Love and Relationship Advice For Your Biggest Passion -- Your Business Love is in the air -- for your spouse, your partners and your business.
Valentine's Day might best be known for heart-shaped boxes and romantic overtures, but there are plenty of business lessons to learn from February 14, too. For example, the Guiness Book of World Records lists a hot-spring hotel in Yamanashi, Japan, as the oldest company in the world. But, St. Valentine is several hundred years older and relevant worldwide in 2017, almost two millennia after his death -- now that's some serious branding.
Entrepreneur is showing off some of our best Valentine's Day content, from learning how to use love in your management style, to deciding whether to start a business with your spouse and breaking down the chocolate industry.
Shannon Fagan | Getty ImagesHow to Make Sure You Pick the Right Partner
Great businesses are founded on great partnerships. But great businesses can also be destroyed by bad partnerships. Some of our favorite entrepreneurs share their hard-won wisdom about what to watch out for before joining forces with a business partner.
Read More: 6 Things to Consider Before Partnering Up
Emma Innocenti | Getty ImagesHow to Make Your Customers Love You
As a serial entrepreneur, Mike Kappel knows firsthand how important it is to connect with customers. More importantly, he knows how to build those relationships, gaining more returning customers, referrals and net income in the process. He understands how to engage his audience and keep them coming back.
Read More: 5 Ways to Build Killer Relationships With Customers
mactrunk | Getty ImagesHow I Fell in Love with Facebook
Grant Cardone worked hard to build an audience on Facebook. The success that he have created on my Facebook page was not the result of one thing, but rather a continual commitment to omnipresence on the platform. He went from no Facebook following in 2008 to being among the most followed business experts in the world -- a true celebrity in every sense of the word.
Read More: My Love Affair With Facebook
Tom Merton | Getty ImagesA Love/Hate Relationship with Your Employees
It's the age-old leadership question: Is it better to be loved or feared? An August study published online in the "Journal of Business and Psychology" breaks down the answer, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of both leadership styles.
Read More: Do Effective Leaders Use Fear or Love in the Workplace?
Rawpixel | Getty ImagesMake Your Readers Fall in Love with Your Content
Have you ever had what you thought was a great post idea, but it failed to resonate or, more importantly, get shared? It's frustrating, but it doesn't have to be. Writing content that readers will love isn't only about what you write, but how you write it. Here are four keys to help you unlock your creative juices and increase your chances for writing content that readers -- and Google -- will love.
Read More: 4 Keys to Writing Content That Readers Will Love
fotostorm | Getty ImagesHow to Make Money Off Valentine's Day
What many people refer to as a "Hallmark" holiday has always seemed like a great opportunity for companies to roll in some extra cash. In the past, brands have spent much of their time creating Valentine's Day campaigns geared toward couples. But, with more than half of American adults identifying as single today, that may not be the best practice anymore.
Read More: Shocking Valentine's Day Stats That Will Make You Rethink Your Marketing
Westend61 | Getty Images10 Questions to Ask Before Committing to a Business Partner
Like a marriage, a business partnership often begins with enthusiasm and high expectations -- only to end in acrimony and legal proceedings. It's important to know as much as possible about a potential partner, including how his or her finances and family life may affect the business, before signing on the dotted line.
Read More: 10 Questions to Ask Before Committing to a Business Partner
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesWhat's It Like to Marry Elon Musk?
Justine Musk met Elon when they were students at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. They married in 2000. They lost their first child to sudden infant death syndrome and then went on to have a set of twins and a set of triplets -- all boys.
As her husband achieved astronomical success, Justine, who is a writer, watched herself slowly take a back seat to his work.
Read More: Elon Musk's Ex-Wife on What She Learned Living With an Extreme Entrepreneurial Success
martin-dm | Getty ImagesHow to Run a Business With Your Spouse
Being an entrepreneur comes with a unique set of challenges but running your business jointly with your spouse can take that to a whole different level. Can this be a successful venture both personally and professionally? Absolutely. But it must be done with a great deal of care.
Read More: The 5 Commandments of Running a Successful Business With Your Spouse
PeopleImages | Getty ImagesTricks to Make a Special Someone Like You
When you're working hard and doing all you can to achieve your goals, anything that can give you an edge is powerful and will streamline your path to success.
These mind tricks won't make you a Jedi, but using the brain's natural quirks to your advantage can have a positive impact on everyone you encounter.
Read More: 12 Mind Tricks That Will Make People Like You and Help You Get Ahead
Graeme Worsfold | Getty ImagesWhy the Chocolate Industry Is the Sweetest Industry
Chocolate makes us swoon. It arouses our passions and tempts our senses. But, some people take this indulgence a step further, transforming their bittersweet enthusiasm into a money-making adventure.
Three very different entrepreneurs reimagined their futures, turning their chocolate-covered dreams into business realities. Here's a look at how they traded their corporate suits for sweet shops.
Read More: There's No Business Like the Chocolate Business
courtneyk | Getty Images5 Reasons I Love Sales, and Why You Just Might, Too
Jeff Shore is a sales junkie. Even though he left the sales floor long ago to start his own business, he still views sales as the top priority of his company. He gets high on the thrill of the deal and thrives on the puzzle-like challenge of discovering his customers' needs. He lives for the handshake at the close of a successful sale.
Here are his five favorite things about sales.
Read More: 5 Reasons I Love Sales, and Why You Just Might, Too
Westend61 | Getty ImagesHow to Treat a 50/50 Partnership Like a Marriage
One partner can't do something without the consent of the other. Because of this arrangement, trust is the most important factor to make this business partnership work -- without it, the rise of conflict is only a matter of time.
Before signing the shareholder's agreement, your partner and you must understand each other's goals in terms of dilution, salary, exit and commitment. Any discrepancies here could result in very high levels of stress and an increase in the probability of failure.
Read More: 5 Things You Must Do When Entering Into a 50/50 Partnership
