Preston's Recent Articles Page 4
Artist vs. Entrepreneur: When should you wear each hat?
You know in cartoons or movies when the main character is trying to make a decision and there’s a little angel and devil perched on their shoulder taunting or encouraging them in either direction? T...
What I learned from getting designer bids and being the client
Recently, we redesigned the Millo logo with the help of Dina Rodriquez at Letter Shoppe. (Stay tuned for the final logo reveal + lots of cool swag by subscribing to our email newsletter.) Getting our ...
Am I an entrepreneur?
Am I an entrepreneur? And I don’t mean like how most of the world these days considers themselves to be an entrepreneur. I don’t mean do I include “entrepreneurially-minded” on my resume or do...
My secret to making steady money as a freelance designer
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, a...
3 Critical business tips I would share with ‘7-years-ago’ me if I had a time machine
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 rea...
55+ Questions to ask when designing a logo
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 aski...
4 Sales hacks for getting new clients, winning negotiations, and closing the deal every time
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 h...
7 Signs you’re approaching business burnout & how to save yourself before it’s too late
So the honeymoon phase is over with your freelance business huh? You’re starting to feel freelance burnout? Me too. I’ve been running my own business for more than five years and a few months ...
8 Ways to build your business fast with $4 per day (the cost of a daily coffee)
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 morn...
How to start a successful business when you’re not an expert at anything
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...
Should you bill your freelance clients for meeting time and other misc. work?
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 a...
What freelancing is not.
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 freel...
How NOT to act when your client asks for revisions
I’m a freelancer and entrepreneur. And many of you know that just a few years ago, I also took a desk job. So I have a unique perspective on working with clients. Half the day, I work for client...
Where will I see you in 6 months?
If you’re anything like me, you probably set a lot of goals. If you’re running your own business, you simply have to. But it seems like the more I talk with people, the more I learn that t...
What to do when you can’t finish a project on time
Freelancers and entrepreneurs are optimistic by nature. If we weren’t, we’d do the bare minimum in life to get by. We wouldn’t be running our own businesses. We’d be working at...
A freelance designer’s target audience: how do you find it?
“Who’s your target audience?” Lately, I’ve been asking a lot of designers that question because I’ve been offering 5 business critiques per month lately and that means d...
Is it okay to use templates and themes as a freelance designer?
Have you ever used a theme or a template on one of your freelance web design projects? I have. And I’m (in my humble opinion) a good designer and coder. I’ve built tons of websites both fo...
25 ways designers can make money without dealing with design clients
This is not one of those posts that rants and raves about how great designers are and how horrible design clients are. In fact, I hate all the bad karma floating around the design community when it co...
How long should a designer fight a client about a poor design decision?
If you’ve been designing for long, you’ve experienced a scenario like I am going through right now: You’ve met with your client, discussed the details of the project, signed a contra...
When should you bill your design clients?
Designing great-looking logos or websites (or whatever your passion is) can be one of the most exhilarating experiences for designers like us. But after a while, you start to realize it’s not ju...
What job title should a freelance designer use?
Have you ever wondered what title you should give yourself? If you’ve been a freelance designer for long, it’s likely you have encountered a situation where you need to have a title. Perha...
How many design revisions do your clients get?
One of my favorite pieces of design business advice comes from talented and successful designer, Christ Spooner. You can read about his advice (and some of mine) in detail by skimming through “A...
How to find your design niche: 70 ideas to get you started
There’s a continuous debate in the design community about whether or not a designer should specialize in one specific area or strive to be a jack-of-all trades. For designers who think it would...
Why some freelance designers become rich while others don't
Take a moment and scan the web for successful freelance designers. I mean financially successful freelance designers. I’m not talking about designers who have a great following on their blog, I&...