Woman takes aim as modern-day Cupid

TAMPA — The four women and one man sat at the mahogany table in a private room at the Stonewood Grill as Nancy Wall led the "Singles Helping Singles" networking session. For more than an hour Wednesday evening, Wall facilitated, prompting the singles to discuss their single status and their careers.

But the night was still young for Wall. After this meeting, she was off to a speed-dating session and then a karaoke gathering.

Just another day at the office for the sole "certified" matchmaker in the Tampa Bay market.

Wall, 44, incorporated Tampa Bay MatchMakers LLC in October 2007, combining her life-coaching skills with a matchmaking business plan that offers clients not only prospective mates but also advice and suggestions. Her 70 single professional clients range in age from 24 to 70 in the Tampa Bay and Sarasota markets.

Tampa Bay MatchMakers is part of a growing annual $250-million matchmaking industry that's catering to people who want to find love outside of the conventional Internet dating scene.

Wall is certified from the New York City-based Matchmaking Institute, which has given its stamp of approval to 250 matchmakers since it opened in 2003, said Lisa Clampitt, its co-founder. Wall is one of only three certified matchmakers in Florida. The institute is expected to certify 100 matchmakers in 2008, up from 70 last year.

In Wall's case, she spent $10,000 to $15,000 to launch her matchmaking business, specializing in three demographic niches: the Jewish community, fitness-minded folks and divorced/single parents. She estimated that half of her members are Jewish. Wall is a divorced mother of two in a committed relationship who noted that her own divorce was a factor that helped her start her matchmaking business.

Wall's matchmaking fee is $800 for six months, while one life-coaching session is $125. Members who want group coaching can pay $150 to $300 a month. Wall is aiming for first-year annual revenues of $50,000 to $100,000.

Nationally, matchmaking is a growing industry. More people want to have a one-on-one service because a matchmaker can research potential mates, prescreen candidate matches and then follow up with dating coaching, Clampitt said.

She maintains that online dating services are not as personal as hiring a matchmaker, and Internet dating is tainted by participants who will not necessarily be truthful about personal details, such as age, marital status, height and profession.

Kay Hoisington of Zephyrhills, who attended Wall's Wednesday singles session, agreed. "You have all these computer sites, but you don't know whether people are what they say they are."

Wall's matchmaking niches are typical of the industry, which has matchmakers for groups for categories such as African-Americans and gays to Christians and 40 and older, Clampitt said.

To find potential mates for her clients, Wall hits the singles events circuit, which was why her Wednesday night was spent at karaoke and speed-dating venues.

"I go out looking for people for my clients," she said.