Love Is in the Air, and Behind the Counter: Small Business Owners and Relationships

COLUMBUS, OH--(Marketwired - Feb 12, 2015) - Mixing love and business may be more common than you think, according to a new Manta poll. For entrepreneurs, meeting a partner who shares their passions and interests can be a challenge. Could your desk-mate turn out to be your soulmate? Quite possibly. More than half (53 percent) of respondents reported that they currently work with (or have worked with in the past) a significant other.

Finding the Time

With only so many hours in the day, entrepreneurs are often forced to make difficult choices. Thirty-one percent of small business owners said they regularly choose work over their romantic relationship -- a stark contrast to the 10 percent who said they regularly choose their relationship over work. However, 58 percent have work-love balance figured out, devoting equal time to their relationship and their business.

Too Close for Comfort?

How does working with a significant other affect the relationship? Two-thirds of small business owners (66 percent) noted the extra time together had a positive impact on their relationship, one in five felt it had no impact at all, and 12 percent said it had a negative effect.

For the small business owners who did experience a rift, the poll unearthed a few key factors that contributed to losing that loving feeling:

• Nearly half (48 percent) felt the negative impact on their relationship was a result of too much time together.
• Forty percent had difficulty leaving work troubles in the office, noting that the main focus of their fights at home were about work.
• Five percent said that simply talking too much about work weighed down on their relationship, and another five percent expressed frustration that working together caused them to neglect other interests.
  
  

Looking for Love in all the Right Places

In the end, the results come out slightly in favor of workplace romance in small businesses: 57 percent of respondents felt being a small business owner made keeping the romance alive easier, compared to 42 percent who did not. And despite the potential difficulties, most respondents said that mixing business and pleasure had a positive impact on their relationship--bringing them closer together overall.

About Manta
Manta empowers small business owners to succeed on their own terms by helping them stand out, connect with customers and grow their companies. Our solutions include a small business directory with millions of unique monthly visitors, proven tools to drive lead generation and a suite of products to manage critical business needs. We strive to inform and inspire through learning opportunities, proprietary research, and a robust online community for dialogue and collaboration. Thousands of business owners join Manta each month. Visit manta.com to learn why.