Five for Drive: Tips for Getting Started with Google Drive

Editor’s note: Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing tips on how your business can get the most out of Google Drive. This week, learn the basics, and check back for our next posts highlighting some of Drive’s key apps and features.

Businesses wanting to streamline their files and folders, look no further. With Google Drive, you can instantly create new documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more. This week, we’ve got 5 tips on how your business can use Google Drive to store, edit, and share all of your documents. Learn about how you can access your files from anywhere and collaborate with colleagues in real-time.

1. Install Google Drive on your computer to free up space on your hard drive and keep all of your business’s documents in one place. Simply drag and drop all your files and folders into your Google Drive folder to begin syncing items. Any file you sync to your Drive will be accessible on the web via your Google account (in My Drive) as well as on any phone or tablet where you have Drive installed.
2. Download the Google Drive app for your Android or Apple device to access your files on the go. Any changes you make on one device are automatically synced with the rest of the places you have Drive installed, as long as you have an internet connection.
3. Use the share feature in Drive to share files or entire folders with anyone. You can share a document with just one co-worker, or make it accessible to an entire group. You can also set editing rights and choose whether others can view, edit, or comment on your stuff.
4. Work simultaneously on the same document with colleagues, and see changes appear as they happen. Use the Comments feature in documents, spreadsheets, and presentations to add notes and discuss content with your collaborators. In documents, you can even chat about a file in real-time.
5. Set up offline access using Chrome, so you can continue working in Google Drive even when your computer isn’t connected to the internet. This way, if you’re on the go and find yourself without wifi, you can still view documents and spreadsheets, move folders around, and make edits to documents. When you reconnect to the internet, your changes will automatically sync to all your devices.

To get started with Google Drive, visit drive.google.com/start. Looking for even more tips about Google Drive? Check out the Help Center, the Google Apps Learning Center, or Drive’s Google+ page.

Posted by Abby DeBellis, Google and Your Business Blog Team

SMB Hangouts on Air: Is My Ad Showing?

AdWords Specialists hosted a Hangout on Air yesterday as the first of two installments of the SMB Frequently Asked Questions Hangouts On Air series.

During the Hangout, we talked about how you’ll want to use the Ad Preview and Diagnosis tool to see if your ad is running. We also gave you some common reasons why your ad might not be showing: budget, ad rank, location targeting, and approval statuses.

Here's the full 25-minute Hangout on Air, from the Google Business YouTube channel:

 

To learn more about how to get started with AdWords, visit our Help Center, check out the AdWords Community forum, or call us at 866-2-GOOGLE if you already have an AdWords account.

And remember to tune in to the live stream of our next Hangout on Air at 11 a.m. PDT, November 15th, when we discuss how to diagnoses causes of performance fluctuation in your AdWords account.

Stay tuned!

Posted by Divya Vishwanath and Courtney Pannell, AdWords Team

The Business November 7th 2012, The "Roseanne Barr Victory Party" Edition

We did it everybody! We made it through another election cycle as a docile populace unwilling to topple our overlords!

No matter how you feel about the election results, you should come to The Business to celebrate/mourn. We have invited Kevin O’Shea, a friend of The Business and one of our favorite guests to join us.

Established in 1984 following the mergers of Steven and Cathy O’Shea, Kevin O’Shea has been one of San Francisco’s leading manufactures of mirth, laughter, hilarity and all around good ti

mes! Kevin has been commonly described as clever, absurd, awkward but in a funny way and too smart for his own good. He has been seen on the Independent Film Chanel and ComedyCentral.com. He is a favorite of comedy festivals such as: The SF Sketch Fest and the Bridgetown Comedy Festival. Go see him now as his 4th quarter productivity has never been higher!

We will miss Bucky Sinister this week, but the rest of your regulars will be there. All defenders of democracy, all proudly wearing “I Voted!” stickers (probably just cause we’ll be wearing the same shirts we wore on Tuesday. AMERICA).

As always, the show is just $5 American. If you want to bring a friend, bring em for free!! Don't forget to grab your 2-for-1 coupon at the top of this page!

 

BYOBurrito. Carnitas 2016.

Do Your Managers Know How To Effectively Implement The Change Management Process?

Learn Effective Strategies With Organizational Change Management Training When it comes to ushering employees through major organizational changes, there are several variables that must be addressed. After all, the process of change can be difficult. Not only can it be emotionally draining on employees, but it can also be mentally challenging, as employees learn how to handle new rules, regulations and procedures. Of course, the change management process affects management as well. Following are just a few of the ways in which change can affect the workplace: Management is uncertain how to best introduce or implement necessary changes. Employees become distracted by the changes, resulting in mistakes being made that could have been prevented. Key employees become frustrated by the change, resulting in poor work performance. Rumors start to circulate regarding the changes that are being made. Employees refuse to accept new responsibilities and direction. The possibility of increased turnover grows as the work climate becomes more and more uncomfortable To help prevent these possible scenarios, it is most beneficial to work with a change management consulting company, or to have employees and managers complete an organizational change management training program beforehand. In fact, with the help of a quality change management training program, you can learn how to... Proactively gain support for the organizational change. Implement the change more comprehensively and quickly. Overcome negativity and resistance to the change. Structure communication in a way that helps to effectively facilitate the change. Understand why employees may be resistant to the change. Anticipate employee reactions to the change, and plan the proper responses. Serve as a role model and a catalyst for the change. Reduce conflict with the help of conflict management techniques. Counsel and coach employees through the change process. The bottom line is that effectively implementing change requires management taking proactive steps, while also knowing how to handle the problems that arise throughout the change process. The better your management team knows how to introduce the change and how to handle the problems that arise, the more smoothly the process can be completed. If you know that an important change is on the horizon, your management team may best be served by completing a comprehensive organizational change management training program. Not only will a training program help them learn more about how to implement the change management process with employees, it will also help to alleviate their anxiety about the change that is to come - and better guide employees through the change process.

Help Desk Hangouts: Get Your Business Online

Editor’s note: Each week on the Google+ Your Business page, we’re putting you in touch with Googlers and users who can help you as a business owner get the most out of our products and features.

In our latest Help Desk Hangout On Air, we chatted with the Get Your Business online team. We talked about how important it is for businesses to have online presences, and the team highlighted a special promotion. U.S. businesses can set up a free website for a year with Get Your Business online with just a Google account. The team also walked us through how businesses can accelerate their online presences after making this website.

Miss the event? You can watch the whole thing on the Google and Your Business YouTube channel.

Check out the video description on the YouTube page for a minute-by-minute breakdown.

Some of the questions we answered during the Hangout:

What is Get Your Business Online?
Get Your Business Online was designed to make it easy, free, and fast to for any business to get online. We think that small businesses are vital for the future, and we want to see small businesses connecting with customers using modern technologies. Get Your Business Online gives small businesses the opportunity to grow through creating an online presence.

How can I get my business online?
Just visit http://gybo.com in the United States and get started right there. We’re offering a free domain name and hosting for a year, so all you need’s a Google account. You can use the Intuit site builder to make your business’ website, so there’s no HTML knowledge required. Don’t forget to publish your website after building it!

Can you share some tips for jumpstarting your online presence?

• Keep your website up to date and accurate
• Add your website to your local Google+ page
• Promote your website: business cards, receipts, etc.
• Get analytics on your website.
• Make your website mobile-friendly

Posted by Jade Wang, Google+ Local Community Manager

Halloween and businesses on Google+

Happy Halloween! Has your business done anything special for today? We’ve rounded up some creative ways that businesses have gotten in the spooky spirit using Google+ features to interact with their followers.

1. Using photos: It’s pretty hard not to want a cupcake after looking at these festive photos on Food Network’s Google+ page. Food Network not only shared ideas for decorating desserts, but also a variety of other recipes for Halloween-inspired dishes, all with images. Photos help share your products with customers, especially if you’re in the food business. You can learn more about how to add photos here.
2. Posting videos: Travel Channel shared video clips of its latest episode of Ghost Adventures so followers could get a sneak peek and know when to watch. Videos provide another way to share even more information in an engaging format. Own a boutique? Create a short video showing clothes in your shop and ways to style an outfit. Have an auto repair shop? Post a clip of an interview with a customer sharing a positive experience.
3. Regular posts and sharing content: Scoot & Doodle created a weekly challenge where they asked users to draw their Halloween costumes, design and send Halloween e-cards with “spooky stamps,” and sketch out plans for pumpkin carvings. Regular posts keep your followers coming back to your page, and using hashtags (Scoot & Doodle used #weeklychallenge) makes it easy for others to find related content. Sharing photos, videos, or posts created by your customers also lets them feel more connected to your business.
4. Ask followers questions: Zoo Atlanta posted Halloween-themed animal trivia and shared information on “creepy” animals like tarantulas. Posting questions is a great way to not only interact with your followers, but also to get customers engaged in conversations with other customers.
5. Share promotions: Have a special sale going on at your store? Get the word out by creating a post on Google+. Google Play shared its Halloween sale on its Google+ page to get the word out to even more users. You can even create different circles for your followers and pick who can see your post, so you can share special deals with your most loyal customers.

You can learn even more about how to use Google+ by visiting the help center.

Posted by Jacinth Sohi, Google and Your Business Blog Team

Take your social strategy to the next level with Learn with Google Hangouts and Webinars

Over the next few weeks, we’re offering five opportunities to learn more about Google+ for your business. We kick off with a Learn with Google Hangout on Air with bestselling author +Chris Brogan on November 5th at 10am PT / 1pm ET. Chris will cover tactics for successful social marketing and discuss his new book, “Google+ for Business: How Google's Social Network Changes Everything.” RSVP for the Hangout on the Google+ Event page.

Learn Chris’s recipes for how to grow and engage your Google+ community to build your brand and drive your business’s visibility and conversions. Hear about Chris’s own experiences helping companies succeed in their content marketing and social projects. Chris Brogan is a New York Times bestselling author, CEO of Human Business Works, and advises companies on marketing, business strategy, communications and more.

If you have a question for Chris, leave your question as a comment on the Google+ Event.

Boost your success with Google+

Want to learn more about using Google+ for your business? Sign up for our Learn with Google webinars. Here are some great upcoming webinars to help you get the most out of social for your business:

• Social Media Best Practices for a Successful Holiday Season (Wed, Oct 31, 10am PT / 1pm ET)
• Social that Adds Up: Performance and Measurement (Thurs, Nov 8, 10am PT / 1pm ET)
• Supercharge your Social Media Initiatives with Video (Wed, Nov 14, 10am PT / 1pm ET)
• Building a Digital Brand with Google+ (Thurs, Dec 6, 10am PT / 1pm ET)

Posted by the Learn with Google Team