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Editing in the workplace:

Most businesses these days, both large and small, distribute some form of printed material that targets a specific audience, be it a small, regular newsletter or a complex sales report.  Whatever the communication tool being used in the work environment, how the content is written will determine how that business is perceived by its clients.

Errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar can be frustrating and/or confusing for the reader, and can impede the professional image and understanding the author is striving for.  Typos might give an incorrect result in a sales report, and poor spelling can make the material look unprofessional.

With so much competition in the workplace today, a professional image is extremely important and can make or break a relationship between a business and a client.  Really, why would you use 'Firm X', when their brochures are full of typos and many large, confusing words, when 'Firm Y' has a clear, error-free brochure which looks (and sounds) more professional?

At the end of the day, great presentation won't compensate for poorly written content.

For example: your secretary might be the most efficient, indispensable person on the planet, but consider that she's typing a 30 page Affidavit for a client to sign this afternoon, so that it can be filed in Court in the morning.  It looks good, the formatting's fine, but she's had 10 phone calls in half an hour, made appointments, and had to help a colleague clear a huge jam in the photocopier.  That Affidavit might, for the most part, be fine; but even a slight mistake on page 25 can have serious implications in Court, and having the same paragraph repeated twice looks unprofessional and is frustrating for all parties who read it. 

Similarly, a program writer for a business training company might write a training manual about how to develop effective management skills.  The program writer has the knowledge, but when the client reads the manual, the grammar and punctuation are poor.  This makes both the training company and the client company look unprofessional, and could result in the client looking elsewhere next time they require this service.

It is imperative that material in these situations is proofread by another person - perhaps by another colleague, or perhaps by a professional proofreader (if time allows).  Relying entirely on the person who produced the work is unwise and can put undue pressure on them.  Distractions in the workplace are an unavoidable, occupational hazard that we all have to deal with – but they severely affect our ability to concentrate. 

Website editing:

Imagine it.

You've just spent weeks working with a web designer – designing a template, selecting colour themes, designs, graphics, layouts, etc.  You've spent hours typing up the content to be uploaded and, now, the final result looks fantastic!  You have a website!  You're so excited, and now your business is going to be exposed to all those potential clients …

But you didn’t see that you typed the wrong price in for one of your products; you typed $250 instead of $2500.  The designer didn't read the content, it was cut and pasted in and she only checked the layout.  This may not seem like a big issue, but if, three weeks later, you have a dispute with a client or potential client over the matter, it can have drastic consequences on your business and your reputation.

Or you've used 'your' instead of 'you're'.  Some people won't notice – but LOTS WILL.  In these times of heavy competition, you don't have a lot of time to make a good impression; people won't always spend a great deal of time on your website.  If, in that brief time, a potential client spots a few errors, even if they don't seem important, your professional image can be damaged, and they leave the site in search of another company – you've lost a potential customer.

This might sound extreme – but it happens.  These examples are only an indication of the potential for a more disastrous situation.

In essence, don't assume that someone will automatically check the content on your behalf, especially if it isn't specifically their job to do so.  A professional proofreader is always the preferred option when it comes to your business, and with websites now being such a vital tool for so many businesses, it's essential to get it right.