Lauren MacEwen is a fellow member of The Third Tribe. When she heard that I am always on the lookout for folks who would like to share their favorite online software, she wrote up and submitted the post below.
As a social media consultant I need to be connected to the internet and my clients at all times. There are many tools and sites that help you do this for managing accounts, sending emails, posting to Twitter and Facebook. I can schedule, process, write, edit, communicate, blog, vlog and read from nearly anywhere. But there is one tool that has been invaluable to me.
Soonr Workplace
Soonr Workplace serves many functions for me which allow me to be a better consultant.
What is Soonr Workplace? What does it do?
- Online desktop
- Mobile Desktop
- File (hard drive) backup
- Connect multiple computers
- Project Management
- Virtual team and project management
- Document sharing
- File sharing
- Edit documents online or on your computer
Essentially you install Soonr on your computer. It runs in the background and the only evidence is a small logo in your desktop tool bar. It backs up folders of your choice on your computer and stores them in the cloud.
You can access these files online from Soonr.com. When you login you will see all the computers connected. You can access files from your computer, or from any computer you have connected. Not only can you access files, but it backs up the files you have selected, and stores it in the cloud, so you don’t have to worry about losing important files. It also backs up automatically, so there is no loading of files every time you make a change. You don’t even have to think about it.
The project function makes working in groups really easy. If you establish a file as a project, you can share that project with team members. Anyone assigned to that project can easily go in and edit, post, and share documents and files.
You can even edit documents in the Soonr Workplace. So if you are on a computer that you cannot, or don’t want to, download a document to you are not prohibited from editing and sharing.
You can also share documents with people who are not using Soonr. You can create links to documents or files, password protect them, or make them publicly accessible. For sharing with clients, this is a life saver. If you have files that are too large to email, like pictures, videos and graphics, you can send a link. Your client clicks the link and downloads the file.
The mobile access has been one of the best features for me. I downloaded the application to my iPhone and then was able to acess the Soonr Workplace on my phone. When I have gone on trips, I was still able to send clients files without having to pull out my laptop, return to my room, or call my assistant. In fact, my client did not even know that I was not at my desk.
Soonr adds a level of comfort and freedom that I both need and appreciate as a consultant. I feel comforted in the knowledge that my work files are backed up. If my entire office crashed and burned, I would still have my files. Plus I can send and edit files from anywhere, meaning I am free to work in the style and manner of my choosing.
Oh and did I mention….it’s free!
Well, it’s free for up to 2 gigs of storage. You can then purchase tiered levels of storage starting at $7.95 a month, with the first month free.
Soonr Workplace has given me the freedom and comfort I need to have the work life I want and be the best consultant I can be, for my clients.
Lauren MacEwen is a social media consultant that focuses on building business through building relationships. You can read her blog at smcubedconsulting.com, follow her on Twitter at @LaurenMacEwen or find her on Facebook.
This seems pretty neat, except I don’t think they have a Mac option available. For me, that’s a deal breaker.
Sydney,
As a fellow Mac user, I feel your pain! However, there is a good alternative: http://www.box.net
Right now, you can use box.net in many similar ways to Spoonr. The only thing the Mac version is missing is the desktop synch which keeps your files synched automatically BUT, I just called them and they are in beta with that and expect to release that any day (see this link: http://sites.box.net/cref/boxsyncformac.html).
Meanwhile, you can use the cloud features of box.net on a Mac to start feeling it out and seeing if it fits what you need.
-Matt