Quick Tip for Your Work Week

This week’s Quick Tip for your Work Week is about sharing files online with Google Docs. Google Docs is a free, web-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation and form application offered by Google. It allows you to create and edit documents online while collaborating real-time with other users.

Instead of having to take one document and send it out to several people, you will take your one document and post it in your Google Docs where other authorized users can then go to collaborate.

With Google Docs you can:
· Upload files from your desktop that you want to share. You can also save them here too.
· Edit your documents anytime you are online, from any web browser
· Share documents with friends and co-workers and control who has permission to make edits

Here’s how we use Google Docs:
· Post Emergency Contact or Property Management info
· Keep track of online accounts and their usernames and passwords
· Upload Weekly reports
· Manage punch-lists for client’s contracts
· List computer issues for your web dude – i.e. We gave our web dude access as a user and now prior to coming to our office, he looks at our Google Doc and can prepare for his visit by bringing potential parts with him. On the same token, he can then redline something or check it off when it is done. I can use the document to proof billing – if he bills for something as being fixed, I can look back and verify whether that item is fixed or not…seamlessly – at one spot – without having to send multiple emails back and forth!

Check out this video on You Tube – Google Docs in Plain English:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRqUE6IHTEA

To take an html tour of Google Docs, just click on the link below:
http://www.google.com/google-d-s/b1.html

How about you? What creative ways have you found to use Google Docs? Share with us here.