Summer is right around the corner. That means summer reading lists are being compiled now. We’ve gotta have time to stockpile those “must-have” reads, whether that means taking an online trip to the digital bookstore, stopping by a real life bookstore, or making sure your favorite library either has the books you want or can get them for you. Here at Powerhouse, we’ve been thinking about what we want to read this summer, so we thought it would be interesting to reach out to our clients to see what they recommend. Rissa Reddan, senior vice president of marketing for PayNet, an Equifax company, graciously sat down with us for a chat on life, work, and what she’s reading now and this summer.

PayNet was founded 20 years ago with a desire to serve the small business community. Located just outside of Chicago in Skokie, IL, PayNet’s mission is “to make the lending process faster, easier, more accurate, and more profitable.” Today, they focus on the digital lending revolution and how to help lenders navigate the digital world in order to make better decisions on how and where to lend their money. Reddan came on board about a year ago. With a background in marketing, which she considers to be both an art and a science (and thus perfect for her), Reddan loves the opportunity she has at PayNet to have a real chance to put a fingerprint on a place. Usually in marketing, the brand is already established and the ability to shape that brand just doesn’t exist. However, the entrepreneurial culture at PayNet has allowed Reddan to have an impact on how their brand is grown and how it is marketed. In other words, PayNet gives her that true blend of art and science that she craves.

Because she works in a place that has such a passion for helping small businesses succeed, grow, and thrive in our present economy, is it any wonder that Reddan’s book recommendations all focus either on finance or on how to succeed? Her first recommendation is a book by former Bank of America Executive Vice President Richard J. Parsons entitled Investing in Banks: Strategies and Statistics for Bankers, Directors, and Investors. A highly practical book for serious investors that delves into all aspects of the banking world, it truly is an enlightening read on how banks operate.

She also recommends Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by psychologist Adam Grant, Wharton’s youngest tenured professor, and Let the Story Do the Work: The Art of Storytelling for Business Success by Esther Choy, a Chicago-based author and founder of Leadership Story Lab. Grant’s book posits that there are three types in the workplace: takers, matchers, and givers. He shows how these styles impact success. Choy believes that nobody remembers statistics, but everyone remembers a good story. Her book shows you how to take your life experiences to create a narrative that will help you realize your business goals.

On Reddan’s personal reading list is Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown, which her entire marketing team is reading right now. Brown’s book claims that empathy, connection, and courage are necessary ingredients to putting your leadership ideas into practice. In Reddan’s queue as well are The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer, The Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope, and Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

A self-professed extrovert, Reddan does best when she has others to share her thoughts and ideas with; thus, book clubs are a big way in which she processes what she reads. It’s no surprise that most of her recommendations come from either past, present, or future book club reads. She highly encourages sharing your thoughts on what you read with someone. Not only does reading improve you, but also sharing what you read helps bring others together and foster new, exciting ideas that can change the world. Is it any wonder that Reddan is one of our favorite people? Now, I’m off to go pitch to Powerhouse President Jessica Bertsch that we absolutely, positively must form a company book club and choose one of Reddan’s recommendations as our first read!

April is National Stress Awareness Month. We all suffer from stress, whether it’s at home, at work, or both. So it’s no surprise that small business owners can also get stressed out, particularly in the first year of operation. In fact, a 2017 survey conducted by Bank of America found that 41% of small business owners claimed that some aspect of managing their business was their top stressor. In comparison, only 9% of respondents said raising children was their number one stressor.

What are the top stressors for small business owners? We’re glad you asked! Entrepreneurs cite the following as their top stressors: financial risk, constant uncertainty, employee issues, and work/life balance. Unsurprisingly, financial risk tops the list, especially in the first year. It is a huge risk to go out on your own and start a new business. The financial burden on a new business coupled with the added stress of what it can mean to personal finances can produce sleepless nights. Add the stress of wondering whether you will succeed or fail and it’s easy to see how your work/life balance can get thrown off. It’s easy to invest large amounts of time and energy into a new business, often at the expense of personal relationships and health.

So how can you reduce and relieve the stress that comes with a new business? The simple answer, according to Mike Kappel, is to write it down. Remind yourself of what is going right and make a list. Put that list of “rights” where you will see it often throughout your day. When you’re feeling stressed, just take a moment to remember what is positive about your business. Rank your tasks, as well. Again, prioritize and write out a list of tasks that must be done. As you complete the tasks, cross them out. The list may seem daunting at first, but the satisfaction of crossing another task off your list is rewarding. Also, purge your brain. It’s easy to think business all the time, especially when starting a new one. Write down the problems, solutions, whatever it is you can’t stop thinking about when you’re trying to relax. Place the list in a box and put the box in a safe place. The physical act of removing your business thoughts to another place can help your brain let go and focus on other aspects of your life.

Though it seems evident, one of the biggest ways to reduce stress is to take care of yourself. Seriously. Eat a healthy diet, exercise (it’s a great stress reliever), and take breaks. Stressing at work? Take a 10-minute break. Grab a cup of coffee, take a walk, or call a friend. Whatever you do, make sure it’s something you like and something that isn’t business-related. When you feel good, you stress less.

Also, one of the best ways to relieve workplace stress is to delegate or automate whatever you can. Particularly when you are starting out, it’s easy to get in a mindset of needing to do everything yourself, but relieving yourself of a few tasks can help immensely. And this is where Powerhouse can help you out. We offer a variety of affordable services that can help you feel better and be more successful. Prioritize your time: What do you like to do best or feel you really need to do yourself? Keep that on your list, and then find someone else to take on the other tasks. One effective way to help is to set three to five strategic goals for the year. Once you’ve figured out what your goals are, it’ll be easier to know what Powerhouse can do to help. Check out our Goal Brainstorming resource to help you get started. Once you’ve nailed down your goals, browse through our offered services. Let us help you de-stress and be more successful. Here’s to a stress-free April and beyond!

For more information on workplace stress and how to combat it, check out these online articles:

Clifford, Catherine. “Way More Entrepreneurs Stress about Running Their Business than Raising Their Kids, Study Shows”
Galic, David. “6 Stress Management Tips for Small Business Owners”
Kappel, Mike. “5 Tips for Small Business Stress Management”
Ray, Linda. “The Leading Cause of Stress in Small Business”
Vetter, Amy. “Five Practical Ways to Deal with Entrepreneurial Stress”

We’ve talked about branding content and building websites in the past. And ideally, you’ve been rocking a great, user-friendly, aesthetically pleasing business website this past year. But a website is not (or should not be) a static thing. It should be responsive to your business climate and users—both your present customers and your prospective customers. That means your website can’t be a one-and-done situation. It requires regular review and maintenance to keep your business fresh and relevant. So, let’s get to spring-cleaning your website, shall we?

Take care of the logistics of having/running your website. Is your domain name due for renewal? If so, take care of that now. If not, make sure to note on your calendar when that next needs to be addressed. How about your hosting plan? Is it meeting your needs given your website traffic?

Have you looked at your website traffic recently? Review your analytics. Where on your website are people most actively engaging? Where do they not tend to visit/click? Let this information guide your strategy for content for this calendar year. Ruthlessly edit your content. If it performs, wonderful—figure out what made it a successful piece of content and do more of that. If not? Find a way to repurpose it or kindly bid it adieu. Schedule regular analytics checks and adapt your strategy accordingly.

Review your products and services. Are you still doing what you say you do? Perhaps you’ve previously promoted an offering that hasn’t taken off. Or you’ve expanded your available services. Make sure that any listing of products and/or services reflects what’s currently available and that the pricing is current. If you’ve already got plans in the works to change your pricing in the near future, consider doing it now, while you’re “cleaning” your site, rather than later.

Timing is everything. You don’t want your content to appear out-of-date. Know what’s not “news”? Old stuff. That means your most recent content shouldn’t be over a year old. That the copyright date on the bottom of your page should now read 2019. That any metrics you may boast of, like units sold or clients served or locations you’ve expanded to, should show any growth you’ve experienced.

Keeping everything current also means that any bios or references to staff and their positions are up-to-date. That any changes of physical address or email are reflected in your contact information. That any policy changes, like those joyful legal disclaimers, reflect the most current (and compliant with any changes in regulations) language.

Prioritize function over form. Test the functionality of your website. Do the links all work? (This is particularly important if you share external resources and/or information, as another company’s website changes can make once good links bad.) Anything you would ask a customer to do on your website—sign up for your email list, complete a survey, reach you through a “contact us” button, leave a comment, make a payment—make sure you can perform that desired action. Your goal is for your end user to have an easy and enjoyable experience interacting with your site, so make sure nothing interferes with that aim.

But aesthetics DO matter. Listen to your fifth grade English teacher: Spelling (and grammar) count. Don’t diminish your impact as a subject matter expert in your field over typos or misspelled words. If you tend to have a blind eye to necessary corrections (which is very common when we’re reviewing language we’ve created and used for some time), then ask someone else to look at it with a fresh set of eyes.

Check too for consistency of branding and messaging. If you’ve changed your logo or tagline or marketing materials, make sure that those changes are made to your website as well. Ideally, you should see continuity between your website, marketing materials, business cards, invoices, social media sites, anywhere that your brand has a presence. That consistency should apply to any visual elements, images, and your company’s voice.

Your website should reflect the latest and greatest version of your business. It is your baby out in the world. Take the time to tend to it properly, with a good spring-cleaning and regular checkups, and it can be a tool that will help your baby grow.