Managing files with your remote teams

Why focus on file sharing?

File sharing is one of the main sticking points when it comes to virtual collaboration.

If you have ever felt frustrated by links that expire, email chains with endless attachments or constantly fixing permission settings, you are not alone.

Why is remote work so important?

We love remote work! It makes it easier for everyone to design their own schedule to spend more time with family or hobbies and it allows companies to hire people from different countries and bring more perspectives.

Not to mention, remote work is sometimes a must, so we want to make sure it works smoothly.

How to get your files on time and in the right format

When you manage a project, there will be many moving parts and different people who need to contribute. The best way to make sure everything arrives on time is to start with a clear overview.

This is how it works

1. Decide on the Who, What and When

Start by listing the different stages of your project. Then for each stage, add the files your team will need to complete the work.

For example,

If you are building a website for a client, you will need their brief to move from discovery to active project, their branding to design the site and their images and text to build the site.

The next step is to assign who will be sending the files. If you are a freelancer working directly with your client, this might be straight forward, but if there are other people involved such as an external copywriter or photographer, make sure to include them in your plan.

Next up we want to consider your own team and what files they need to provide. If one person is creating mood boards, another the wireframes and a third is building the site, each person needs to know when their files have to be ready by.

2. Pick how you want to receive the files

This is usually when things get a little tricky. We want to make sure there is an easy way for everyone to send files and for the right people to access them for the project. We also want to make sure we have a way to back up files in case we need them in the future or someone accidentally deletes them, hey it happens 😊

Using Google Drive, Dropbox or your project management software:

This is the strategy we used to use before we built Kayla.

Start by setting up a new folder on your Google Drive or Dropbox account or add a new section for files in your project management software. If you want other team members to have access to the files, make sure to add them as well.

Next, send your client a message asking them to upload their files to the folder with clear instructions for how to do so, what to add and where. If you are giving your client access to upload files to a Google Drive or Dropbox folder, make sure you give them permission to edit before sending the link. If you need files from different people, make sure you only give access to the appropriate folder to avoid a client for example seeing mood boards before they should.

Regularly check in to make sure the files have been submitted and send reminder emails if your contributor forgets to send something on time.

Once the files are submitted, check to make sure they are what you need and re-organise anything that has ended up in the wrong place.

To back up files, download them and add them to your external hard drive or separate cloud storage.

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3. Instructions are everything

We have already touched on this a little, but how you ask for files makes a big difference. Avoid using vague language like ‘images for the website’ and instead include a quick list of exactly what you need and any specifications you have.

For example

Hi Sammi, here is a request for the photography that will be used on the Herrand website.

We are looking for the following:

• One banner photo for each page (Home, About, Products and Contact)

• One photo for each team member, preferably with a uniform background

• 1-3 images of each of your products

Please make sure all photos are either in jpg or png format and do not look grainy.

Have a great day and speak soon!

A few finishing thoughts

When you make it easy for someone to complete a task, you save yourself a lot of time. Plus, you give your clients and team a better experience.

We hope this was helpful and that you can use the tips we discussed as a way to have more time for the things you love in your business. If you have a tip that we missed or a topics in mind that you would like us to talk more about, let us know!