Research Relay LLC -- Communications Stack¶
Overview¶
This document covers the business communications infrastructure for Research Relay LLC, a solo-operated California LLC for RUO peptide/research chemical e-commerce. The goal is a professional, privacy-respecting stack at minimal cost.
1. Business Email: Zoho Mail (Custom Domain)¶
Zoho is the planned provider for business email on research-relay.com. Zoho is ad-free, does not sell user data, and supports custom domain email at competitive prices.
Plan Comparison (Billed Annually, Per User/Month)¶
| Feature | Mail Lite (5GB) | Mail Premium | Workplace Standard | Workplace Professional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $1/user/mo | $4/user/mo | $3/user/mo | $7/user/mo |
| Mail Storage | 5 GB | 50 GB | 30 GB | 100 GB |
| Attachment Limit | 30 MB | 1 GB | 30 MB | 1 GB |
| IMAP/POP | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Domain | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Contacts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Aliases | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SSO / MFA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Archival & e-Discovery | No | Yes (50 GB) | No | Yes |
| S/MIME | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| White Labeling | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Office Suite (Writer, Sheet, Show) | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| WorkDrive (File Manager) | No | No | 10 GB shared | 100 GB shared |
| Cliq (Chat) | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Meeting (Video) | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Custom Domain Setup Process¶
- Sign up for Zoho Mail and add research-relay.com as your domain
- Verify domain ownership via CNAME or TXT record in your DNS provider
- Configure MX records (point to mx.zoho.com with priority 10)
- Add SPF record:
v=spf1 include:zohomail.com -all - Add DKIM record (unique key provided by Zoho admin console)
- Add DMARC record:
v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:admin@research-relay.com - Verify all records in Zoho admin console
- DNS propagation takes 1-24 hours
Required Email Aliases¶
Create these aliases in Zoho Mail, all routing to your primary inbox:
| Alias | Purpose |
|---|---|
hello@research-relay.com |
General inquiries, public-facing |
admin@research-relay.com |
Administrative, vendor accounts |
orders@research-relay.com |
Order confirmations, fulfillment |
support@research-relay.com |
Customer support (referenced in all policies) |
compliance@research-relay.com |
Compliance inquiries (referenced in RUO disclosure, ToS) |
legal@research-relay.com |
Legal notices (referenced in Terms of Service) |
privacy@research-relay.com |
Privacy requests (referenced in Privacy Policy, required by CCPA) |
Zoho provides specific instructions for Cloudflare DNS, which is the recommended DNS provider for this setup.
Recommendation for Solo Operator¶
Mail Lite ($1/mo) is the right starting point. It includes: - Custom domain email (e.g., hello@research-relay.com) - Calendar and contacts - IMAP/POP access for desktop clients - SSO and MFA - 5 GB storage (sufficient for a new business)
Upgrade to Workplace Standard ($3/mo) only if you need the office suite or team chat. There is no reason to pay for Premium or Professional features as a solo operator at launch.
2. VOIP Business Phone¶
Option Comparison¶
Google Voice Personal (Free)¶
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Price | Free (personal plan) |
| Paid Starter | $10/mo (personal Gmail, no Workspace needed) |
| Features | US calling, texting, voicemail transcription, spam blocking |
| Privacy | Tied to personal Google account; contacts merge with personal |
| Limitations | No business texting (FCC 10DLC rules); no toll-free; no auto-attendant; no automation; no desktop app |
| Bank 2FA | Unreliable -- many banks reject VoIP numbers; some work (Chase, Fidelity) but could break at any time |
The free plan is technically only for personal use. Using it for business texting now violates FCC 10DLC regulations. The new $10/mo Starter plan for personal Gmail accounts adds premium features without requiring Google Workspace.
OpenPhone / Quo ($15/mo)¶
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Price | $15/user/mo (annual) / $19/user/mo (monthly) |
| Features | Unlimited US/Canada calling & texting, voicemail transcripts, number porting, AI receptionist (Sona) |
| Privacy | Separate from personal phone; dedicated business number |
| Limitations | No IVR, call transfer, or CRM integrations on Starter; no video calling; no 24/7 support |
| Bank 2FA | Not recommended -- OpenPhone themselves say to use personal number for 2FA |
| Add-ons | Additional numbers $5/mo each |
OpenPhone rebranded to Quo in 2025-2026 but the service is the same. The Starter plan is well-suited for a solo e-commerce operator who needs professional calling and texting.
Grasshopper ($14/mo)¶
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Price | $14/mo (annual) / $18/mo (monthly) -- True Solo plan |
| Features | 1 number, 1 extension, mobile/desktop apps, VoIP/Wi-Fi calling, voicemail transcription, virtual fax, custom greetings, business hours scheduling |
| Privacy | Separate from personal phone; forwards to your real number |
| Limitations | No integrations; no AI features; US/Canada only; texting is $1.50/number/mo add-on |
| Bank 2FA | VoIP numbers generally unreliable for bank verification |
| Upgrades | Solo Plus ($25/mo) adds auto-attendant, call transfers, unlimited users |
Grasshopper is a mature, straightforward virtual phone system. The True Solo plan is the most affordable option with all core features included.
Bank Verification Warning¶
No VoIP number should be relied on for bank/financial 2FA. Banks increasingly reject VoIP numbers for SMS verification. Even if it works today, the bank can change policy at any time and lock you out. Always keep a carrier-based mobile number for: - Bank account verification - Financial institution 2FA - Any service that requires a "real" phone number
Use authenticator apps (TOTP) or hardware security keys (YubiKey) wherever possible instead of SMS 2FA.
Recommendation for Solo Operator¶
OpenPhone/Quo Starter ($15/mo) is the best balance of features and price: - Clean separation from personal number - Unlimited calling and texting (compliant with 10DLC) - Professional voicemail with transcription - AI receptionist handles calls when you cannot - Modern app with good UX
Grasshopper ($14/mo) is a close second if you prefer simplicity and do not need texting features. Google Voice free plan is not appropriate for business use due to FCC compliance issues and contact mixing.
3. Password Manager¶
Option Comparison¶
Bitwarden¶
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited passwords, notes, cards; all devices; 2FA; password generator; share with 1 user |
| Premium | $10/year | + TOTP authenticator, encrypted file attachments, emergency access, advanced 2FA (YubiKey, FIDO2) |
| Families | ~$40/year | Up to 6 users, unlimited sharing |
| Teams | $4/user/mo | Unlimited users, secure sharing, event logging, API |
Bitwarden is open-source, audited, and can be self-hosted. The free tier is genuinely useful. Premium at $10/year ($0.83/mo) adds TOTP authenticator, which lets you use Bitwarden as your 2FA app as well.
1Password¶
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | $3.99/mo (rising to $4.99/mo in March 2026) | Unlimited items, 1 GB encrypted storage, Watchtower breach monitoring |
| Families | $4.99/mo (rising to $7.99/mo in March 2026) | Up to 5 users, shared vaults |
| Teams Starter | $239.40/year | Up to 10 users, SSO/SCIM |
| Business | $7.99/user/mo | SSO, SCIM, SIEM, device trust |
1Password has no free plan. Prices are increasing significantly in March 2026. Individual plan will cost ~$48/year after the increase.
Recommendation for Solo Operator¶
1Password Individual (existing subscription) is the right choice when you already
pay for it personally:
- Zero marginal cost — subscription is already paid
- One fewer account to manage
- Built-in TOTP (One-Time Password fields on any Login item)
- Encrypted file storage (1 GB included)
- Secret Key + Master Password model is more secure than master password alone
- Excellent CLI (op) for secrets automation if needed later
- Cross-platform (browser extensions, mobile, desktop, CLI)
Create a dedicated Research Relay vault within your existing 1Password account to keep business credentials cleanly separated from personal items.
4. Recommended Stack Summary¶
| Service | Provider | Plan | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Email | Zoho Mail | Mail Lite | $1.00 |
| Business Phone | OpenPhone/Quo | Starter | $15.00 |
| Password Manager | 1Password | Individual (existing) | $0.00 additional |
| Total | $16.00/mo |
Annual Cost Breakdown¶
| Service | Annual Cost |
|---|---|
| Zoho Mail Lite | $12.00 |
| OpenPhone Starter | $180.00 |
| 1Password | existing subscription |
| Total | $192.00/year (+ existing 1Password sub) |
Optional Upgrades (When Needed)¶
| Upgrade | Additional Cost | When to Consider |
|---|---|---|
| Zoho Workplace Standard | +$2/mo | Need office suite or team chat |
| OpenPhone additional number | +$5/mo | Separate number for support vs sales |
| Grasshopper Solo Plus | +$10/mo over base | Need auto-attendant or call transfers |
5. Setup Priority Order¶
- 1Password -- Set up the Research Relay vault first so all subsequent credentials are stored securely
- Zoho Mail -- Configure custom domain email; this becomes the identity for all business accounts
- OpenPhone -- Get business phone number; use business email to register
- Update domain registrar contact to use business email
- Use business email + phone for all vendor/bank/service accounts going forward
Sources¶
- Zoho Mail Pricing: https://www.zoho.com/mail/zohomail-pricing.html
- Zoho Workplace Pricing: https://www.zoho.com/workplace/pricing.html
- Zoho Custom Domain Setup: https://www.zoho.com/mail/how-to/setup-my-domain-with-zoho-mail.html
- Google Voice Pricing: https://www.cloudtalk.io/blog/google-voice-pricing/
- Google Voice Limitations: https://www.quo.com/blog/google-voice-for-business/
- OpenPhone/Quo Pricing: https://www.quo.com/blog/quo-pricing/
- Grasshopper Pricing: https://grasshopper.com/pricing
- VoIP and Bank 2FA: https://discuss.techlore.tech/t/voip-phone-numbers-and-bank-financial-institution-2fa/8603
- Bitwarden Pricing: https://bitwarden.com/pricing/
- 1Password Pricing: https://1password.com/pricing/password-manager
- 1Password Price Increase: https://9to5mac.com/2026/02/24/1password-announces-big-price-increases-coming-next-month/