Five Useful Ways Dropbox Can Improve Your Business
Posted November 19, 2009 in Productivity, Tools/Resources 59 Comments »
What would you do if something happened to your computer? Say, it caught fire, was stolen, or got drenched in your latte?
If you were using a good backup solution you could just keep on working, otherwise you could be in a lot of trouble. For those of you who don’t already have a backup and file sharing solution in place, you’ll want to learn more about Dropbox.
A computer-savvy client introduced me to Dropbox a few months ago as a way to share huge files without having to compress and email them to me. However, I soon discovered that Dropbox can do so much more — making me a much more productive and efficient freelancer.
In this article, we’ll show you five ways Dropbox can help your freelance business.
What Is Dropbox?
Dropbox is software you install on your computer. It’s compatible with PC, Mac and Linux computers. It’s free to use and comes with 2 GB of memory in the Dropbox website. If you need more, you’ll have to get a Pro account ($9.99 per month for 50GB and $19.99 per month for 100 GB).
You can install Dropbox on any computer you own, as well as access your Dropbox account online through any computer or cellphone with Internet access.
Dropbox provides the following services:
- data backup and storage
- file synchronizing
- file sharing
Because of these features, Dropbox is useful to freelancers who work in various locations or collaborate with several people. Here are 5 ways Dropbox can make you a better freelancer:
1. It keeps your files safe and secure.
As soon as you download Dropbox, a Dropbox folder appears in your computer’s file directory. Simply drag any folder or file to your Dropbox, and Dropbox will automatically back it up in its servers — in real time. You don’t need to schedule backups, because Dropbox automatically does so as soon as you save a file in your Dropbox and every time there are changes to the files.
Here’s a screenshot of my Dropbox:
So, no matter what happens to your computer, you’ll still be able to access all the files you’ve saved in your Dropbox (More on accessing files below).
Dropbox even protects your files from you. That is, if you delete a file and then later realize that you need it, Dropbox will still have a copy of that file in its secure servers. Dropbox will let you undo up to 30 days’ history. If you want to have an unlimited undo option, you’ll have to pay extra.
Clients sometimes unexpectedly ask for copies of files even months after a project is completed. They can’t find the files in their computer, or maybe they deleted them by mistake. Your clients will be very impressed if you can whip up their files at a moment’s notice. This is one way to be a superstar freelancer.
Aren’t you already breathing easier already, knowing your clients’ files will always be available to you, no matter what happens?
2. Share files with your clients quickly and easily.
Dropbox lets you share files with clients and collaborators — whether or not they use Dropbox themselves. One way to share files is to invite your clients to download Dropbox as well. Afterwards, you can share folders with them using the email address associated with their Dropbox account. The folder you’re sharing with them will simply show up in your client’s Dropbox folder.
Another way to share files is to put them in the public folder of your Dropbox. From there, simply right-click and copy the public link to the specific file. This will allow anybody — including non-Dropbox users — to access your file online using the public link you’ve provided.
This eliminates the hassle of emailing files to your clients, especially large files that don’t get through email, such as videos or graphics.
3. Collaborate with clients and others.
If your clients like to make their own changes on files, or if you work with other service providers on the same files, then Dropbox will make life easier for you. In this case, you and your clients and other collaborators should all be using Dropbox.
Then you can access each other’s files by sharing folders in your Dropbox. All of you will always see the latest version of the shared files. Dropbox will synchronize these in real time. Should you want to revert to an earlier version of a file, it’s easy to do so. Again, you can do this either on your computer’s file directory or via the Dropbox website.
No more saving several versions of the same file. No more emailing each other’s contributions on a file back and forth.
4. Work anywhere (almost).
Now that your working files are in your Dropbox, you can access them almost anywhere — from any computer where you’ve installed Dropbox. Or, from any other computer with an Internet connection. Or, from your iPhone or iPod Touch, through the Dropbox iPhone app. Or, from your cell phone with web browsing ability. Talk about mobile freelancing. Left your laptop at home? No problem, access your Dropbox account online and there you go.
Forget about saving files in USB thumb drives that either get lost or get broken easily. Stop emailing yourself files you want to access.
5. Access files faster.
The beauty of Dropbox is that it appears as a regular folder on your file directory — even the folders that originate from your clients’ Dropboxes are shared with you. You don’t have to go online to access these files. You can work on your Dropbox files even if you’re offline (however, Dropbox will only sync and backup files when you’re online).
But It’s Not Perfect
As useful and convenient Dropbox is, it isn’t perfect. For one thing, everything you put in your Dropbox will still be residing — and occupying space — in your hard drive. This means, you can’t use it to archive files if you want to free up some space in your computer.
Another downside is you have to be connected to the Internet for Dropbox to back up and synchronize your files. You also have to have enough memory allocation in your Dropbox account to keep files synced. I quickly filled up my free 2 GB of memory after saving all my client and work files in my Dropbox.
Alternatives to Dropbox
If you want to compare services before committing to one, here are some that have comparable features to Dropbox:
Sugarsync
FilesAnywhere
PowerFolder
I haven’t tried any of these tools, so I can’t give any comparisons. The best way to find out which one is best for your needs is to use the free trial of each service.
What’s Your File Security Plan?
Data security is important to any business, including your freelancing business. It’s worthwhile to explore the options available, especially because new ones come up all the time.
Now it’s your turn: What have you been doing to ensure the safety of your files? Do you have any solutions you’d like to share? Please post a comment below.
About the author: Lexi Rodrigo is the creator of The Savvy Freelancer, a blog that's all about achieving creative and financial freedom through freelancing. Check out Lexi's free guide, 31 Days to Start Your Freelancing Business (or Make Yours A Better One).
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59 Comments
BebopDesigner
November 19th, 2009 at 11:22 amThanks this is really handy. Great post!
Laura Spencer
November 19th, 2009 at 11:39 amInteresting post! It definitely made me want to try Dropbox. :-)
Andrew
November 19th, 2009 at 11:48 amDropbox on the Mac does follow Symlinks.
I have my main file storage location as my Mobile me iDisk. I have put symlinks to those folders in my dropbox folder on my Mac and when I change a file on the iDisk, that change gets reflected in Dropbox.
The result? Double file backup and zero Hard Drive usage!
Andrew
November 19th, 2009 at 11:49 amWell, zero Hard Drive usage apart from the space used up by the iDisk!
Jim Danby
November 19th, 2009 at 11:52 amDisappointing to see this post. Seems like pure advertising. Would have expected it to say so at the start.
Tony Oravet
November 19th, 2009 at 11:52 amGreat post! We love Dropbox but had mainly been using it just for sharing files….thanks for the other great tips on how it can be used.
Mason Hipp
November 19th, 2009 at 12:02 pm@Andrew — Very clever idea. And yet another reason for us advanced users to love symbolic links. Now, for the important question on my end, does it do the same thing under Windows?
@Jim — This was not a sponsored post. We disclose all of our sponsored, affiliate, or otherwise paid relationships with advertisers. This post was simply one freelancer’s attempt to share a useful tool with the rest of us.
I’m sorry you didn’t like it, but hopefully you see how it can be quite useful to others :-)
Thanks for all of the comments everyone!
Tony
November 19th, 2009 at 12:11 pmYour first negative is really a positive. The problem with some of the other “cloud” sync/backup solutions is they *don’t* also reside on your hard drive. With Dropbox, not only do you have full access to your files when you don’t have an Internet connection, but if Dropbox were to suddenly disappear tomorrow you wouldn’t lose your data. In fact, because it’s replicated across your multiple computers, you have built-in redundancy.
RJ
November 19th, 2009 at 12:48 pmGood article. I used drop box to transfer all my client files when I moved from my pc to my mac. I have only scratched the surface, but I think Dropbox is capable of a lot and I think in the future we will see some useful new features.
Jenny Jones
November 19th, 2009 at 1:27 pmThis was an interesting read! I have been using another file sharing service called FileToLink – http://filetolink.com. It has been great for sharing files with clients especially since there always seems to be a problem sending larger files via email. I prefer FileToLink as it does not require creating an account and it is very simple to use for my clients and myself.
Chris
November 19th, 2009 at 1:31 pmThanks for this. I’m going to check it out. This is something I need to get on. Backing up my stuff. Plus I like the idea of being able to share files. It seems like that would make things much easier.
Ritu
November 19th, 2009 at 1:47 pmAwesome piece Lexi. I have used Dropbox in the past but not to the extent you have highlighted on this post. Certainly going back and trying it again. thanks for the kicker :)
Lexi Rodrigo
November 19th, 2009 at 2:09 pm@Andrew – I’m sure your workaround using Symlinks is awesome, but unfortunately it’s too technical for me. I’m sure it’ll help others, though.
@Jim Danby – As Mason said, Freelance Folder wasn’t paid for this post, and will not profit from any additional Dropbox users as a result of this post. We took the risk of sounding promotional to let readers know about a service that could really be helpful to them. We’ll keep on taking that risk as long as it serves the needs of our readers.
@Tony – I should have mentioned that I needed to free up some space in my hard drive, and Dropbox wasn’t helpful in that area. I did check out iDisk but it doesn’t provide enough storage for my needs.
@JennyJones – Thanks for the tip.
@Christ – Please don’t tell me you haven’t been backing up your files!
@Ritu – Thanks for the feedback. I’m sure I haven’t used Dropbox to the fullest yet.
Thanks for the comments everybody!
Lexi Rodrigo
November 19th, 2009 at 2:09 pm@Laura – Get a free account and see if it helps :-)
designvore
November 19th, 2009 at 2:39 pmI love using dropbox to exchange files with people. It’s really easy to use, and much more for people that have never used it which is great.
Luke Jones
November 19th, 2009 at 3:06 pmI was so naive to think DropBox was only compatible with Mac! I’m going to sort out a copy now. It’s lucky I only have 1Gb worth of files on my computer.
I’m thinking of doing a permanent backup with an archive, does anybody have any suggestions of the best way to do this? Feel free to email me if you need to!
Sharon McMillan
November 19th, 2009 at 3:12 pmI’m always emailing files to myself as I work on different computers, collaborate with people and travel a lot. This is worth checking out and may simplify my life immensely. There is just so much to keep on top of as a freelancer. I’m going to make this blog and your posts a regular stop on my daily research run. Thanks!
David
November 19th, 2009 at 4:16 pmI personally use dropbox to collaborate projects with my wife. Comes in handy if I forgot to transfer things over to my pc or I need a file and I’m away from the office.
Haven’t used it for client files yet but I’m sure that will happen soon enough.
Great article. Also if you refer someone to drop box both you and that person get extra storage space..
Lexirodrigo
November 19th, 2009 at 4:19 pm@Luke Jones – For archival backup I use Jungle Disk, but there are a number of other options out there. Let me know which one you choose.
@David – Dropbox is really handy when you work on different computers.
clippingimages
November 19th, 2009 at 5:12 pmAwesome post for designers. Very resourceful and well informative post. Thanks for sharing this nice post. :)
Traci
November 19th, 2009 at 6:23 pmMy friend was just trumpeting Dropbox last week, but I am hesitant to trust my files to a free service. How do I know what they’re going to do with them? For now, I’m sticking with backing up to an external hard drive. But perhaps one of these days I will take a leap of faith. It would be nice to be able to access files from anywhere, I must admit.
Andrew
November 19th, 2009 at 7:14 pmThe symlink approach is nicely explained here:
http://lifehacker.com/5154698/sync-files-and-folders-outside-your-my-dropbox-folder
You could substitute my iDisk for folders on an external hard drive, network storage drive or wherever you usually store your files.
There are some nice tips and tricks at the Dropbox wiki:
http://wiki.dropbox.com/
Christie Ingram
November 19th, 2009 at 7:28 pmI LOVE Dropbox! I use it to work on stuff with my husband, and also when I am using the laptop. It makes everything so much easier. Going to try the new iPhone app tonight! Great post :)
Austin
November 19th, 2009 at 8:38 pmDon’t forget Ubuntu One (https://one.ubuntu.com/). It’s a similar service. I have yet to try it out, but it seems like it works well. It’s only available for Ubuntu, though.
Sean
November 19th, 2009 at 8:42 pmI prefer sugarsync because I can sync multiple folders scattered around my hard drives unlike dropbox which limits you to one folder with subfolders.
Also sugarsync has a $5 paid plan which fit my budget and gave me just the right amount of storage I needed.
Anyhow with both dropbox and sugarsync be sure to use your referral link to get extra storage.
Akmal Adnan
November 19th, 2009 at 8:51 pmGreat! I will try it as backup option. Thanks for sharing this.
Lexirodrigo
November 19th, 2009 at 9:25 pm@clippingimages – Thank you!
@Traci – You wouldn’t actually “entrusting” your files to Dropbox, because they’re still on your hard drive. Dropbox will have a backup copy of them and 30 days worth of previous versions. It’s a good idea to have two backups – one in an external drive and another in a “cloud” is a good idea – because what if (heaven forbid) something happened to your external drive?
@Austin – Thanks for the Ubuntu tip.
@Sean – Thanks for your feedback on Sugarsync. I’m sure that will be a good option for some freelancers.
@Akmal Adnan – You’re welcome!
Lexirodrigo
November 19th, 2009 at 9:27 pm@Sharon – I’m so glad you’re going to stop emailing files to yourself now ;-) And thanks for reading Freelance Folder regularly. You’ll get awesome content every day!
yuzool
November 20th, 2009 at 12:56 amBeen meaning to get this into my workflow to better collect and deliver files from clients. Too many times I’ve had files and attachments not received their end because of SPAM filters or too small file attachment sizes being set. This will certainly improve on efficiency of this side of the business. Thanks for the tips. Great stuff.
Lis Sowerbutts
November 20th, 2009 at 4:35 amThanks very much for this – I am going to trial sugarsync because of wanting to backup mutliple folders but this review reminded me to do something about getting into the cloud which has been on my todo list for ages
Stephen Webb
November 20th, 2009 at 5:14 amHaving heard of dropbox recently I wasn’t aware of it’s capabilities in automatically syncing data, or just how versatile it is. From reading this article it sounds like this could be the ultimate solution to USB sticks carrying files.
From the point of view that this can also be used to backup your files it seems a very worthwhile investment. Being able to share files with clients by invitation is also a major benefit of the system, doing away with having to post large files on CD /DVD media or a memory stick.
I’ll look into this soon, as it definitely seems worth the effort and will pay back its value just in terms of ease of use, simplifying workflow and securing your data.
Nils
November 20th, 2009 at 6:29 amI go for dropbox. but you should also check out LiveMesh. You get 5 Gb for free. Don’t know much about it tough.
Nils
Allen
November 20th, 2009 at 8:46 amDropbox is one thing I need to look into beginning of next year. Thanks for the article.
Don Crossland
November 20th, 2009 at 5:07 pmI recently switched to Nomadesk. All of the same features as DropBox plus many more. Including better security and unlimited backup space. It also works better for sharing with my team and clients. Totally work $15 a month for everything they offer and not having to worry about how much space I have left.
Char (PSI Tutor:Mentor)
November 20th, 2009 at 5:53 pmThank you~ I will give this a try. I am always on the lookout for resources to share with the students.
Nicolas Miranda
November 20th, 2009 at 9:45 pmawesome post. i know some of us would really find this handy at time.
Canada Web Solutions Company
November 21st, 2009 at 1:01 amhey,
great utility..
I was struggling to backup my files.. this one looks promising…
let me try it
thanks for sharing
Dagmar
November 21st, 2009 at 6:14 amDropbox is a great service. If you love Xmarks, then you’d love Dropbox. It’s exactly the same way syncing, but instead of bookmarks and passwords, it’ll sync your files. Eliminates using USB drives entirely.
If you still need an account with Dropbox and want free 250mb space, use this referral: https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTMwNTE4NzI5
Thanks!
George Passwater
November 21st, 2009 at 9:26 amGreat post!
I have an account but haven’t done all I can with it. I will check out the other features of Dropbox now.
I use a combination of external drive, Mobile Me and now, Dropbox. You can never have too many backups. You never know what could happen!
Thanks again for this great post.
Ed Martin
November 21st, 2009 at 11:17 pmThere are lots of places that do this. I looked at one called drop.io the other day. Plus there is Google Docs
Ahmad Abubakr
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:58 amActually this is a very important thing that all free lancers should take care of.
I’m developing under Linux, I’ve a separate machine just for backup purposes.
So I’ve made a script which rsync between the one I’m developing on and the backup machine.
Also using a version control system is great to keep track of file changes.
I’m using “git” and “svn”
That’s how I’m keeping my files safe
Luke Jones
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:04 amOkay, I’ve installed the software now that I’m back home and I’m a little confused. I have to copy and paste files into the ‘My Dropbox’ folder, otherwise they disappear from my computer – surely I’m storing to copies of the same file on my computer because of this?
James Armes
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:08 pmI just want to start off by saying that this is an excellent post. Take away the specific solution and this post still highlights the importance of backing up data and being able to easily share files. I haven’t tried Dropbox myself, but I use Amazon’s S3 for backups and file sharing. It doesn’t have some of the nicer features of solutions like Dropbox, but the price is a little more manageable and it provides some extra security features (ie. creating a url to a file that expires after a specified period of time).
Mike
November 24th, 2009 at 5:02 amDoes sound like a good program / service, however I don’t think I’d cope with just 2GB particularly with large image / psd files and I would definitely have to pay for the 50 or 100 GB option, but then it does seem a little pricey and I would probably opt for a manual back up system.
Bartosz Oczujda
November 28th, 2009 at 6:52 amSharing files with a client in a public folder?
No way… My clients wouldn’t be happy if they knew I put their files in a folder that anyone can access, and I believe your clients wouldn’t be happy too…
Telling a client to install software just to share files with him?
No way… All of my clients have secure FTP servers to share large files…
And you need to know that I love dropbox, but I use it only to backup my files, because once I upload them I can access them from anywhere. Dropbox is a great application but it has it’s flaws.
bill
November 28th, 2009 at 8:12 pmreally very good tool, register to get 2.25G free space through this link:
https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTMxNjUxNzM5
Hassan A. Al-Jeshi
December 4th, 2009 at 8:40 pmActually, I have used most of the file sharing/sync services as part of a research for my university
DropBox is a good free solution
but the best free solution I have seen is Mesh
you can check it out at mesh.com
Best Regards,
Flavio Copes
December 29th, 2009 at 1:09 pmI’ve heard about DropBox in the past but never tried it, but in the last weeks I’ve just discovered its benefits and I think that’s a great tool for backup and sharing purposes :)
Alex
December 30th, 2009 at 9:05 amI’ve been using Dropbox to synchronize my files in different computers just as it has been described in this article.
Can’t wait for a native Android application just as the iPhone one.
Happy new year to everybody!
shane
December 31st, 2009 at 11:31 amFor freelance designers, I’d recommend http://contentcube.com .
It is a great online file storage and collaboration site that supports online previews of photoshop, illustrator and PDF files. Great for giving my clients a clean presentation of my work with the ability to download the source files.
Andy Bishop
January 1st, 2010 at 2:10 pmAnyone concerned about security in the cloud can also check out SpiderOak – insanely secure and half the price of Dropbox. I use both, as I need different functionality for different projects.
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