NEW APPROACH TO AN AGE-OLD PROBLEM Observing, hearing about, and knowing many women who were doing well professionally, but not doing as well romantically (including my two beautiful daughters), I came to the conclusion that this was a problem and a solution was required. I realized that if these women continued to do what they have always done concerning dating and relationships, then they would always get what they always have–and that would be insanity. If you want something you have never had, then you have to do things you have never done. Most women have never looked at dating and relationships like a business. In the pages of this book, you will find similarities between business and romance and learn how to utilize business principles to initiate and maintain a healthy, harmonious relationship. The success rate for both small businesses and romantic relationships is not very favorable. Statistics show that 95 percent of small businesses fail within the first 5 years of operation and more than half of marriages end in divorce. What these numbers reflect is having a successful business or a successful relationship is not easy. Nobody wants his or her business or relationship to fail. That is why it is essential that you have a clear understanding of what it is you are trying to achieve and be able to identify challenges and barriers that stand in the way. Does this mean I am taking the wanderlust and the serendipitous possibilities out of dating and relationships and turning them into a corporate, cold, and calculating formula-based process? Absolutely not; this is a new approach to an age-old problem. By applying business principles and entrepreneurial skills to romance, you will: • Enhance your knowledge, which is the what to do • Learn new skills, which is the how to do • Increase your motivation, which is the want to do. By positively influencing you in the way you perceive, understand, and interpret relationships, this book will help you make better decisions and choices when it comes to love and romance. I wrote this book for single women, not for married women; so my advice is geared to someone who is not legally or morally bound to a partner. However, if a married woman reads the book and adopts some of the principles, I hope it improves the quality of the marriage. Similarly, I believe if men choose to read the book, they, too, could learn some things that would help them become better partners. Reading this book will help you understand why past relationships did not work, and you will learn to make different choices in choosing the right life partner. Never forget or lose sight that the first step on your journey is to be prayerful. What you read in the pages of this book will be helpful; but to be open, willing, and ready for the partner that God has for you is most important.