Collaborate with Google Docs

With Google Docs, it's free to create and share documents. You can access your documents from the web or an app on your smartphone, download them to your desktop, email or print them. Google Docs has 3 formats that are editable: document, spreadsheet and presentation. These document types are like very simplified versions of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel. In addition to the built-in formats, you can upload your own files and use Google docs as "cloud" storage, meaning that you are saving your files in an accessible place on the internet rather than your hard drive at home. Read more at wikipedia.

Some ideas for using Google Docs (I do all of these!):

• Planning a Zumbathon event? Keep track of ticket sales using a spreadsheet. Give the other event organizers edit access to the spreadsheet so they can see how many tickets were sold and add their own sales. Create a second tab for the playlist where each instructor can enter the songs they want to use.
• Do you know so many routines that sometimes you forget your moves? Enter your choreo notes in a document. Pull up the document on your smartphone for a quick review before class. I use one document for each song.
• Need to stay organized for tax time? Create a 2011 Tax folder and save all of your documents there. Did you make a charitable donation? You can save it right from your gmail into a Google Doc. Scan receipts and upload the image files. 

Before you upload your entire hard drive, be aware that stored files (.PDF, .DOC, .JPG, etc.) count towards your 1 GB free storage limit, while Google Docs formats don't use up your storage space. If you run out of space, you can purchase additional storage for only $5/year.

While your documents are safer in the cloud than on your hard drive, it's still a good idea to keep a backup, especially if you have essential items such as tax receipts.