LAKE ORION, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 12-year-old girl from Lake Orion has turned a Mother's Day gift into a successful small business, selling hundreds of handcrafted birdhouses.
Watch Demetrios Sanders' video report:
Mia Malover has sold around 300 custom birdhouses through her business, Mia's Corner, which she operates from a space in her family's barn. What started as a simple gift for her mother when she was 9 years old has blossomed into an entrepreneurial venture.
"It was really cool that I had made something that was really cool and people actually wanted it, that I could actually make a business out of," Mia said.
The young entrepreneur handles most aspects of production herself, from cutting and assembling to painting the birdhouses in various styles.
"I do almost everything. I do the cutting, I help plane with them, I paint them, I put them together, and nail them together. So I do most of the process," Mia said.
Mia sells her creations through social media and at local art and craft shows, where she enjoys interacting with customers.
"My favorite part of the bird houses is the craft show and getting to actually talk to people and asking questions about them and like really showing them what I do, and it's like it's my own thing," Mia said.
Her father, Mike Malover, has been by her side throughout the journey, teaching her woodworking skills while ensuring she works safely.
"She's been my sidekick and my shadow since the day she arrived. Just always hanging with dad, whether I'm working on the car or building this barn we're standing in," Mike said.
For Mike, the business has created valuable bonding time with his daughter.
"I get to spend so much time with my daughter doing something cool, something I would enjoy doing anyways," Mike said.
He's also proud of the business and life skills Mia is developing.
"The actual craft of doing the work to the business end of it, understanding how much money she has in the material versus how much she profited," Mike said. "I'm just beaming when I watch her at a craft show talking to everyone."
Mia is saving her earnings toward purchasing a Ford Bronco when she's old enough to drive, and reflects on how far her simple Mother's Day gift has come.
"I just thought it was a cool Mother's Day gift to make, and it's taken off so far," Mia said.
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