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It is not only publishers who need a house style. All businesses can use this tool to make their communications materials look more professional and consistent, creating a better impression on their customers and outdoing the competition.

What are the key things you need to think about? The obvious place to start is with spelling. Where are your customers? Is US or UK spelling more appropriate for them? Decide which regional English you want to use.

Does your field of business use a lot of jargon or acronyms that may be familiar to you but not so easy for your customers to understand? Consider setting a rule about the use of acronyms. Generally it is good practice to write the term out in full the first time it is used with the acronym in brackets, then to use the acronym from that point on.

How will you write numbers? Should your staff write 10,000, 10 000, 10000 or ten thousand? Decide on a rule and follow it.

Consider capitalisation. Should your headings be “Buy the Latest Gadgets and Toys” or “Buy the latest gadgets and toys”? How does your company write department names? Do you have to see Human Resources or human resources?

There are many aspects of written language that can be included in a house style, however, if you create too many rules it will be hard for your staff to remember them and the whole thing may be ignored. If you can put a few simple rules in place it can increase the quality of your communications with your customers.