Online dating websites are becoming more and more popular, but how do you know if the person you go on a date with is a decent person? This is where Sandy Heart’s business, Check Out A Date, can help.
Read Sandy’s story below.
What does your business do?
Check Out A Date does background checks so that Singles of any age or persuasion can verify the identity and background of their “love interest”. Wouldn’t you want to know if your “soul mate” has been someone’s “cellmate”?
Contact us at:
www.checkoutadate.com, for info and blog
Twitter: @checkoutadate
Facebook : CheckOutADate
LinkedIn: CheckOutADate
www.tinyurl.com/PhxSandy my Examiner blog. Phone 480-707-1029
What made you decide to start your own business?
I was divorced in 2005 after being married for 34 years and moving to a new community where I knew no one. I joined Singles clubs and online dating sites to meet potential dates. One Singles club had a requirement that at least two of their members sponsor new members after having known them for at least 3 months. One of the “new” members asked me out (after seeing and talking to him at a few events) his sponsors had “known” him for 5 “Snowbird Seasons” here in Arizona.
He seemed like a nice guy so I accepted the 1st date. During the date he told me the usual things daters talk about, I wanted to know more about some of the subjects so after the date I decided to “Googled” him and up popped his criminal conviction for embezzlement and restitution of over $1 million dollars in South Dakota. Our society is so mobile, that it is easy for people to establish themselves in new communities where no one knows their history. The thing that astonished me was that his sponsors were incensed that I had “looked” him up, after all he was nice looking and a good dancer. I decided that Daters needed a way to protect themselves before they let someone into their hearts and homes. Some Singles inviting their Dates into their homes without even knowing their last names!
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Getting the word out about why Singles should do background checks. People don’t want to be or appear suspicious.
How did you overcome these challenges?
Social media and Education- speaking to individuals or small groups, doing seminars and blogs about the importance of Dating Safety and subjects of interest. Most of the Dating public are really nice upright people but there is a small percentage that are not- they don’t all make the news. Recently, there has been a lot of press both in print and the news that have awakened Daters to the need to doing background checks. Radio interviews and referrals by clients have helped too.
What advice or tips would you give to other business owners?
Use all Social media available; Facebook fan page, Twitter, LinkedIn, do blogs to get noticed by Google and other media. Networking locally and Nationally, radio interviews, anything to get your company in the public eye.
What’s your favorite quote?
YCDBSOYA- it was from my Dad , acronym for “You Can’t Do Business Sitting On Your Ass.”
Who inspired you?
My Dad, he died in 1977 but was very enlightened when it came to women- encouraging me from a very early age to follow my dreams. My opportunities were endless.
