It’s been a couple of weeks since we changed our brand name from GraphicDesignBlender.com to Millo. Personally, our team has loved the change. I mean, can you imagine all the time we save every day by typing “millo” instead of “GraphicDesignBlender”? […]
One of my favorite business books of all time comes from Chris Guillebeau and it’s titled The $100 Startup*. The book is packed full of great advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Here’s one that really resonated with me and can help […]
Last month, we completely changed where we host GraphicDesignBlender.com. We left our previous host, where Millo had been hosted for more than 5 years, and made the switch to Squidix. And today, to celebrate a seamless transition (thanks, guys!), Millo […]
We share tips for making money as a freelancer here at Millo all the time. They include: upselling your design projects, generating passive income, specializing in a particular discipline or skill, and many many more. But there’s one key to making […]
Between freelancing and running Millo, I’ve been “in business” for over seven years now. I know that’s not much for some people, but for me, I feel pretty blessed to have reached lucky number 7. Looking back on the last 7 years […]
I recently had one of the best moments of my life. My son (who’s currently 4 years old) randomly came up to me one day and said, “Dad, I’m going to be an artist when I grow up.” Why was […]
Knowing which questions to ask when designing a logo can be difficult. You don’t want to look stupid by asking the wrong kinds of questions. You don’t want to overwhelm your client by asking too many questions. But if you […]
I get that it’s possible to make good money without ever dealing with clients. But still, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess: you work with clients on an almost-daily basis. And, let’s be honest, clients can […]
A few years ago, I made a couple small changes that resulted in a huge positive shift for my business. At the time, I was building this blog and running a freelancing gig. And I was busy. Which meant that some […]
Have you ever watched the television show Shark Tank? If you haven’t, here’s the gist: the Shark Tank is a place where hopeful entrepreneurs pitch their business to highly successful millionaire and billionaire entrepreneurs (like Mark Cuban and Daymond John) in an […]
If you are like I was as a University Junior or Senior, you’re chomping at the bit to get out of school. It’s all you can do to keep completing your assignments (especially the ones that feel like busy work). […]
Last week, I had an opportunity to speak to a group of students at my Alma mater and I had a complete blast. My presentation was titled something like “Skipping 3-5 years: how starting a blog in college helped my skip […]
So the honeymoon phase is over with your design business huh? Me too. I’ve been running my own business for more than five years and a few months ago, this truth really began to hit me hard: A job where […]
Half a decade ago, I (along with half the world, it feels like) got caught up in the lifestyle business craze when I read Tim Ferris’ The Four Hour Workweek for the first time. Since then I’ve read dozens and […]
In February 2014, I launched an all-new members-only section of Design Blender called Stoked. And last Thursday just under six months later, I basically put the whole project on pause. It wasn’t a flop. It wasn’t a failure. And I […]
A couple weeks ago, Karol wrote a great post about not getting cheated by your design clients. In that post, we recommended (as we always do) that you have a signed contract with most of your clients. But in the […]
If you’ve ever looked into personal finance, you’ve probably heard some sort of advice that sounds something like this: “If you saved $4 every day instead of spending it on your morning coffee, you’d have nearly $1,500 plus interest in […]
Have you ever considered the fact that you might be thinking TOO much when it comes to building your business? You spend weeks and months (maybe even years) trying to figure out which email software to use, which color to […]
I get it. You’re an entrepreneur. So that means you have to have a one-year plan, a three-year plan, and a five-year plan–all with their own backup plans each. Right? I disagree. In fact, most of the successful independent entrepreneurs […]
Well, it’s Friday again. In some ways, you’re probably totally jazzed about it. A couple days off (hopefully) from the grind of client phone calls, bills, and the other details of running your business. (It’s a love-hate relationship. I get […]
Just about anything worthwhile can be created in one weekend. That was basically the message I got from a recent Fizzle interview with Gumroad founder, Sahil Lavingia. Sahil used to work as a designer at Pinterest and left that gig to start […]
I’m in the middle of a huge redesign for a web site that gets hundreds of thousands (and sometimes millions) of monthly visits. It’s a big deal. And it’s pretty stressful. But if you’ve ever done any sort of redesign […]
It’s finally here! Today, we’re releasing April Greer’s all-new ebook bundle How Much Should I Charge? A simple guide to getting paid what you deserve. And, in case you missed the post last week, we’re giving away a FREE Skype […]
When you’re first starting out as a freelancer, it’s easy to get caught in the trap of offering discounts, cutting rates, or doing work completely free. Even as a seasoned freelancer, if you’re not careful, you might end up using […]
Being a freelancer can be exhilarating. You choose your hours, you call the shots and you work for yourself…. or do you? Take a step back for one moment and think about it. Do you really work for yourself? You […]
Are you one of those designers who uses a web portfolio to show off their work and find new clients? You’re in good company because most designers do the same. And most designers also rely on an analytical tool (like […]
Regardless of how great you are at building great business relationships, nearly every designer finds themselves (eventually) at odds with at least one client. You know what I’m talking about. The client is pretty picky, always asking for revisions or […]
I’ve been designing web sites for almost a decade. I love web design. I stay up late designing web sites. I thrive on learning cool new techniques and get a rush every time I update a page’s source code and click refresh. Every…single…time. It’s […]
It’s a common voice all entrepreneurs hear inside their heads: “Will anyone actually pay me real money for this?” “Why would anyone pay me when there are so many other experts out there?” “Who am I to build a business around what I […]
There are a lot of reasons you haven’t started your dream business yet. Maybe you think you need tons of money to get started (wrong). Maybe you think there aren’t enough hours in the day to make it happen (also […]
Has this ever happened to you? You’re working hard, getting all you can out of your design business. Your clients are happy, you’ve got steady work, and the cash-flow is solid. Then, suddenly, from seemingly out of nowhere, a new […]
We’re human. And we work in business. But for some crazy reason, when we enter a board-room, a client meeting, or some other suit-and-tie affair, we feel like we have to start speaking a strange new language. Imagine a web […]
Yesterday, my wife, two kids and I got our family pictures taken. And, of course, I filled my life with all sorts of things that kept me from getting my hair cut until the very day of the photos: a […]
Argue with them about every single change or revision they have. Don’t call them back. Use email instead of phone calls 100% of the time. Talk negatively about them on twitter with fellow designers. Bill them when fixing an error […]
We’ve had tons of reader questions rolling in here at Millo and I absolutely love it! Today’s question comes from Colleen who asks: “Should I be charging for client meetings? [What about taking time to] learn or to learn more […]
In today’s Q&A episode, I answer a question in a way that might surprise you if you’ve been reading Millo for long. The question is “Do I need a contract for every design project, even the small ones?” If you’re […]
Today, in the first episode of our Q&A series, I tackle a question I hear pretty frequently: “How do I handle a freelance client who treats me like an employee?” If you’re reading this post in an RSS reader or […]
I’m about to share a secret with you. Something you probably don’t know (or expect) about me: Long-term goals scare me. Yep. I’m a huge proponent of short-term goals. I wake up every morning reviewing my short term goals in […]
Entrepreneurs are crazy. And I mean that in a good way. We’re the hustlers of the world. We wake up early to work on our passions. We lay awake at night thinking about our goals. While the rest of the […]
There are a lot of stigmas about what freelancing is like. Blogs like this one tell you about how to start a freelance business, how to find more freelance clients, and how to get paid more as a freelancer. And […]
Freemium. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a business model (term coined by Chris Anderson in The Long Tail) where you offer part of your services for free and encourage your customers to upgrade to a premium (paid) version. […]
When you’re striking out on your own as a freelancer, there’s a lot to handle. You have to get your web presence going, build a business plan and a marketing plan, reach out to potential clients, and update your software. […]
A note from Preston: This is possibly one of the most important blog posts I have ever written. I didn’t mean for it to be, but by the time I was finished, I realized how insanely important this message is. […]
Since I am a designer, I’m not afraid to make the following statement: Designers are a dime a dozen. There are millions of us. Some of us are good at what we do, some are pretty mediocre, and other are […]
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