How to Start an Online Dating Consulting Business

An online dating consultant helps people navigate the complicated online dating world. A dating consultant doesn’t have to be strictly used for finding a spouse. They may fill a variety of needs from serious to casual. Consultants create unions that strengthen neighborhoods with positive relationships. In addition to helping to create a better community, children of well-matched couples tend to be more responsible members of society.

You may also be interested in additional online business ideas.

Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? We recommend forming an LLC as it is the most affordable way to protect your personal assets. You can do this yourself or with our trusted partner for a small fee.

Northwest ($29 + State Fees)

DIY: How to Start an LLC

Start an online dating consulting business by following these 10 steps:

  1. Plan your Online Dating Consulting Business
  2. Form your Online Dating Consulting Business into a Legal Entity
  3. Register your Online Dating Consulting Business for Taxes
  4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
  5. Set up Accounting for your Online Dating Consulting Business
  6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Online Dating Consulting Business
  7. Get Online Dating Consulting Business Insurance
  8. Define your Online Dating Consulting Business Brand
  9. Create your Online Dating Consulting Business Website
  10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your online dating consulting business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Online Dating Consulting Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

  • Your state’s business records
  • Federal and state trademark records
  • Social media platforms
  • Web domain availability

It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening an online dating consulting business?

Costs can be relatively low to start. You likely won’t need any other supplies besides a computer. You can have an office, but it works just as well to meet your clients in a public location like a coffee shop. A website can be started on a service like Squarespace for just $150 a year, and social media platforms are entirely free. You may want to invest any of your start-up costs with paid advertising on social media to help get the word out though. Facebook pay-per-click ads can be expensive, depending on your area and competition.

What are the ongoing expenses for an online dating consulting business?

Dating consultants will have the following ongoing expenses:

  • Website maintenance
  • General supplies (paper, pens, smartphones, laptop)
  • Advertising costs

Who is the target market?

Dating consultants choose their own target market. Typically, the ideal person is a busy professional who may not understand the rules or tricks behind creating a dating profile. Most consultants then choose a specific niche that accounts for the area they serve. For example, a young person in Denver may be more likely to want a spouse and children, while an older person in NYC may just be looking for companionship. However, if you feel strongly toward one demographic or another, you can likely carve out a client base regardless of where you are with the help of your expertise and passion.

How does an online dating consulting business make money?

Online dating consultants will generally charge for their time. A professional company (as opposed to an independent consultant) may charge by the week for access to their full team. More often though, consultants will charge a package rate that includes a specific level of service for a designated amount of time.

How much can you charge customers?

Costs vary depending on the service you offer. A quick profile revamp may cost as little as $50, while a full-scale service can charge up to $2,000 a week for VIPs. A consultant should determine how much they want to make an hour, and then determine how long it takes for her to service an average client. They should also check what similar services are charging in their area to avoid pricing themselves out of the market.

How much profit can an online dating consulting business make?

Profits can be considerable. Depending on how much you spend on advertising, you could potentially be making close to 95% profit on your services or even more.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Dating consultants may want to offer classes about online dating to attract more people at a lower rate. They may also consider doing group sessions where people can vent about their experiences and get advice about how to make online dating go more smoothly.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your online dating consulting business is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.

This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.

In practice, this means that if your online dating consulting business were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.

More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We’ve negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.

FORM YOUR LLC

Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

  • Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
  • Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a online dating consulting business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

Services Contract

Online dating consulting businesses should require clients to sign a services agreement before starting a new project. This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and intellectual property ownership.

Informed Consent Agreement

It is recommended to provide clients with informed consent agreements to decrease legal liability and encourage transparency.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.

Find out what types of insurance your Online Dating Consulting Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Online Dating Consulting Business.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market an online dating consulting business

Brag about your stats! This is the best way to let people know that you get results. Even if you’re just starting off, let people know your personal numbers. If you had 75% of potential partners to respond to your first email, then that’s a truly incredible stat that others will want to know about. If you’ve successfully played matchmaker in the past, talk about how many of the couples are still together. Start conversations with people on a social media page by asking specific questions about the dating culture (e.g., what’s your favorite dating platform and why?). If your target demographic is on the younger side, then pay-per-click advertising on social media may bring a considerable ROI.

How to keep customers coming back

The best thing a dating consultant can do is hope for recommendations from their customers. Being personal and professional will help, but dating consultants should also go the extra mile. It’s like a concierge service in that the consultant should think of what their client needs before they realize they need it.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

  • All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
  • Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
  • Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPressWIXWeeblySquarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

This business is excellent for someone who genuinely cares about what it means to interact with another person both online and in-person. Those who are most successful took a long, hard look at how they handled their own relationships before moving forward with their an actual business. Once they felt they had a good handle on their approach, they could go out and help others develop their own style.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at an online dating consulting business?

A dating consultant may have the following to-do list:

  • Meeting with clients
  • Writing/editing dating profiles
  • Crafting written responses
  • Taking profile pictures
  • Advertising/social media strategies

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful online dating consulting business?

This business calls for someone who can understand what people want without their even having to say it. Many people find it difficult to identify what they’re looking for in a partner. They may say they want one type of person while pursuing another type of person. Dating consultants aren’t there to judge but are there to make it easier to meet the client’s needs. Consultants should be friendly, personable, and able to plan ahead. They should also be extremely organized to juggle everything they may need to do in a given day.

What is the growth potential for an online dating consulting business?

Growth potential is excellent for those who have a knack for matching people. Online dating is one of the top ways people meet others, as bars and other anonymous social scenes become less and less appealing. There are plenty of people who don’t know or don’t have time to write a profile, and who are looking for someone to make it a bit easier.

Not sure if an online dating consulting business is right for you? Try our free Business Idea Generator and find your perfect idea.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

  • Funding
  • Events
  • Guides
  • Support

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting an online dating consulting business?

Those who are familiar with this business say that it was their passion that led them to success. They didn’t have to be told to go out and get the answers, they were finding out how to navigate the online dating world on their own. It takes a lot of time to understand the ins and outs of why certain profiles and people do well online while others can’t seem to catch a break. Once the consultant found their own soulmate, they wanted to help others do the same.

Ideally, dating consultants need to go beyond what people can find online, and give them real advice they can use. If the client isn’t interested in putting in the effort, then the dating consultant can do it for them. Also, always have a contract with your clients. Let them know that you’ll do everything you can, but that true love can never be guaranteed. This type of informed consent will set up reasonable expectations and avoid potential lawsuits.

How and when to build a team

There is little need to build a team unless you want to start a large business. If you do want employees, you’ll want to wait to build a steady client base before you branch out.

Useful Links

Industry Opportunities

Real World Examples

Further Reading