Is your dream date a creative, business-savvy man or woman who’s a drive self-starter? Sounds like you’re interested in dating an entrepreneur. Whether you’re a business-focused person yourself or just like to socialize among the top movers-and-shakers in business, dating an entrepreneur is up your alley.
You’ll be dating someone who knows how to build a business from the ground up, see it thrive, and sell the business to someone else, and then repeat the pattern! It takes skill to do that once, let alone over and over. Being an entrepreneur can be a rollercoaster—carefully constructing a plan or product bit by bit, then going a mile a minute to sell that product to the highest bidder. When you’re dating an entrepreneur, you’re along for the ride. Strap in—if you want to date a single entrepreneur, you’re there no matter how many ups and downs they face.
Top Tips for Dating an Entrepreneur
- Business comes first – Single entrepreneurs didn’t get where they are by putting their feet up—they worked for it! Set your expectations accordingly and know you’ll be dating someone that prioritizes their work time.
- Stand on your own – Most single entrepreneurs don’t want to date someone who’s sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring. Have your own life, your own hobbies, and maybe even your own entrepreneurial drive.
- Keep up! – No one wants to feel like their date isn’t listening. You don’t have to be an expert, but know a little bit about your date’s type of business, what their latest project is, and what his or her professional goals are.
How to Date an Entrepreneurs – Finding Single Entrepreneurs
If you’re an entrepreneur yourself, you’re in a great position to meet other single entrepreneurs. Conventions, networking events, and even a plain old business meeting gives you a chance to strike a spark with someone who shares your professional drive. It’s an exciting chance to match wits with someone who can conversationally go toe to toe. What’s not to like about that?
But if you’re not in business yourself, meeting a single entrepreneur can be a bit more of a challenge. When you’re seeking someone with professional drive, they may not have much spare time for socializing or speed-dating. If that’s the case, online dating is the way to go. Here are some of our favorite sites and apps, and some of the pros and cons of dating an entrepreneur.
For You: The Best Dating Apps for Professionals
Pros of Dating an Entrepreneur
- You’ll be dating someone smart. – No one gets ahead in business without a sharp mind to execute a business plan. Someone with business smarts will be able to hold a great conversation, and challenge you to do the same. Getting ahead in business means being creative, too, so be prepared to have your own perceptions challenged as you chat.
- You’ll be dating someone driven – Starting a business, let alone starting more than one, takes hard work and dedication. Dating a self-made man or woman with a strong work ethic is an attractive quality no matter what field they’re in. Who wants to date someone lazy who expects the world handed to them on a silver platter? Take that guesswork out of the way early and date someone who’s naturally driven to blaze their own path.
- Get to know business’s movers and shakers – Whether it’s professional or social, entrepreneurs spend their time with other entrepreneurs. That’s likely to mean you will, too. Even if you’re not a businessperson yourself, the conversations can be fascinating and you’ll meet plenty of talented people professionally on the rise.
Challenges of Dating an Entrepreneur
- Be prepared for plans to change. – First and foremost, you’ll be dating someone whose business—or businesses!—come first. If there’s a can’t-miss business opportunity Have your own work life, hobbies, and friends, and make sure you’re the kind of person others would call low-maintenance. It’s not just a perception; expecting too much from any one person will leave you waiting by the phone.
- It may be hard to shift gears – The wheels in a single entrepreneur’s mind are constantly turning. With so many business ideas and so many plans ahead, it could be tough for your date to turn his or her mind away from the work day. Be patient, but also feel free to let your date know when it’s time for work talk to end. He or she may appreciate the reminder that there’s more to life than work.
- Your date may need to decompress – The business world is high-pressure, and dating an entrepreneur means you’ll occasionally be dating a workaholic or a stress case. This can mean one of two things: he or she may need some time on their own when things get tough, or that he or she will need a sounding board to vent to in high-pressure moments.
- The business world changes rapidly – the entrepreneur you’re dating may have a profitable, highly-lauded business one day, and back at square one. That doesn’t mean they aren’t successful; it’s just the nature of the entrepreneurial world.
FAQ for Dating an Entrepreneur
- Do I Need to Be an Entrepreneur Myself? – Not necessarily! While many single entrepreneurs will appreciate someone who has the same hustle they do, they may also like to take a break and have a conversation about something other than business now and again.
- Should I Date an Entrepreneur if I Want to Start My Own Business? – Maybe, maybe not! Entrepreneurs are expert business people who would charge a consulting fee if they weren’t your date. Then again, an entrepreneur may also be an enthusiastic, positive person who would love to help you succeed by sharing some of the tips that have gotten them ahead.
- Are All Entrepreneurs the Same? – Not by a long shot! Just as there are thousands of types of businesses, entrepreneurs are have many types of business interests, and a range of personalities as well. Businesses aside, entrepreneurs are unique people—they’re just creative, drive people who put more energy into their work lives.