Collaborating with Google Drive

Google Drive is another money and time saving tools for lawn care businesses. It can be used to store training materials, standard operating procedures, and other important documentation for employees. This ensures that everyone has access to the necessary resources to perform their jobs effectively. You can create shared folders for clients, where they can access important documents like contracts, service agreements, and billing information. This promotes transparency and allows clients to easily access the information they need. Google Drive seamlessly integrates with other Google services such as Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Photos. Team members can collaborate on documents and othere things in real-time. At our lawn care business we kept all photos organized in Google Drive.  Customer service could access a photo at the same time I was in the file getting photos for the website. Google Drive automatically backs up files, providing a level of data security. This ensures that important business documents are not lost in case of device failure or accidental deletion.

Transcript: We are now going to look at Google Drive and we can do that by going into the Google Docs dashboard, going to the main menu, and then clicking on the link that says Drive. Those who engage in mobile technology are probably familiar with Google Photos. You can save your photos to your cloud drive. Also the fact that you can upload documents to Google Drive. For example, if you wanted to upload a document to be stored, all you would need to do is go to the top menu, click the upload files, find the appropriate document. Here we're going to upload a zip file and then we're going to click open. That will then upload the document to your Google Drive.

And you'll see that zip file now here. What you can do also is to make the content organized. We can do that by going to my Drive link and then creating a new folder. We can create a new category and you'll see that folder in your dashboard. What you can do is place documents into this folder. You can do that by dragging the document into the folder. And what you'll find when you open the folder that those two documents will be there. So we're going to go back to our cloud drive and we're going to highlight one feature So, for example, we can So, for example, we can then right click this folder. We can click the share button and then we can choose the individuals that we are going to share this content with.

We can determine what the individuals can do with the documents. In this case, they can either view or organize, add, or edit. Now one thing that we can also do is we can use the advanced features. And in using the advanced features, what we can do is have it so editors cannot change access or add new people, and this is an added level of security once we give access to a folder on our cloud drive. We can click save changes and the individual will automatically get an email giving them access to this folder. So let's click save changes and then we will click send. Now you'll notice now that this document is now in the In box of the person who you were sharing with. We're going to click open and now we see that they have access to this folder, but they don't have access to any other folders.

Now what would happen if they attempted to add someone else to this folder? So for example, they went to the folder and then they went to share the folder. You'll notice that the sharing settings are such that no one else can be given access to the folder or the documents in it so that the actual limitations that were placed on that folder worked correctly when we placed them. So we're going to click done. And now we're going to head back to Google Drive. Now one other item that we can work with when we are doing collaborative work is that we can search our drive to find out what we want. And we can use the drive just as we would any other searching mechanism inside of Google. And we can typically find a document just by placing some letters in. We'll be given hints on how we can find the document.

Collect Information With Google Forms

Google Forms is a tool provided by Google that allows users to create custom online forms and surveys. These forms can be easily shared with others, and the responses are automatically collected and organized in a Google Sheets spreadsheet. Instead of manually collecting information from clients over the phone or in person, the business can create online intake forms using Google Forms. These forms can gather essential details such as contact information, property address, service preferences, and scheduling preferences.

By automating the data collection process, the business can save time and reduce the risk of errors associated with manual data entry. Use Google Forms to create job assessment forms that employees can fill out after completing a job. Employees can provide details about the services performed, the condition of the lawn, any issues encountered, and recommendations for future service. 

After completing a service, send clients a feedback survey to gather their opinions and suggestions for improvement. Use Google Forms to create customizable surveys with questions about the quality of service, satisfaction with results, and overall experience. Analyzing client feedback allows the business to identify areas of strength and areas needing improvement, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

 Implement a preventive maintenance program for equipment and machinery used in lawn care services. Create online maintenance request forms using Google Forms, where employees can report equipment issues or request maintenance. This allows the business to address maintenance needs promptly, prolonging the lifespan of equipment and reducing costly repairs or replacements.

Transcript: You are now looking at the search results for Google Forms. And if you go to Google search and you type in forms the very top result is going to be forms. So click that link. That will bring you to the Google Forms start page and you're going to google Forms and Google Forms will allow you to collaborate and collect data from people that you want information from or from your team. So let's start with a blank form. Now the most basic application of Google Forms would be, of course, to do a survey. And we are going to title this survey.

Now, when you're using Google Forms you can use several different questions. You can also dictate the answer that you're going to have the respondent give you. So in this case we're going to do a multiple-choice question. And we'll click this arrow where it says you have the 3 dots there or the 6 dots. That's going to open into a dialog box and so we're going to do is we're going to write a question. Now, Google will offer you suggestions for what you want to put in terms of your answer. Here we can go ahead and just use add all and Google will give us those three answers. If we want to add more we can do that.

We can determine if we want this question to be required. We can say yes. We've also got some other options. Now with Google Forms we can do conditional logic so that when someone answers a question a certain way we can send them to a different part of the survey. This is one of the great uses of Google Forms. Now any place in the survey we can add in videos, images, and additional text. So to continue we are just going to click the add a question button to get to the next question. And indeed what we can do is we can write a different question.

We can do a short answer. We can do a paragraph question. We can do several different things with the question that we are going to give the client. So, for example, we can write a short answer and we can make this question something to the effect of a question that will require them to write something in. Now once we've completed the form that we're going to have people fill out, we can go, and we can look at some of the collaboration options. And what we can do with forms is we can add in collaborators. And so we can click this button and we can add in different individuals that we are going to have working with us on the survey. We can also limit their activity, and then we can save changes.

We are then ready to invite the person to become part of our survey administration. We can then preview the survey as it will appear to the person who’s going to be filling it out. Then we can go back to the edit screen and once we've completed it, we can then hit send. And what you're going to notice is we can send these forms direct to someone. So if you were doing an internal survey and you're working with someone on a project, you can do that if you're sending them to a group website. And you can then embed the entire form on your website. So for example, we can copy this entire code and then we can go to our website. We can give our form a title.

We'll make sure the HTML is in correctly, and then we'll paste the code. We will then click publish and then that post is ready to be viewed. So let's look at the actual post. And what you'll notice now is that the entire form is scalable inside of your website. And what you can also do is you can click this link and you can link directly to someone who wants to look at the forms. You don't have to put it on your website. You can send it directly to an individual. You can send a shortened URL just as we did there, we can send that via email.

Now one important aspect of this process is that we can collect email addresses when the person fills out the form. And if that's the case, all we must do is to click this button. And then once we click the button, Google forms will collect the email addresses of those who intend to fill out the survey. And one thing that you'll note is that while these activities are happening, this is being saved in your cloud drive so that if we go back to the cloud drive we can then look for this actual form. You'll see it on our forms dashboard and then if we go back to Google Drive you will see the form there also.

Managing Tasks and Projects With Google Keep

You can use Google Keep to create to-do lists for daily tasks such as estimates, quarterly taxes, and yearly evaluations. Tasks can be organized by priority, assigned to specific team members, and checked off as they are completed. Employees can use Google Keep to take notes during client meetings or while inspecting lawns. They can jot down important details such as client preferences, lawn measurements, or areas that require special attention. You can create checklists in Google Keep for equipment and supplies needed for each job. This helps ensure that employees have everything they need before heading out to a job site, reducing the likelihood of forgotten items. Multiple users can collaborate on Keep notes, making it easy for team members to share information and updates in real-time.

Transcript: We are now going to look at Google Keep which is a task manager and project manager. And we can do that inside of Google Drive by going inside of the selection box, scrolling down, and then clicking this icon that says Keep. Now Google Keep revolves around notes, reminders, and lists.

So one of the first things we can do is start a new list. And a list could be a project which gives you a series of tasks that you are going to do, and you can title your list first. And what you can do in association with this task is you can list all the items that you will either need or all the items that you will need to do. Now each of these elements represents a task that needs to be done and that can be checked off.

And you'll see that zip file now here. What you can do also is to make the content organized. We can do that by going to my Drive link and then creating a new folder. We can create a new category and you'll see that folder in your dashboard. What you can do is place documents into this folder. You can do that by dragging the document into the folder.  

What you'll find when you open the folder that those two documents will be there. So we're going to go back to our cloud drive and we're going to highlight one feature So, for example, we can So, for example, we can then right click this folder. We can click the share button and then we can choose the individuals that we are going to share this content with.

We can determine what the individuals can do with the documents. In this case, they can either view or organize, add, or edit. Now one thing that we can also do is we can use the advanced features. And in using the advanced features, what we can do is have it so editors cannot change access or add new people, and this is an added level of security once we give access to a folder on our cloud drive. We can click save changes and the individual will automatically get an email giving them access to this folder.

Let's click save changes and then we will click send. Now you'll notice now that this document is now in the In box of the person who you were sharing with. We're going to click open and now we see that they have access to this folder, but they don't have access to any other folders.

Now what would happen if they attempted to add someone else to this folder? So for example, they went to the folder and then they went to share the folder. You'll notice that the sharing settings are such that no one else can be given access to the folder or the documents in it so that the actual limitations that were placed on that folder worked correctly when we placed them. So we're going to click done. And now we're going to head back to Google Drive. Now one other item that we can work with when we are doing collaborative work is that we can search our drive to find out what we want. And we can use the drive just as we would any other searching mechanism inside of Google. And we can typically find a document just by placing some letters in. We'll be given hints on how we can find the document.

Google Hangouts

What if you are on vacation but still need to run your weekly safety meeting? You can conduct remote team meetings using Google Hangouts. ffer virtual consultations to clients using Google Hangouts. This allows clients to discuss their lawn care needs and preferences without the need for an in-person meeting. Virtual consultations save time for both the business since there's no travel involved, and appointments can be scheduled more flexibly. You can do a full lawn evaluation when you service the first time.

 Improve your customer service via Google Hangouts. Clients can reach out with questions, concerns, or service requests through instant messaging or video calls. This will make them feel special and more connected to you and your business.  Sometimes we have to deliver bad news about insects or disease or needing to do a whole lawn replacement.  When you are talking about a lot of money, being able to be face-to-face with your customer is a higher level.  Being able to do that without having to drive to their house is better for you and probably better for the customer is most cases. Employees can use their mobile phones or table  to stream live video from job sites. This allows managers or supervisors to assess progress, provide guidance, and address any concerns remotely. This eliminates the need for managers to travel to job sites for inspections, saving time and reducing travel expenses.

Transcript: You are now looking at the first results for Google Hangouts. And what we're going to do is visit Google Hangouts by clicking this link. Google Hangouts will allow us to collaborate with others in real time using multimedia. We can either use a phone call, a video call, which allows for screen sharing, or we could just use chat. Regardless, we can find individuals in our contacts starting a new conversation or we can simply start a video call. So we're going to do is we're going to go ahead into Google Hangouts starting a video call so that we can look at screen sharing. Now we are inside of the actual hang out, and what we have done is we have gone to this corner box, and we have clicked the screen sharing button.

And we're sharing the screen where we're working on the document so that we can also work on it with our collaborators. Now what we could do in holding the conversation is we could hold the conversation with other collaborators through chat we can hold it through video. So what we would need to do from this point is to invite the people that we want to be there. Once we have them, we're going to click invite And then that person is going to get a notification. So what we can do is to talk to people and interact in real time. So we can click the mic, which will allow us to be muted while someone else is talking, and then everyone will interact over the document that we are working on. Now this hangout is designed for conversations. It's not designed for archiving the conversation that you're having. Now, in the next video we’re going to show you a small workaround that you can use in order to have the same conversation using Google tools yet have your conversation archived.