To be successful in business attention to detail is important. Often, failure to look after the little things leads to big problems further down the line.

But, for most business owners time is short. So, it is all too easy for important things to slip through the net. One example is proofreading. It is something that many people do not take seriously, which is not wise. Below, we explain why that is the case and explain what you can do to make things easier for yourself.

Proofreading picks up plagiarism

No company wants to be accused of plagiarism. Sorting the issue out sucks up a lot of time and could potentially lead to litigation. Be sure to make plagiarism checking the first step of the proofreading process. That way you won´t waste time correcting text that you then have to change because it is too similar to something that has already been written.

Everybody makes mistakes

No matter how careful you are, you will make mistakes. Often, we have no idea we have done so until we go back over our text. Making proofreading a habit ensures that those errors are picked up and sorted out. It is really hard to spot your own mistakes. Whenever possible, use someone else to do the final read-through of your work. It is all too easy to miss your own mistakes. 

Typos make your company look unprofessional

Most of us see attention to detail as a sign that someone is professional. So, when we come across typos we tend to think the person who wrote it is not competent. When they appear on business correspondence or a website most people think the same about the company concerned. It sounds unlikely, but typos can make consumers trust you less than one of your competitors. So, you must correct them. The last thing you need is for a grammatical error to tip the balance and cause them not to hire you.

Errors cause confusion

The other problem is that grammatical errors and some spelling mistakes can lead to confusion. This can be a disaster if that happens with a contract or your terms or conditions. Potentially, it could leave you being financially liable for something. You could end up being legally obliged to provide something you did not budget for. This could have the effect of turning a product that makes you a healthy profit when you first sell it into one that ends up costing you money a few years down the line.

Mistakes can hit your bottom line. So, it is definitely worth your while doing your best to spot and sort them out.

 Source: BM Magazine UK. Reproduced for Educational Purposes.