option. Many well-run businesses use none of it.
- “Custom apps are for big companies.” A single screen replacing a shared spreadsheet is a small, worthwhile build.
- “Google Workspace cannot do business apps.” It does not need to. The app can be separate and still sign people in with their Google accounts.
- “Switching suites will fix our processes.” It moves the same processes to a new home. The spreadsheet problem comes with you.
The honest summary
A business with no Microsoft licences does not need to buy them to get working software. Keep the email and documents you have, rent industry products where they fit, and build a small app with a proper database where they do not, connected by a workflow tool and owned by the business. Buy Microsoft 365 when there is a reason of its own, such as clients who live in Word or the need for managed IT.
I build in both worlds, so there is no reason to steer you towards either. If you want to know what would fit, describe the process and what you use now.
Common questions
Can a small business run without Microsoft 365?
Yes. Many run on Google Workspace or similar for email and documents, with industry software or a small custom app for the core of the business. Microsoft 365 is one good option, not a requirement.
Should we buy Microsoft 365 to use Power Apps?
Rarely, if that is the only reason. Power Apps is good value when the licences are already paid for. Starting from nothing, a small web app or an existing product is usually cheaper over time.
Can a custom app work with Google Workspace?
Yes. A custom app can let staff sign in with their Google accounts, and can read and write calendars, files and email through Google’s published interfaces where that is useful.
What does business software without Microsoft cost?
It depends on the mix. Industry products are monthly subscriptions. A custom app costs more up front and then mainly hosting and care. Compare over three years at your real headcount rather than month to month.