Small Business Tools Pro

Fortunately for those on the move who require access to files or folders, the days of having to email yourself presentations and proposals or copying them to a USB key are finally numbered.  Dropbox is a new internet-assisted solution to all your file related worries.

Dropbox allows you to consolidate all your important files in one secure place on the internet.  From any internet connected computer or mobile device it allows you to access any files and folders you’ve included in your Dropbox folder. You can leave your office without having to worry about whether or not you can access important documents ‘on the go’.

A quick install of the Dropbox client on your pc (or mac) creates a new folder (in a location you choose) that allows you to create and dump files and folders. This folder automatically syncs with your account online and the files and folders become accessible from anywhere in the world.

Never suffer with outdated file versions that you’ve emailed yourself or corrupt files on a USB flash key, with Dropbox you can login to their website and get instant access to your files. The convenience this can bring to your business or personal life is without question.

When you sign up for a Dropbox account you get a generous 2GB of FREE, secure, backed-up storage to do with what you please.

Here are some more bells and whistles:

• Sync any file or folder
• Automatically syncs documents when modified
• Shared folders – invite colleagues/family to access your files
• Automatic backup
• Undelete folders or files
• Restore previous versions
• Easy search function

Struggling to think of ways to make this useful? You could:

• Create a folder of family snaps to share with family on the other side of the world
• Collaborate with colleagues by sharing project files to be approved
• Retrieve important documents if your laptop suffers untimely damage

(the short and sweet of this is its pretty darn useful!)

I’ll admit when I first checked out Dropbox I was a little reluctant to store my personal data on their server until I understood that no Dropbox employees can access your files or data. That gave me the peace of mind to get started and I haven’t looked back since.

I had also heard it was occasionally slow to sync folders but in my opinion that has not been the case (I think that may have been in reference to when the service first launched a couple of years back).

“the simplest, most effective file-sync tool ever” – PC Magazine

I’ve since downloaded this for my computer, laptop and iphone and enjoy access to my files on the move. What a pleasure!

Download Dropbox and let me know what you think.