5 of the Best Business Proofreading Courses for Busy Professionals

If you work in an office environment, you probably spend a lot of time writing and/or reviewing business documents – emails, reports, pitches, slide decks, marketing materials, and so on. And when you’re spinning a lot of plates, it’s easy for small errors to slip through the cracks.

While these errors might seem minor, they can actually have a significant impact on how colleagues, stakeholders, clients, or customers perceive your work. One way to reduce the likelihood of errors slipping through is to invest in a business proofreading course.

In this blog post, we’ll:

• Look at why taking a business proofreading course is a good idea
• Share five tips for choosing the right course for your needs
• Explore five business-focused proofreading courses and what they offer
• Provide a side-by-side comparison table
• Help you consider which course might be the best fit for your goals

Why Take a Business Proofreading Course?

You don’t need a specific qualification to be able to proofread business documents. But structured training can still be useful at any stage of your career, whether you’re new to your role or already experienced.

A business proofreading course can help you and your company in several ways:

• Improve clarity in everyday communication: Clear, error-free writing makes it easier for your reader to understand your message the first time. This reduces the risk of misinterpretation so your words achieve their intended purpose.
  
• Protect your professional reputation: Frequent typos, inconsistencies, or formatting issues can distract from your message. Polished writing shows that you are detail-oriented and can be trusted to produce high-quality work.
  
• Work more efficiently: Learning a step-by-step proofreading process – and how to use key tools such as Track Changes, Compare, and Comments in Word – makes reviewing documents quicker and easier. Stakeholders know how a document is progressing, and feedback is clearly organized even when multiple people are weighing in.
  
• Maintain brand consistency: When several people contribute to creating content, it can be tricky to maintain consistency in word choice, stylistic elements, and tone. Learning how to apply style guidelines ensures your organization presents a unified voice across all of its materials.
  
• Showcase your commitment to continuing professional development: Structured proofreading training builds your understanding of how to ensure writing is clear and effective and helps you develop habits you can use in day-to-day tasks. Completing a recognized course also looks great on your resume and professional profiles, showing that you’re actively developing skills that support your work.

5 Tips for Choosing a Business Proofreading Course

Before deciding on a business proofreading course, it helps to compare a few key factors. Here are five practical questions to guide your decision-making.

1. Does the Course Cover the Essentials?

Look for a program that addresses key areas: spelling, grammar, punctuation, style, and other common errors. For business writing, it’s especially helpful if the course includes information on different types of content (e.g., formal reports, informal marketing copy, and communications) and examples drawn from real workplace documents.

2. Are There Opportunities to Practice?

Interactive elements – such as quizzes, practice documents, or hands-on assignments – help reinforce what you’ve learned and show you how your skills apply to real work situations.

3. What Support Does the Provider Offer?

Some courses offer tutor guidance, Q&A sessions, or email-based help, while others are entirely self-directed. Choose the level of support that matches how you like to learn.

4. Will I Receive a Certificate or CPD Recognition?

While not essential, a certificate or proof of CPD-accredited training can be helpful for performance reviews or resume updates.

5. Does the Format Fit My Schedule?

Busy professionals often prefer self-paced online learning that they can access when it suits them, but short workshops or live webinars may work better if you prefer guided instruction.

5 of the Best Business Proofreading Courses

Now that you know what to look for in a business proofreading course, let’s explore five reputable options and what they offer in terms of curriculum, key features, learning support, certification, and pricing. Afterward, we’ll summarize them in a handy comparison table.

1. Knowadays: Proofreading For Professionals

Our Proofreading For Professionals course is designed specifically for people who want to improve the clarity, accuracy, and consistency of the documents they write or review at work. 

You’ll learn how to:

• Identify and correct common spelling, grammar, and punctuation issues
• Apply style guidelines to maintain consistency across all materials
• Adjust tone and structure to boost clarity and readability 
• Use the key proofreading tools in Microsoft Word to streamline your workflow
• Work with other document types including Google Docs and Adobe PDFs

The course is designed to fit around a full-time schedule, as it’s entirely self-paced, and learners receive lifetime access to all materials. 

Throughout the course, you’ll complete quizzes and practical exercises that are designed to reinforce the topics taught in each lesson and let you try out your developing skills. The course culminates with a self-assessed assignment that brings everything you’ve learned together. 

The course is CPD accredited, and you can request a certificate of completion once you finish. This is a great way to showcase your new skills and your commitment to professional development.

The course costs $379 for lifetime access, and you can try two lessons for free to get a taster of the full course. 

2. SkillPath: Business Grammar & Proofreading

SkillPath’s Business Grammar & Proofreading workshop provides a focused introduction to improving the accuracy and professionalism of workplace writing. 

You’ll discover how to:

• Identify and correct grammar and usage errors
• Add emphasis to your documents using common punctuation marks
• Overcome common spelling problems 
• Establish a casual, friendly tone, and use the active voice effectively 
• Proofread quickly without sacrificing accuracy

The three-hour workshop is delivered live online, with opportunities to ask questions throughout the session, and there are multiple days and times to choose from. This makes it easy to fit into or around a regular workday, as you can learn from anywhere. However, be aware that you pay to attend a specific session, and you must cancel and rebook in advance if you’re unable to attend.

The workshop costs $149 per person or $139 per person if you enroll four or more learners. 

3. Instructional Solutions: Proofreading Workshop

Instructional Solutions’ Proofreading Workshop is aimed at professionals who regularly write or review business documents and want an efficient process for ensuring accuracy and consistency. 

You’ll find out how to:

• Recognize the difference between proofreading and editing 
• Spot error hot spots (i.e., error-prone areas of a document) 
• Correct common grammar, punctuation, and formatting issues
• Identify and avoid your own most common errors 
• Refine your workflow so you can proofread more efficiently

The workshop is available as a self-paced online course or a 90-minute live webinar. It includes downloadable checklists and practice activities based on realistic workplace examples. 

Pricing begins at $149 for individuals, with customized training available for teams. 

4. LSBA: Certified Business Writing Proofreading Specialist

The Leadership School of Business and Administration (LSBA) offers the Certified Business Writing Proofreading Specialist course, which focuses on practical proofreading skills for corporate communications. It’s designed for professionals who frequently write or review business documents such as reports and presentations.

The course will teach you how to:

• Follow industry best practices 
• Adhere to grammar and punctuation rules 
• Proofread texts for clarity, concision, and consistency
• Edit writing to refine voice and tone
• Format business documents effectively

Learners can choose between a standard route (two months) or a fast-track option (one month), depending on how quickly they want to complete the course. The standard route costs £90, while the fast-track route costs £140. While prices are listed in pounds, learners can apply and study from anywhere in the world.

5. Proofreading Malta Academy: Business Proofreading Mastery (Full Course Bundle)

Proofreading Malta Academy’s Business Proofreading Mastery bundle is designed for learners who want a deeper, more specialized understanding of proofreading in a corporate context. The program brings together four separate courses, offering a step-by-step pathway through the core skills needed to effectively review business communications.

Topics covered include how to:

• Navigate and apply a house style guide
• Harness tech tools for better writing 
• Tackle common business writing errors, such as incorrect capitalization 
• Use tenses and first, second, and third person perspectives correctly 
• Navigate the differences between British and American English

The courses include written material, downloadable practice materials, and a certificate upon successful completion. 

The course bundle is priced at €396, which is a saving of 40% compared to buying each of the four courses separately. Although course prices are listed in euros, learners can enroll and study from any location. 

Side-By-Side Comparison

To help you compare the courses at a glance, we’ve summarized the key details below. This table outlines what each course covers, whether certification is included, and how much it costs.

Ultimately, the right course will depend on your schedule, your budget, and your preferred learning style. Before deciding, consider how much time you can set aside for training, whether you’d like a self-paced course or an instructor-led workshop, and whether certification is important for your professional development.

Proofreading For Professionals

If you’d like to see what structured business proofreading training looks like in practice, you can try some free lessons from our Proofreading For Professionals course. It’s a helpful way to explore whether this style of training suits your needs before committing to a full course!

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