As a manager or employee of a small business, you have no time to waste. You probably already use many time-saving tools , but few tools are as simple and productive as file sharing.
Read on to learn more about file sharing and how it can streamline your team's workflow and productivity.
What is file sharing?
Generally speaking, file sharing refers to sending businesses files to other people. When files are shared by e-mail as attachments, they are often exchanged between collaborators in order to download them, consult them, modify them and resend them. This process creates many versions of the same document, making it difficult to identify the most recent version.
Although emailing files is an acceptable method, it is ineffective in most cases. The best way to share them is with an online storage service . The enterprise cloud allows you to host files , share them and access them quickly, without attachments.
Subject to your permission, a team member or client can work on a shared file. You don't even need to send files to collaborate. Two or more people can work online on the same document, in real time.
You can use cloud file sharing for most files, including:
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The documents
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The slides
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PDFs
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spreadsheets
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Videos
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Photos
Cloud file sharing lets you easily send files and collaborate with your team on the same document. It allows for a much more streamlined workflow than sharing via email attachments.
How to share a file?
Sharing a file with cloud storage is usually done using the following procedure:
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Log in to your cloud storage account on your computer, tablet or mobile device via a web browser or mobile app
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Select a file or folder
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Select “Share” from the menu
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Choose the level of access you want to grant the recipient (e.g. "allow editing")
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Choose who can view the file (eg specific individuals, people in your company, or anyone)
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Choose the security you want to apply to the sharing link (for example, password protected or expiration date links)
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Enter your recipient's email address and hit send or copy the share link and paste it into an email or chat
Documents or spreadsheets are usually integrated with cloud storage so that you can share directly from the file in question. Once you share the link, your recipient can access the document.
Access a shared file
Accessing a shared file is easy if you are the recipient.
An email invitation will contain a link to the file, as well as information about the sender. When you click on the link, a new browser window opens with the file. You can work on the file in your browser or download it from your browser to work offline on your workstation .
The person sharing the file can also send the link via personal email, web chat, or social media post. Then click this link to open the file.
Most cloud storage services don't require you to create an account to access a shared file.
Collaborate on a file
On average, collaboration takes up 80% of a workday . Cloud-based file sharing solutions are useful collaboration tools . It's easy to collaborate on a shared file in the cloud.
After sharing the file, people with access can do the following:
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Consult . Anyone with your link can view your file. To do this, they do not need to log into the cloud storage platform.
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Download . People with your link can download your file. You can choose to block downloads if you want to restrict this action.
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Edit . With full editing permissions, your recipient can edit your document freely. It is recommended to enable the Track Changes feature so that you can view and approve all changes.
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Revise . This mode allows your recipient to suggest edits or additional content. Each new revision of your document is indicated by a new color.
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Comment . People with file access can add comments and read and respond to other comments in your file.
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Collaborate . Multiple people can edit your file at the same time. Your document will list the names of everyone working on it. All changes are synchronized in real time, which means that they are automatically updated on each copy of the document.
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Share . Finally, anyone with editing permissions can share your file with other people.
Choose a file sharing solution
As a small business, you should carefully study the file sharing features offered by cloud storage providers.
Essential file sharing features include but are not limited to:
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The comments . Contributors should be able to comment on specific passages and parts of a document. Projects will progress quickly if your team can edit and comment on a document.
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Comment notifications . Comment notifications notify you by email when someone adds notes or comments to your file. These notifications can help you stay on track and focus on the project at hand.
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Tracking changes . This feature clearly flags all changes to your file. You can then accept or reject the changes. This feature gives you more control during the editing process.
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Version history . This feature lets you view every draft of the document since it was created. Version history protects your document in case team members make significant changes that need to be rolled back.
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Share links with expiration date . Your team should be able to share links that expire after a certain time. These links apply to one-time projects that you don't want team members or contractors to work on after a specific date.
File sharing for your team
File sharing streamlines workflows, allows users to collaborate remotely, and provides online backup of documents. The right solution will help your small business save time and increase productivity. Try free online storage with Rediafile
