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The Bumble dating app may not be the first place small business owners and professionals go to expand their professional networks. However, since October 2017, Bumble Bizz has been in the business of transforming networking into a more relaxed and conversational experience.
We’ll explore how Bumble Bizz works and how to evaluate if it’s suitable for your business and professional networking needs.
Bumble Bizz is an extension of the popular dating app Bumble that aims to help users forge professional relationships. Bumble Bizz uses the dating app’s “swipe left or right” interface and useful filters to help users find valuable connections.
Bumble Bizz isn’t trying to replace sites such as LinkedIn. Instead, the app is designed to fill a gap in the networking space by making it more natural, seamless, low-pressure and fun to form professional connections.
Bumble’s founder and CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd, was a co-founder of the infamous dating app Tinder and one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2018. After leaving Tinder, she took what she learned from the experience and created Bumble, a dating app where women make the first move.
Although Bumble started as a dating app, personal and professional networking was always on the company’s roadmap. Along with Bumble Bizz for professional networking, Bumble created another offshoot called Bumble BFF for people looking for new friends.
The idea is that all crucial relationships and experiences – dating, meeting new friends, starting new jobs and finding mentors – share common elements. We want to meet people who share our goals and values and with whom we can build solid connections.
To empower female leadership, women make the first move on Bumble Bizz; men can’t message women first. However, in same-sex matches, anyone can make the first contact.
To use Bumble Bizz, you’ll need to download the Bumble iOS or Android app to your mobile device and select Bizz Mode. Your Bizz Mode public profile features your career experience, professional goals, passions and education.
As with Bumble, you’ll see a “swipe deck” with the names and profiles of people who match your profile elements. These can be recruiters, potential employers, industry experts, thought leaders and other professionals with whom you may wish to connect. You’d swipe right or left depending on whether you want to pursue a professional relationship.
Because Bumble is a location-based service, Bumble Bizz uses the app’s built-in geolocation features, making it easier to find professional connections in your local area.
Although Bumble Bizz uses the same functionality as the Bumble dating app, it won’t look like you’re trying to find a life partner while seeking a professional mentor. Although it’s housed in the same app, you can use Bumble Bizz without appearing on the dating site.
In fact, you can hide the dating app completely by following these steps:
Bumble Bizz can serve as a LinkedIn alternative for job seekers, helping them find local recruiters or employers who may be professional matches.
Bumble Bizz can be a valuable networking solution for small business owners. Here’s why:
While Bumble Bizz focuses exclusively on networking rather than recruiting or job searching, you can add verified photos, digital resumes, a skills section, and examples of your work, which can lead to professional opportunities.
Entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals use Bumble Bizz to network and connect. However, the app has upsides and downsides.
Use your alumni network to get a new business off the ground, find a mentor and increase your LinkedIn connections.
The Bumble Bizz app can be a valuable tool for small business owners and professionals who are looking to expand their networks. The app’s focus on low-pressure interactions, range of filtering options and easy-to-use interface provide an easy addition to existing networking tools and opportunities.
However, some people may avoid using Bumble Bizz due to its deep integration with the Bumble dating app. Even so, Bumble Bizz provides a fresh space where professionals can find or provide mentorships, talk shop and make actual connections, in conjunction with using other tools, like LinkedIn, job boards and networking events.
Dawn Kuczwara contributed to the writing and reporting in this article.