Well, that's another eventless Valentine's out of the way.

Without Valentine's Day, February would be... well, January.  
-Jim Gaffigan, US stand-up comic

I was optimistic this year. I was texting a few girls. (Yes, I've just busted myself there.) I was tapping up girls on Facebook. Things were happening... but not on the 14^th.

That's fine, I thought. Because I knew that the middle of February is the best time of year to be single.

Think about it. Valentine's was approaching. The couples would all be either staying in or hitting the restaurants. If you were to visit the bars on this “romantic” evening, who would be left to visit these places?

That's right. Only single people. We all know that Valentine's is money-spinning bollocks. If you love someone, tell them every day. Don't wait 'til the 14^th. If you're single, it's just another day. But if you're a marketer... it's a goldmine.

People in relationships buy stuff for their respective other halves, because their partners expect them to. The marketing world exploits this down to a tee. But what about if you're single? Shouldn't this be a great time?

Think about it. The couples are all in the restaurants and staying at home together. That leaves the bars and clubs...

Yup. Full of single people.

This year, however, Valentine's fell on a Monday- hardly the night everybody will be out on the piss. With the right business mind, you could put on a night for single people- on the 14th- and make a killing. Speed dating. Lock and Key. Even an online dating event. Yet after searching around on the net before 14/2 stabbed me in the heart, I couldn't find a single singles event. And so, Valentine's became- like Jim Gaffigan suggests- another cold February night like the rest of the month.

Attention, Manchester businesses: single people will flock to this kind of event. Especially around Valentine's. I know because I've been to a few dating events, and they are POPULAR. These days, people aren't afraid of showing that they're looking. There's money to be made.

If you're dubiously considering trying out a dating event, let me assure you: these events are fun. They aren't for geeks. There have been some stunners at the events I've been to. So give it a shot, no matter what time of year it is. And ladies, if you're extremely lucky... I might even be there myself.