Creating Connections —Mike Sacha
for leting your ideas flow. I set a goal to run my own business by age 27.” Sacha, who earned a Business Administration
“I
degree, met that goal. Last October, the 27-year-old launched BuyMichLocal, an online business directory that competes with sites like Yelp, Groupon and Angie’s List. Te site reaches more than 1.7 million consumers through its web, email, social media and mobile platforms. Sacha discovered his passion and began his
entrepreneurial journey at the dawn of the social media age. “At that time, Facebook had just emerged as a social
media force,” says Sacha, who lives and works in Royal Oak. “In one marketing class, we examined Super Bowl ads and how they continue to impact consumers through YouTube aſter airing on television. It became clear to me that viral marketing was going to grow and eclipse traditional advertising.” Aſter graduating and working for Quicken Loans as
a mortgage banker, Sacha partnered with two friends to launch TeWedLink, a wedding planning app sold through iTunes. “I was director of marketing and helped make
connections with about 1,500 vendors in more than 15 major U.S. cities,” Sacha says. “Aſter a couple years, my partners moved on to other ventures, and I became a multimedia account executive for the Detroit Media Partnership.” Te idea for BuyMichLocal struck Sacha while
working with mobile and digital clients like Yahoo! and
Apartments.com. “I saw a need to create a beter experience for
20 Eastern | SUMMER 2013
went to college because I wanted to figure out where my passion lies,” says Mike Sacha (BA08). “Eastern has a great environment
consumers who want to connect with local businesses,” he says. “I wanted to replace the stack of Yellow Pages and Groupons, add a social media component and open that experience to everyone. I spent a year raising capital and developing my business plan before jumping into solo entrepreneurship.” BuyMichLocal offers tiered listing plans to small
and medium-sized businesses that include an online directory listing, a social media and mobile presence, email marketing and online shopping. Visitors to the site can find special deals, buy merchandise and leave customer reviews.
“W
e have more than 6,000 active company profiles across Michigan,” Sacha says. “Right now, I’m working on
a strategy to create similar websites that are dedicated to every U.S. state. Tese sites would allow consumers to connect with small and medium-sized businesses wherever they live. My goal is to create sites like BuyMichLocal that will create a more loyal shopping network among consumers.” For Eastern students who have visions of launching
their own businesses, Sacha has two words of advice: start early. “Te earlier you go through the ups and downs
of running a business, the sooner you’ll experience success,” he says. “I was very fortunate to earn my degree at Eastern, which has a great business program and an environment that prepares you for the real world.” To learn more about Sacha’s company and how it
connects loyal consumers with local businesses, visit
BuyMichLocal.com.p
OPPOSITE PAGE: Mike Sacha is redefining how Michigan businesses reach customers.
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