If you’re a freelance writer, designer or even a consultant, you should consider using the cloud. Below, I share with you 5 reasons on how the cloud can make projects more convenient, help you to be more productive and overall safe proof your online freelancing business.
1. Work on Multiple Computers
One of the biggest benefits to using the cloud for me is the convenience. Before using the cloud, if I wanted to work on another computer, I had to remember to email myself the documents. Before I could do that, I had to remember what computer I saved my work to. It was such a pain to move from the desktop to the laptop, and back again.
However, by using a storage service such as Dropbox, all you need to do is save your work to Dropbox. Then make sure all of your computers, tablets and phones have the Dropbox (or whatever service you’re using) app installed. You can then access your work from anywhere, anytime.
2. Prevent Losing Your Files
Another reason why you might want to have the cloud for your freelancing business is also the most obvious — you can prevent losing your files to a hard drive, operating system or software failure. Trust me — nothing sucks more than working on a project for several hours only to have something go wrong and lose it.
I take that back. There is one thing worse — having to start over from scratch.
3. Easy Access for Clients
Online storage services make it extremely easy for you to deliver your work to clients. It’s much more convenient than having to attach everything to an email, or creating zip files and sending download links or using some sort of (torrent) download site.
I only use Dropbox, so I’m not sure about other services, but all that you need to do is create a folder that you and your client share. Every time that you upload a file they will be notified that a new file was added or updated. Then they can transfer it to their desktop.
This also eliminates the problem of emails (and files) being lost, or possibly being too big to be sent or downloaded.
4. Easier to Deliver Large Jobs
In addition to access, online storage services have made it easier for me to deliver larger files. Photoshop files tend to be on the large side, as do images and various video files. Often times I find that they’re way too big for me to send via Gmail. I also prefer not to upload them to my server and give my client’s access. Giving someone access to my server is asking for trouble.
So, all I do is upload them to Dropbox. The downside, however, is that the files are usually big enough that my internet may cut out once or twice while uploading each file. I have a good internet plan, too, so if you have a plan where your upload/download bandwidth is small (like less than 5-10 Mbps), I’m sure you’ll have to deal with this too. It’s a small tradeoff though, in my opinion at least.
5. Keep an Archive of Completed Jobs
I’m sure most freelancers reading this can related. It’s very easy to clog up and slow down your computer by keeping an archive of all the work you’ve done for clients. I don’t keep my old projects around for very long, but even 3-6 months worth of work can add up quickly. Especially if all of those files are design or video related.
So I keep all my files on the cloud. It’s also useful for my clients since all they have to do is access our shared folder if they need something, as opposed to playing tag via email or instant messenger.
Well, those are my reasons for using an online storage service for my freelancing business. Do you use the cloud for your business? If not, how come? And if you do, how has it helped you be more productive?
About the author: Hey guys, my name is Matt. I’m an internet marketer, which is where some of my experience for this post comes from. I’m currently working on a project by the name of Plug Things In. It’s a site that helps people learn about and find the best home utilities and internet services. Check it out and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading my post.
