According to Matt Richter-Sand, founder of NX Fit, the dating phase of finding an investor is very similar.

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Case workers will have to find out a lot about people's lives and "where the barriers are to returning to work", said Dr Rob Hampton, a GP in Leicester and a founder and clinical director of the Leicestershire Fit For Work Service.

BBC: Pilot scheme tackles long-term sickness absence

Gurkaran Gulati, founder of Yapster, said that it was difficult to fit his 25-page business plan into three minutes.

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Another draw, says Laura Cozik , founder of the Team Lipstick triathlon club, and CNN Fit Nation's Athletic Director, is the ability to cross-train.

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Steve Bordley, founder and CEO of TrekDesk, which makes desks designed to fit with any treadmill, says such studies don't account for the added benefits for workers, such as feeling less lethargic after lunch or less absenteeism.

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In a recent interview, Christian Chabot, CEO and co-founder of Seattle-based Tableau Software, told me that those truly fit to work at startups are driven by a sense of purpose and mission.

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