By Meg Peters
Review Co-editor
Constance Millage proves that if a ten year old can do it, anyone can do it.
On Thursday, June 25, the Orion Area Chamber of Commerce held an official ribbon cutting for Little C’s Caring for Companions, a business the ten-year-old Lake Orion girl started in October 2014 as a means to fund her college education.
Originally it started with Constance wanting a little side cash for her upcoming teen years, but when she approached her dad, Andrew Millage’Dr. Millage of Millage Family Chiropractic in Orion Township’with a quest to fund her education, he couldn’t say no.
‘She said, ‘Dad, I want to create my own money.? I said, then, this is how you do it. What do you love? What is your passion? What is your natural walk of life? She said, ‘I love pets.??
Little C’s Caring for Companions is ‘tailor-made care for pets at your home.? Constance will travel to clients? houses and spend upwards of three to four hours with their pet, whether it’s grooming them, massaging sore areas, walking, medicating, or even talking to them for extra human-animal interaction.
She sees all sorts of animals, other than exotic pets (‘no half-wolves, half malamutes? her dad said), from cats to dogs, birds, lizards, guinea pigs, to even farm animals, including horses, cows, pigs, sheep, etc.
Her English Cocker Spaniel, Bilbo, also keeps her on her toes.
‘The idea for my business came from my love of animals,? she said. ‘I want it to be big.?
After a few months of business under her belt, Constance said she sees on average two pets a week.
At $25 a day for one pet, and $5 more for any additional pets, her rates are hard to beat.
‘It’s been booming,? she said.
‘It kills me because sometimes on the weekend she makes more money than I do,? Andrew Millage said. ‘I just start laughing and think, I didn’t know it was that easy.?
Constance’s love for animals started at the family farm in Davenport, Iowa, where she helped tend to the horse Sparky, a couple cows, herds of cats, and other farm animals.
Her mother owned the Gruenhagen Kennels in Davenport, and raised champion schnauzers, also one of Constance’s main influences to start Little C’s.
One thing led to another, and now the Millages are taking serious steps to see this business move forward.
‘I would care for your animal as if it were my own,? Constance, or ‘Little C?, said.
To set up an appointment, call 248-385-7860, or 248-385-7861. Constance is also listed under the dog-sitting website Rover.com.
Constance joined the Orion Area Chamber of Commerce, opting for the new junior chamber member committee. She is the youngest of the seven or eight person junior crew, and a shining example of what the chamber is trying to attract.
‘The whole goal is to encourage kids to get involved in our community now because we want to retain them here, we don’t want to leave them after college,? Orion chamber board member Matt Pfeiffer said.
Pfeiffer owns Northern Flooring and Interiors, and just recently sponsored a junior member to join the committee.
Another goal for the junior committee is for chamber members to help match the young entrepreneurs with local businesses for internships and apprenticeships.
‘If somebody isn’t looking for a college education maybe they can come and learn how to install flooring at our place, apprentice under one of our installers, and if they can prove themselves, maybe we’ll send them off to get certified. It’s another opportunity for those who aren’t college minded,? Pfeiffer said.
Junior committee members must be 25 and younger, and can contact the Orion Area Chamber of Commerce for more information at 248-693-6300.
‘It’s really cool to see the young kids in the community now who are actually trying to do something with their life, so of course we got behind that,? Andrew Millage said.