You are a young and successful business owner. You already have many of the things you set you mind to accomplishing - a steady and lucrative income, success at a dream . . . there’s just one important thing still missing - a successful relationship in your personal life. But who has time to make that happen?

Granted, I can’t say that I understand completely where someone in that position may be coming from, since I started pursuing my entrepreneurial dreams after establishing my family. But many entrepreneurs start pursuing their business dreams so young (early twenties), that, by the time they feel comfortable with the path their business is on, they realize that they are still somewhat alone while many of those around them have gotten married and started families.

In all seriousness though, if having a family is something that is important to the future you see for yourself, the task at this point can seem arduous. Especially if your successful business takes up nearly every waking hour of your day. You may get noticed, after all you’re successful and easy on the eyes, but rarely do the dates turn into relationships.

If you’re at a point in life where you are ready to find a balance between running your business and finding that right person, here are some tips to get you on your way:

Prioritize
You need to figure out what is most important to you. That doesn’t have to be a family. In fact, there are many entrepreneurs who put their business before their personal lives. If that is the case, however, you need to make any prospective counterparts aware of that fact from the get go. There is no point in pursuing a relationship if the other person expects more of you than you are willing to give. So, figure out where your priorities lie and be honest about that from the start.

Schedule
If you are serious about finding the right person for you and starting a family, then you need to set aside time in your busy schedule to actually pursue that possibility (i.e. dating, vacations, etc.). You make time in your schedule for clients, employees and even friends (on occasion). Figure out how much time you’re willing to allot to a relationship each week and stick to it. Lots of people do it and make it work for both them and their business. So can you.

Sacrifice
Be aware of and prepared for the fact that you will have to sacrifice some of your commitment to your business. Typically that means hiring more employees to take care of the things you tend to prefer to do yourself that can be easily micromanage (after all, it’s often about keeping control), such as bookkeeping. It means less money in your pocket because you’re paying someone else, but if you really want to pursue this relationship thing, you’ll find the sacrifice well worth it.

Resources
Placing yourself on the market doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to wait until prospects find you. Use the resources that are out there to let the world know that you’re making yourself available. Dating sites are always an option, especially because you can be upfront about your priorities and what you’re looking for more easily, and you can filter through the prospects more quickly. Time management is what it’s all about. There are even dating website geared directly toward the hard working singles, such as EntrepreneurDating.com and BusinessSingles.com.

And, among many other options, there’s always networking events and conferences. These are great ways to meet new people, and possible relationship prospects, since the many of those in the crowd attending these events are often in the same position you are - really focused and driven to have a successful business and put social life on the side burner (hopefully not the back burner).

These are only tips to get you started. Know one knows where each possibility made lead, but at least you’re on the right track to having everything you ever dreamed of - a successful business and a beautiful family (not necessarily in that order).

Source:
• Entrepreneur.com: Up Close and Entrepreneurial

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