COLUMBUS, OH — (Marketwire) — 02/14/13 — Just in time for Valentine-s Day, , the largest online community dedicated entirely to small business, is revealing findings from a new study that shows small business owners are mixing business with pleasure. The survey of more than 1,100 small business owners shows one in four work with their significant other and nearly 60 percent say they would recommend it. In fact, one-third of those polled say their family life and relationships have actually improved as a result of owning their business.
Unfortunately, that hasn-t extended into the bedroom. SMBs rank their sex life last in the areas of their life that have gotten better with business, saying their business and personal relationships are of higher importance. While small business owners- sex life may be taking a hit, their personal relationships are thriving. Sixty percent of the small business owners polled are married — nearly 10 percent higher than the national average. Moreover, SMBs keep their relationships high on their list of priorities — 87 percent value their personal relationships as much or more than their business and an overwhelming majority (80 percent) rank friends and family as the most important part of their life (above their business). Coincidentally, couples who own a small business together say they argue most about work/life balance even more so than money, employee issues and hiring.
“For small business owners, relationships mean everything — it-s personal for them and that extends into the way they do business and who they bring into their business,” said Pamela Springer, CEO of Manta. “Forming relationships is at the center of what we-re providing to SMBs on Manta.com — our network is a place for them to connect directly with each other to form stronger bonds with peers, prospects and customers.”
“Not many people have the opportunity to work with their significant other. Because I devote so much time to my business, I feel lucky that I-m able to do it with the person I love and trust the most,” said Tony Lavoie of , a company that provides medical courier and delivery services based in Dublin, Ohio. “Because at times, it feels like we-re working around the clock, I value Manta as a resource — it provides my wife and I with the tools to efficiently run our business whether it be engaging with customers on our Manta profile or engaging with others for new business opportunities.”
For more on the Manta survey, please contact manta (at) bordersgratehouse (dot) com. To access the full survey results, go to
Manta polled 1,147 small business owners, who are members of Manta.com and have claimed their Manta business profile, via an online Silverpop survey between January 30, 2013 and February 1, 2013. The margin of error is +/- 2.98 percentage points.
Manta helps small businesses profit, connect and grow through the largest online community dedicated entirely to small business. Millions of people come to Manta each day to buy from, partner with and connect to companies. By joining Manta, small businesses easily harness the power of the Internet. Get visible; grow your business for free at .
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