Proofreading may not be terribly fun, but it's one of the most important parts of writing.
Have you ever read a web page or a document that had typos, grammatical errors, and punctuation mistakes? This reflects badly on you and your business, and you could easily lose a customer over a simple spelling mistake!
Here are some tips for quick and effective proofreading:
1. Wait several hours before proofreading. Otherwise you might be thinking about what you just wrote, rather than watching for typos and punctuation errors.
2. Eliminate distractions. This is very detailed work so you need to be focused.
3. Print out a copy of your work, rather than reading it on a computer screen. To make it even easier, print a double-spaced draft copy.
4. Read the document aloud. This helps to highlight punctuation errors and missing words.
5. Use a piece of colored paper as a guide. This will help to keep your eyes on the line you're working on. If you don't have any colored paper, use a ruler.
6. Read backwards for spelling mistakes. Yes, that's right! You'll find spelling errors much easier if you're going from right to left. Otherwise you might unconsciously start reading, and not "proof" reading.
7. Use a different colored pen such as green or red to make your correction marks. These colors are much easier to see than black or blue.
8. Carefully check numbers and totals. Refigure all calculations and look for misplaced commas and decimal points.
9. If you have a lengthy document to proofread, rest your eyes every 10 to 15 minutes.
10. When you're absolutely sure there are no mistakes, have a partner check your work. Sometimes all it takes is a second pair of eyes.
Jean Hanson is a Certified Professional Virtual Assistant. Discover how partnering with a virtual assistant will give you more time to do the things you love to do! Visit her at http://www.vaofficesolution.com. Jean is also the author of the eBook, Virtualize Your Business - http://www.virtualizeyourbiz.com
RELATED ARTICLES:
Top Ten Tips: Where to Get the Best Business Books Now! There are many places you can get books, and I don't pretend to know them all. I've listed a few of my favorites below. 10 E-mail Organization Tips Who doesn't have issues with organizing their inbox!? I receive close to 600 e-mail each day due to the variety of activities and contacts I have online. Some I am truly interested in their content - most I am not. Advice for New Coaches: 10 Ways to Attract Your First Paying Client and Receive Endless Referrals Many new coaches struggle to attract their first client. Often, these coaches are so desperate to prove themselves, they'll sacrifice their financial health to coach their first few clients for free. The 7 Keys to Business Success Do you run a business that seems to run you? It does not have to be this way. There are 7 keys that can improve your business results and help you achieve success with much less stress. 10 Steps for Simplifying Business Plan Financial Statements For most business owners and entrepreneurs, preparing, and communicating the financial statement section of a business plan is like trying to give driving directions to someone who doesn't speak the same language."Numbers" is the language most investors speak. 1 Step Program to Achieve All of Your Goals In Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen's original "Chicken Soup for the Soul," I am reminded of the short story titled "Another Check Mark On the List." This is a story about a 15-year-old boy named John who, on one rainy day, when it was too wet outside to play, he decided to write a list of goals. 7 Tips on How To Prepare for Business Events Are you scratching your head after business events wondering why you aren't finding prospects? Whether it's your first or 100th event, here are some tips on how to prepare for your next event that can make the difference between scratching and smiling. These tips will help you save time, money, create memorable impressions, and increase connections. Top Seven Reasons to Publicize your Business with Articles Do you want to be #1-10 on Google and other search engines? Do you want quadruple your Web sales in five months? Promote your business to the top with these 7 reasons to write and submit how-to articles. 1. Ten Steps To Better Listening Talking is the least important half of any conversation. Listening is the real skill. 10 Budgeting Tips for Business People and Small Companies It is possible for small companies and individual business people to cut costs without sacrificing quality. Keep these 10 budgeting tips in mind when purchasing goods and services. Reminders For Running A Better Business The following tips are from an article we contributed to Compute magazine. These are ideas that we all should know, but many times forget. Top Ten Reasons to Write a Sales Letter for Each Product? - Part 2 Authors/publishers are great at getting their books written. Entrepreneurs know their products. The Seven Secrets of Top Performers Let's put to rest the fallacy that success, in sales or any profession, is due to luck, chance, and/or hard work. There is nothing further from the truth. Home Furnishings in India : How to Find an Exporter, manufacturer or Supplier ? Beyond a Database. Looking for a manufacturer or supplier of home furnishings in India ?Don't know where to begin? Want to find a source but at a loss for resources? Want to do business in India, but unsure what is the best way to go about it? This article attempts to answer some of these questions. Firstly, unless you have a link in India, you will find it a difficult task to sift through the information available on the Internet. 5 Things You Must Do Well When Buying a Business to Not Get Burned Are you not sure what Business to buy? Need to know what is a fair deal? Martin Smith thought he was buying an established business with good credit and collectable accounts receivable. The day after settlement the surprises began. 7 Secrets to Writing Inventory Procedures What would You do with $1,000,000With $1 Million would you:? Pay off debt?? Purchase new equipment?? Invest/save for the future?? Give yourself a bonus?$1,000,000 Waiting in the Wings. What do you and your business need that you have been putting off because you don't have the money today? $1,000,000 certainly would fill those needs. But where do you find $1,000,000 just lying around your business right now? Well, you probably have $250,000 in each of four areas in your everyday business, and you don't even realize it. The Top Ten Ways to Stop Procrastinating Now 10. Procrastination Condemnation - Lose the Labels! All those things you call yourself, such as lazy, scattered, disorganized, not good enough, incompetent, or stupid, for example, aren't helping you get things done, are they? You've learned to believe them, and you think they've become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. How To Use The Power Of Focus To Build Massive Momentum In Your Business Getting focused on what you want to achieve and creating an action plan for making it happen are critical skills for you to master. As bestselling author Napoleon Hill once said, "Every well-built house started with a definite plan in the form of blueprints. The Lazy Person Secrets To Overnight Wealth And Fame There are so many simple, yet really sure-fire ways of acquiring wealth, it's a wonder everybody with even the least bit of ambition isn't already rich. When you come right down to it, the only things needed for anyone to make bundles of money are the long-range vision and the energy to put a money-making plan into force. 7 Ways To Get One-way Links To Your Site One way links will help you gain better rankings in the major search engines. Here are 7 ways to get them :1. |
Akron City Directory
www.AccessFreedom.Does.It
www.Akron.Has.It
www.NoGas.Drives.It
|
auction news and listings for Akron, Ohio Akron crafts and hobby news center Advertising and promotions Akron, Ohio The Akron blogging news center Akron Ohio web site design news Akron Mortgaging and refinancing Best Home Remedies and do it yourself tips
|
|
HOME |
SITE MAP
© 2012 - 2024 All Rights Reserved |
||