How we use Dropbox to be more efficient at work
by Andrew Smith on 06/10/09 at 8:36 am
3 comments
There are plenty of file-sharing and online backup programs on the net, but for us none have come close to being as useful to our business as Dropbox. Here’s how it works:
1) Go to the Get Dropbox website and download the small desktop app (free, and available for Windows, Mac and Linux)
2) During the installation you will be asked to create an account. The 2Gig version is free, and I’m nowhere near having to upgrade yet.
3) You will point Dropbox to a folder on your computer, usually in My Documents, which becomes “My Dropbox”.
4) Anything you save or copy into that folder automatically gets uploaded to the secure Dropbox server. It’s a nifty, free (except for the bandwidth) way of keeping important files backed up. Some people store their entire digital photo gallery and MP3 collection in their Dropbox folder for safe-keeping, or to sync between their laptop and home computers (just use the same Dropbox login on both machines). There is even “versioning”, so if you mess up a document you can go to the website and roll-back to an older version of the same file.
However, the real power comes in when you “share” a sub-folder with a colleague. Just create a folder within My Dropbox, right-click on it, and click “Sharing Options”. You’ll be whisked to the Dropbox website where you can enter the e-mail address of someone else. When they have installed Dropbox that folder will appear on their computer, and whatever you add or change in one folder gets synced to the other. Of course, you could always use something like Google Docs or Zoho to collaborate on spreadsheets and documents within your browser, and we still do that in certain instances, but often you want the power of a Desktop app, or you’re working in an application that doesn’t have an online equivalent.
Here’s how we’re making use of Dropbox in our company:
1) Company documents
We store useful stuff like Expense Claim Forms in a “Company Documents” folder and share it with everyone. It’s better than an intranet or file-server because it’s available from anywhere, and it’s better than each person having a local copy because it can be updated to a new version centrally.
You could also keep frequently needed documents like a Tax Clearance Certificate or company registration docs – it’s always a pain hunting those down when you need to send them off.
2) Marketing materials
We keep the latest version of our corporate identity (logos, letterheads, ad templates etc) in a marketing materials folder, shared with the relevant people.
3) Transferring big files
Rather than sending a 10mb file to a colleague over e-mail, stick it in a Dropbox folder, share it with them, and delete it when it’s over. Super-quick and simple.
4) Syncing important files
I have set up a scheduled task on our work-from-home bookkeeper’s machine that zips up the Quickbooks file every day and puts it in a Dropbox folder. That syncs across to my machine so I can always pull reports or see who owes us money. I haven’t been brave enough for two-way syncing, but it’s been incredibly useful nonetheless.
5) Print on the run
When I’m on the road and need something to be printed at the office (usually admin stuff to be filed), I stick it in a “To Print” folder which is shared with my assistant at the office. When she sees something in that folder (Dropbox does alert you subtly) she just prints it out and then deletes it.
6) Project stuff
When we’re working on a new project, like an upcoming trade show for Yuppiechef, we create a folder that is shared with all the players, and we throw in spreadsheets, contracts, marketing materials and other relevant info.
7) Mobile
Dropbox recently released a free iPhone app, which means all your documents can be viewed and shared from wherever you are.
Go get it!
Did I mention it’s free? You only pay if you use more than 2Gigs of space. Download it now.
Andrew Smith is the pedantic systems guy behind Live Alchemy, a SA e-commerce company. Andrew writes for Ideate in an attempt to make the world a more efficient place. View more articles by Andrew Smith.
Tags: business software
Brenda
Oct 7th, 2009
This is so useful – thanks for the tip!
Nick Soper
Oct 7th, 2009
Great easy reading and clear explanation. I’m going to sign up and check out the video and try some mac pc drop boxing with versioning….
Sean
Oct 11th, 2009
I have been using dropbox for a year or so now and have found many, many uses for it! Quite handy at times when I am working on various servers that we have locked the FTP protocol down on. I just fire up my company Dropbox account and send/receive files using that (Especially handy for those large GB+ files. This works fine as Dropbox uses the HTTPS protocol and this is usually open. I use my personal dropbox account as a photo gallery – sending public links to new albums to family for them to view instead of having to attach photos to an e-mail.