The 6 most impressive benefits of file sharing

Modern technology makes life So. Much. Simpler. Implement the right solutions in the right places and you can easily improve efficiency, simplify collaboration, and reduce costs. And what’s even better is that these improvements come naturally. In other words, you don’t have to work for these improvements. They just sort of happen … because … well, that’s how modern technology works.  

As an IT Provider, we have decades of combined experience working with a variety of technology solutions. We help companies find, implement, and maintain the technology they need to grow their business and accomplish their goals. But over the last few years, we’ve started to notice how much the ability to send and receive files from anywhere has changed the game. File sharing can take your business from way down there to way up here in no time at all, and here’s why.

Source: Citrix

AT HOME OR OVERSEAS, YOU’RE ON TOP OF YOUR GAME.

Whether you’re grabbing coffee with a client or attending a business conference in another city, business opportunities have a habit of presenting themselves. But the tricky thing about these opportunities is that they disappear just as quickly as they appear … which is a problem.

However, when you have the ability to send and receive files effortlessly, snatching up these opportunities before they go down another route is a much simpler, much more doable feat. Just imagine … you could retrieve sales documentation, capture leads, hand off marketing collateral, and so much more.

And hey, if you just so happen to pass up a current client while you’re on-the-go and they just so happen to ask you for something you’ve been lagging on, then you could resolve that issue right then and there. Well … hypothetically.

BREAK THAT LAPTOP ALL YOU WANT.

When you have files anywhere, what this really means is that you have files that exist in the cloud. And what this also means is that you have built-in data protection. In other words, if something were to happen to your hardware, connected gadgets, or anything in-between, nothing would happen to your files. They’re safely tucked away in the cloud.

For example, say you regularly use a laptop to work outside the office. You tend to work more with your laptop than your office workstation, so the majority of your in-progress working files are saved only onto this device. Unfortunately, if you permanently damage your laptop, this could easily result in a data catastrophe. All those in-progress files will be gone forever, and you’ll be forced to start from scratch.

However, if your files are saved onto the cloud and you merely use your laptop as a means to send and receive files, things would turn out a little differently. You could break 50 laptops, but nothing bad would ever happen to those files.  

KEEP YOUR WORKFLOW OUT OF MY WORKFLOW.

While everyone might be forced to work in a certain way, this doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be at their most productive. Everyone has different habits, different preferences, and different experiences, and because of this, people won’t respond to workflows in the same manner.

If your team has the ability to share files from anywhere and with any connected device they have available, then what they really have is a choice to customize their individual workflows. They can work from home, the coffee shop, or a hotel in another state. They can use their laptop, personal computer, or phone. They can take work home on the weekend and finish leftover tasks from the comforts of their own couch, with a good Netflix series and a bag of their favorite chips.

And all of that equates to more productivity and improved flexibility — two things every business needs.  

Source: Aruba

YOU HAD ME AT ‘SIMPLIFY.’

When you use the cloud to send and receive files, you’ll naturally save time and simplify processes. Take email for instance. If you make a habit of sharing files through your inbox, then you’ll spend a lot of time sifting, scrolling, sorting, and organizing through messages to find that one email from that one time with that one document in it.

Share files through the cloud and instead of receiving email after email after email, the only thing you’ll receive is a simple notification of a new document (which, in theory, should already be organized into the appropriate folder). To retrieve this file, just go into the folder and pull it out. Easy enough, right?   

You could also take into account how difficult it can be to move files from one person to another (or from one gadget to another) if you don’t have a cloud-based file-sharing platform. In this case, you’d have to rely on emailing or resort to old-fashioned gadgets (like USB drives) to bump files from one place to the next. Not fun.  

STOP, COLLABORATE AND LISTEN.

How easy it to collaborate with your team when you can’t share files?

Not. Easy. At. All.

If you can’t share files easily, then it makes the process of collaboration stressful and much more time-consuming than it has to be. And then to make matters even more difficult, you have to be sitting right next to each other if you legitimately want anything to happen. Otherwise, you’ll be moving slower than a slug on a hot day.

With the ability to share files anywhere, you typically receive more benefits than just the ability to share files with ease. Certain platforms, like Office 365 and Google Docs, come with perks like simultaneous editing, version history, and team messaging.    

GET IT TOGETHER, PEOPLE.

The thing about file-sharing is that it doesn’t have to be limited to just you and your team. You could also bring clients and partners into the mix and potentially improve customer service as a result.

Instead of waiting around for you to get back to your desk or for you to find things that already should have been found, your clients can receive files from you no matter where you are or what you’re doing. All you have to do is send over a link or retrieve the file and email it to them. Since you can send and receive files from any device, this process shouldn’t be an issue.

Not only have you simplified things, but you’ve also eliminated the waiting game. Feel free to “ooo” and “awww.”

HOW CAN STRONGHOLD DATA HELP YOUR BUSINESS WITH FILE SHARING?

Technology is what we know and do best, and as an IT Provider, we have decades of combined experience building and perfecting a variety of technology solutions for our clients. If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of file sharing or if you would like to see how we can help your business find and implement a file sharing solution, then give us a call today. We’d love to talk.

You can also send us a message or visit our site to learn more about our technology solutions.