State-specific requirements can be daunting for creative professionals. Let’s say you’re a project manager for a creative agency that works on a new project and you realize it’s going to need to be compliant with Minnesota drug test laws. If you don’t know what those are, or you think they’re exclusive to Minnesota, you better put your daydreaming shoes on.

Alright, so if you’ve been tasked with a project that requires compliance to the Minnesota Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Workplace Act, how do you do it without losing sight of the big picture? Here are a few tips. These aren’t sweeping changes, but they do require a bit of footwork to get them handled. Of course, you could hire a consultant to do all this for you, but the damage to your kitchen table with – let’s just call it computer burn – will be extensive.

Although you’re used to creative brainstorming sessions with confident art directors, aggression isn’t your forte. It’s easy to get distracted when you’re off in search of a middle ground, but most of your clients will understand if you’re seeking a bit of fresh air on the topic of compliance.

When you work on a project that requires any type of compliance, the best way to handle it is to begin by simply learning about the requirements. The trick is to not rush the research. You want to make yourself familiar with the particulars, such as: You may need a budget for these types of projects, but fear not. Clients don’t typically blink at the thought of an additional one or two hours per week in up-front costs when it comes to complying with state law. They’ll actually appreciate your attention to detail.

Save time and sanity by working the research into your daily routine. If you wake up, grab coffee and scan the news daily, keep up with any new articles related to Minnesota drug test laws, for example. Put a browser bookmark on your search engine so that every time you visit, you can search the term “minnesota drug test laws.” Sign up for daily newsletters and blogs related to regulations.

Can you think of a way to incorporate some of these methods into your routine? Try one the next time you have to work with state requirements for a project.

Okay, you’re in the home stretch. You understand what Minnesota drug test laws mean and you’ve gone the extra mile to get up-to-date information on the requirements to ensure you, your team and your clients are all compliant. You should be feeling confident now.

Of course, you probably never even thought about drug testing compliance before the past few minutes, did you? Take these insights with you to the next project. When you think outside the box and consider state-specific requirements within the scope of the project, you’ll be collecting accolades from clients in no time.

For more information on workplace drug testing regulations, you can visit OSHA’s official website.