Cloud files

Have done with dropbox.

Nothing like as good as Xero / Kashflow etc because of the risk of simultaneous access / one person forgetting to close the file once finished etc.

Does Dropbox show you if a file is in use?

No, or not as far as I've found.... that's the one issue with it. It's not like a server where you get a message "XXX file is in use, open read only or be notified once free"...

Just found this http://notifybox.com/ Don't know if is any good, but it is suggested on the Dropbox web site as a solution to this problem (https://www.dropbox.com/votebox/16/stating-if-a-file-is-open-and-locked-... ). On this second link you can also vote for this as a feature in Dropbox

A. We use VTT+ and after a trial where we tried to get cleints to use it (properly) we would rather they didn't. It's easier to get a bookkeeper to post things properly first time around, than it is to correct errors made by clients.

B. We share all files with clients using Dropbox. They put their prime records in there, and we put completed reports in there. Take up so far is around 30% and we are aiming for 100%.

I share VTT+ files using dropbox, and it works very well - except when both of us open the file at the same time.

@Chatman thanks for posting the link - notifybox looks like a good way to solve this problem.

Will let you guys know how i get on with notifybox.

Treat Dropbox like the filing room.

Take what you want, move in to My Docs - work it - put it back after you finish. Get clients to follow that simple rule and you'll never have two people open one file at the same time.

Use Dropbox for Teams and you'll also have unlimited versioning so even if a file is changed or missing, you can get an older version (or fifty).

Believe it or not, that would be very difficult for many of my clients. I speak from experience because QuickBooks won't work in Dropbox unless you do it that way.  I often have to remotely access their machines to show them how to do it (again!).

Chatman .. you beat me to it ....

Paul - good luck trying to get "ALL" your clients to do that.

Thanks for the feedback - we are weeding out clients who cannot use Dropbox properly and are becoming a slim, lean and highly effective business as a result.

Ditching the D clients

http://www.proactivepaul.com/?p=320

I can't weed these ones out; I haven't got enough. In any case, my D clients were miles worse than the ones that can't move files around properly.