• 3-minute read
  • 2nd May 2018

Does Your Business Need a Proofreader?

Does your business need a proofreader? Yes. Yes, it does. That’ll be all. Thank you for reading.

What? You want to know why your business needs a proofreader? Okay, we’ll set out a few reasons below. But by the end of this post, you’ll wonder how you could ever have questioned it!

1. Polished Professionalism

Whatever your business, you need to make a good first impression. And the first thing anyone will see is often something you’ve written (e.g., a company website or press release). Think about it this way: If you were meeting a client for the first time, would you turn up with your hair in a mess, odd socks on, and a coffee stain on your shirt?

No? Well, you need to apply the same standards to your writing!

Unlike a bad hair day, you can’t cover up typos with a hat.
(Photo: Bruce Guenter/flickr)

2. Typos Can Be Costly

Errors in business writing can be costly in two ways. First of all, it can cost you the trust of customers and clients. Mistakes in website copy, for example, may make customers think twice about using your services, since it suggests a lack of care or attention to detail.

More literally, though, typos can be expensive: For instance, the publisher Penguin once had to destroy 7,000 copies of The Pasta Bible at a cost of $20,000 because the book accidentally recommended using “freshly ground black people” instead of “freshly ground black pepper.”

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Pasta is definitely better seasoned with pepper.

It’s fair to say that a thorough proofreader could have saved everyone involved a lot of trouble!

3. Proofreading Is a Skill

We don’t blame anyone for not knowing all the rules about comma usage. Nor do we expect everyone we meet to be as keen on correct pronoun choice as we are. That’s because it takes a special kind of person to obsess over the details of spelling, grammar, and punctuation: a proofreader.

In other words, the only way to be sure of great proofreading is to hire a professional. This also lets you and your colleagues concentrate on other work, boosting efficiency across your business.

4. Letting Your Content Shine!

If you’ve gone to a lot of effort writing copy, you owe it to yourself and your business to let it shine. But self-editing is difficult, especially if you’re too close to what you’ve written. A professional proofreader, on the other hand, will bring a fresh pair of eyes to your work. This means we can spot errors you might miss, ensuring that your message comes through loud and clear.

Eyes, fresh and ready for proofreading.

Still not convinced? Then send us a 500-word sample and we’ll show you what we can do for free.

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