Top Ten Uses for Google Docs

If you’re not yet using Google Docs, the free online tool that allows you to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations online, I encourage you to take a few minutes and give it a try. I have dabbled in Docs before, but it wasn’t until my recent interview with Jennifer Mazzon of Google, that I realized just how much of my life I could tackle using Docs. All you need is a Google account to get started.

1. Share, collaborate and edit documents in real time. This, my friends is the number one reason to use Docs. If you’ve ever tried writing anything by committee: a business report, a press release, a magazine story, or your parent’s 50th wedding anniversary program, you know the value of real time edits. Say goodbye to multiple versions of the same document. No more worrying about an edit from one person being overwritten by another. All collaborators work online in real time and the latest draft is always clearly marked with a name and time stamp like this: edited on 8/3/09 at 10:14am by erinkane.

2. Access your work from any computer, anywhere. Upload existing documents from your hard drive so  they’re accessible to you anytime, anywhere, from any device. You might not want to write a research paper using your BlackBerry, but you could make minor edits or jot down a quick thought on the fly.

3. Store your work online. All it takes is a single hard drive crash to realize what you’ve lost. Trust me, I know. Backup your most important documents at home on an external drive and online for added protection (be sure to always read the terms and agreements first).

4. Use existing templates. The community of Docs users has uploaded thousands of spreadsheets to plan budgets, compare mortgage rates, or calculate how long it will take to pay off your credit card.

5. Inject life into your resume. Tired of the standard resume templates in your Microsoft Word software? Find fancy, clean and simple, and project-based resumes in Docs.

6. Find new tools for your small business. Check out the service invoices with hourly rates, travel expense reports, communication plans, and project next steps templates.

7. Plan your wedding. Where was Google Docs ten years ago? Track RSVPs, compile to-dos, use the pack list and trip preparation template for the honeymoon.

8. Schedule the classroom’s parent-teacher conferences. Room mothers take note: create one spreadsheet and let the parents schedule themselves. It’s bad enough you had to buy all the supplies for the back-to-school open house. Why should you have to worry about everyone else’s work schedules?

9. Help with homework. School will be here before you know it. For parents who travel for work, it’s hard to always be there when your kid needs a little help or guidance on his homework. Have him share his docs with you and offer helpful comments and encouragement along the way. Just because you can’t physically be there, doesn’t mean you can’t help out.

10. Work offline when Internet access isn’t available. Like many other Google tools (including Calendar and Gmail) you can still use Docs when you do not have access to the Internet. Using Google Gears, a browser plug-in, you can work off line until you sync up again. Here’s a little video that shows how it all works.

p.s. To listen to an interview with Google’s Jennifer Mazzon and to download a tip sheet with more tips on my favorite digital tools, check out my recent blog post on Manic Mommies.