The Importance of Proofreading

The old maxim, “You only get one chance to make a first impression,” is even more important when it comes to running a business. So what would you think if someone in your business issued a document or – even worse – a contract that contained typos, spelling mistakes or bad grammar? Chances are you’d be horrified and luckily companies exist that help provide proofreading services. After all, this doesn’t just create a bad impression, it might end up costing you a sizable chunk of money.

In these days of texting, Facebook, Twitter, and emails, all of us are now authors. Ideas are dashed down on the keyboard moments after entering our heads and in the cyber-rush, inevitably, we become sloppy about our grammar and spelling. Unfortunately, many employers are now finding this same carelessness creeping into their business communications. There is a solution to this problem – proofreading.

Proofreading is much, much more than just relying on a spellchecker. The English language, stuffed with homonyms and such confusing words as insure and ensure, will make a mockery of any software package, no matter how comprehensive. No, proper proofreading has to be performed by a human being, and that person needs to read each page of text at least once, preferably two or three times, to eliminate those embarrassing little blunders that reflect so badly on any business.

Here are a few simple tips to help your proofreading

· Print out a hard copy and read it as if this were the first time that you have set eyes on the text.
· Read the copy aloud.
· Ask someone else to read the copy and highlight any errors.
· Pay special attention to proper nouns and names. Get these wrong and your document could wind up in the shredder bin without even being read.

If all this strikes you as being very labour-intensive, you are right. Accurate proofreading requires time, lots of it when checking through a 100-page proposal, for instance. So what if your workforce can’t spare this kind of time? These days, many companies are finding that the answer to this conundrum lies in outsourcing their proofreading requirements. A professional proofreading firm will whip your text into the best possible shape; and they will do so quickly and at a very reasonable cost. Don’t forget, it’s your name that goes on that document, and protecting your good name is one of the smartest business investments you will ever make.

If you need some tips to help your proofreading, contact www.fastproofreading.com today!