There you are at the most important business meeting of your life. You are dressed to impress and your presentation couldn't be any better prepared unless Warren Buffet himself was the creator. Then all of the sudden you realize that you forgot your jump drive with all the files you need to make the presentation back at your office and the sweat begins to pour as if you had just run a the Boston Marathon. What can you do?



You can avoid this nightmare from ever happening by backing up all your computer files using online storage space. This is accomplished by using an online file storage service, which is also known as a file hosting service or online media center. An online file storage service is an Internet hosting service specifically designed to host static content. This content is typically large files that are not web pages. They can be optimized for serving many users, as is implied by the term hosting, or be optimized for single-user storage, as is implied by the term storage. Once a user's files are stored, those files can be accessed from any computer that has a connection to the Internet. The user's files can then be shared publicly or can be password protected if the user so desires.

Online storage space is quite simply a back-up plan if all else fails. Think of it as insurance, you hope you never need to use it but it is nice to know that you have it should a situation arise.

While there are many advantages to having your personal files backed up with an online file storage service, here are just a few:

• Little to no cost: Many online file storage services charge per gigabyte and some have a bandwidth cost component as well. While there are plenty that will charge for their services, there are plenty more that are free up to a certain point. While it is up for debate as to which service is better, the biggest difference seems to be that the freebie services have more ads for you to look at.

• Easy to access: Once your files are stored all you need to access them is a computer that is online. Your files can be accessed from anywhere whether you are in Atlanta, Australia or Timbuktu.

• Piece of mind: Never again will you have to worry should you forget to bring your files on your jump drive or any other format such as disk or cd-r. Your files will always be ready to be accessed should you need them, even if your personal computer crashes.

In today's business environment being prepared is key, but being ready for anything, even the unexpected, is what separates the great from the good. Let's face it, in life the unexpected can and will happen. Computers crash and jump drives get left behind, but that doesn't mean that you have to be unprepared. Having your personal files backed up with an online file storage service is quite possibly the easiest and smartest business decision you will ever make. The piece of mind that comes with knowing that your files are always at hand is priceless and if you play your cards right the service is anything but.