Mike Haley was raised in a small business environment and has never lost his passion for entrepreneurship and helping others realize their entrepreneurial dreams. Growing up in several small business environments and taking the leap to become an entrepreneur himself at an early age has given Mike a unique perspective on what it takes to be a success outside of “Corporate America”. Today Mike draws on that experience to help others decide if business ownership is the right path for their future.
The family restaurant business taught Mike a lot about business ownership and turning a small venture into a large multi-unit success story. During his time in the family restaurant business, Mike helped the chain grow from a small independant start-up to a multi-store brand across Iowa. This experience gave Mike a great appreciation for what it takes to be a successful restaurateur, but also sparked his interest in other, less capital and employee intensive, business ownership opportunities.
Before jumping into his own business though, Mike spent years building his business acumen outside of the family operations. He started this work at the largest automotive publisher in the world, Motorbooks International. His work with MBI focused primarily on large, national retailers such as AutoZone, Pep Boys, Napa, Discovery Channel Stores, and Macy’s. Working with the big boys was fun, but Mike soon learned that his true interest was in the small business arena. This led Mike to begin consulting with the RV industry in the Upper Midwest, helping those small business owners promote and grow their businesses.
Helping other small business owners proved very fulfilling for Mike, but the entrepreneurial bug that bit him early on wouldn’t go away. So, in 2004 Mike started Kids Academy, an early childhood development center in Des Moines, Iowa. The business has now grown to the point where Mike is able to maintain a hands-off role and empower his management team to handle the day-to-day operations, freeing his time to help others realize their business ownership dreams.
Mike lives in Minneapolis and is looking forward to helping you explore your business ownership opportunities. He can be reached toll-free at 800-871-4339 or or via email at mhaley@FranChoice.com.
