If you’re considering a career in graphic design, you’re probably wondering whether getting a degree is a good investment of your time and money. Graphic design degrees are generally graduate and post graduate degrees which are awarded by schools in […]
When you have your side hustle ready to go and you’ve got a plan, there are still some practicalities that have to be dealt with…like your boss. You’ll need to carefully navigate your employment contracts, decide how to tell your […]
I don’t think I took what is the normal path to starting an agency. Six years ago I was pretty happy managing a small computer shop. I had zero children. I was training to run a half marathon. Life was generally […]
Caleb Wojcik wanted nothing to do with the entrepreneurial world. Caleb grew up knowing what it took to be an entrepreneur. His mother worked in a hospital, but his father made his living as an entrepreneur. For Caleb, the life […]
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As I’m sure you’ve already discovered by now, being a freelancer isn’t always the greatest thing. That revelation is probably not related to the core of your business, which is your product or service. No, instead it has to do […]
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According to Brandwatch, there are 2.3 billion social media users worldwide. Social media is a valuable opportunity to reach a large untapped audience. If people like what they see on your social media profiles, they’ll likely check out your website too. A problem […]
When we first reached out to the Millo community for questions to discuss on our Sidegig podcast, one of the most commonly asked questions was: “If I’m working at a 9-5 job and I want to build a business AND […]
Paraphrasing what the Beatles once famously sang, we can all get by with a little help. And as that’s true in life, it’s also true of our freelance businesses. A time might come when you’ll be better off accepting help […]
“Out of necessity, ideas are born.” This is the philosophy AshLee Winterrose of Hide-A-Boo Hideouts lives by. AshLee is a mother, wife, and kindergarten teacher. And now, an entrepreneur who has started a company that’s all about children and family. […]
You started your business because you were hoping for a better life. Life with more freedom. Freedom to hang out with your kids, or go for a run in the middle of the day. You were tired of putting in […]
Gaining a foothold in a lucrative freelance field is difficult. You may have all the talent in the world, and produce high-quality work, but you may still be forced to sit back and watch as job after job is picked […]
In episode 5 of SideGig, we interview show host Preston D Lee, the founder of this website, Millo. Preston grew Millo (the site you’re on right now), a highly successful blog and community, all while working in a full-time online marketing position, […]
It’s no secret that the online world of freelancing is filled with providers who boast about their qualifications and throw proposals at every job that crosses their path. Though their intention is to make money, most of their time is […]
Clay Mosley was fired from every job he ever held. His first job out of college was working as an insurance fraud investigator. It didn’t take long to realize that job wasn’t for him. For the next 10 years, Clay […]
Have you ever tried to change someone’s perception of you after you’ve known or worked with them for a while? If you’ve tried, you’ll know it is incredibly difficult to do it—especially with siblings or family for example. Maybe you’ve […]
Sean McCabe has always loved learning. As the oldest of 13 children (9 boys and 4 girls), Sean spent his early education in homeschool. In his family, learning on your own was encouraged. Sean soon found himself a voracious reader […]
Going full-time freelance means leaving the comfort of a steady paycheck. But many freelancers find they make as much or more money once they make the switch. If you’re someone stuck in an office job or a freelancer wondering how […]
What’s your passion? Do you have a talent that you wish could turn into a full-time side gig? In our fourth episode of SideGig, we’ll show you how one man took his passion and turned it into a successful business. […]
Freelance photographers have a lot of amazing benefits on their side: doing what you’re passionate about, having a dynamic work environment, and improving your craft with each click. However, those things are unfortunately quite theoretical if you don’t have the […]
I’ll never forget the day, roughly 18 years ago. It was about 7:30 p.m. and I was busy cleaning up after dinner for my family, which included my two children — ages three and a few months old. And then, the phone […]
Anyone who says you can’t make money as a writer doesn’t know about all the ways that freelance writers are needed in the market. There are hundreds of opportunities out there, if you’re willing to think creatively and put the […]
Many of us spend 40 to 50 hours a week in an office. But what are you doing with the rest of your time? You need to prioritize where you’re spending your time before and after your day job in order […]
As a freelancer, your goal should be to offer something so good that your prospect can’t get it anywhere else. Or, at the very least, make your offer harder to compare to others. One way to do that is to […]
Freelance designers are an ingenious lot, and they use a variety of ways to land clients. There is no one tried and true method to finding great gigs. It’s essential to be creative, proactive, and persistent — just as you […]
Struggling with new leads? You need not look much further than your very own existing client list! You read that right. Your existing client list can be a gold mine, if you approach it with a new perspective and focused strategy. […]
So you’re ready to finally dive in and actually start a side-hustle. You’re excited about the idea of more side-money, more stability, less dependence on your day job. But…where do you actually start when it comes to building a successful […]
In two previous posts for Millo, I presented the idea of turning estimates into flat fees and also, how to determine that estimate in the first place. In this post, I’ll be discussing how you can live with, and be at […]
Today, I’m excited to announce that we are officially one week away from launching season 2 of our first-ever podcast, Freelance to Founder. Last season, we brought you some incredible stories of freelancers and solopreneurs who scaled their businesses to be […]
The other night I took my wife to dinner and she was in the mood for Italian. I couldn’t help but notice the waiter offering us everything from appetizers, wine, desert, and he even offered to alter the menu if […]
The definition of an entrepreneur is a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so. Although this is true, I would call this the iceberg definition. What […]
As a freelance creative, it’s essential to get paid on time. Clients holding back on you can create those terrible thoughts of going back into full time employment. Fortunately, there are ways to keep the cash flowing. I’ve developed my […]
I’m asked frequently – and by frequently, I mean FREQUENTLY – “how do I ensure that a contract is legally enforceable?” You may think that legally enforceable contracts need to be really long and complicated, and use words like “heretofore” […]
Season 1 of Sidegig is sponsored by Freshbooks: the #1 invoicing software for freelancers and side-hustlers. To take your sidegig to the next level with Freshbooks, visit Freshbooks.com/Sidegig and enter “sidegig” in the ‘how did you hear about us?’ section. It’s official! […]
If you are a logo designer and need to design a creative logo for your client, keep in mind that the most dynamic tool used in the logo is the “symbol.” A well-created and masterpiece logo indicates a strong identity […]
Have you ever noticed how time-consuming the business side of freelancing is? On any given day, you’re pitching clients, responding to emails, chasing payments, marketing your business, maintaining your books, taking client calls – the list of tasks seems never […]
Are you a creative freelancer looking for some high-quality, free reading material? Then you’ve come to the right place! I’ve combed the internet to collect the best free eBooks for designers, voiceover artists, writers, and web designers. Also, you’ll find […]
The first years in a new interior design business can be very daunting when you don’t have established database of clients and expansive portfolio yet. That’s why it is essential to invest the maximum effort into a marketing campaign in […]
Net 30 is one of the most common invoicing payment terms used by small, medium, and large businesses. While it is a standard payment practice, it isn’t the same for all size businesses, and this is especially true for freelancers […]
Quitting your day job cold-turkey and starting your own business is way more risk than I think anyone should take. There’s a learning curve to running a business. It takes time, patience, and a lot of hard work. (PS: don’t […]
The luxury of owning a home comes with some downsides. One of them is maintenance. I recently had to have the trees near my house trimmed. Not having any idea how much this would cost, I contacted a few professionals […]
It is essential in any negotiation to understand what the client wants. Often an early misunderstanding can escalate into a full-blown battle of egos that can cause problems. We don’t want that! I’ll be discussing the various types of clients (particularly […]
The idea of being able to fund my travels as I was traveling instead of saving for 6 months and then going appealed to me greatly. And I know it appeals to so many people as we are seeing the […]
In an earlier article I wrote for Millo, I suggested that the right time to use a flat fee over an hourly rate was anytime and every time you are asked by a client to provide an hourly cost estimate for a […]
This year, I did something I never thought I’d be able to do. I took two vacations. In February, I spent about a week in Las Vegas for my wedding/honeymoon. And in August, my husband and I spent several days exploring Colorado. […]
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