1. Agreement and scope
By purchasing, booking, signing a proposal, or authorizing MLBM to begin services, the client agrees to these Service Terms and the applicable proposal, invoice, statement of work, or written service agreement. If project-specific terms conflict with these general terms, the project-specific signed terms control.
MLBM provides creative and business support that may include brand strategy, website design and management, business development guidance, funding readiness, advising, project management, and related deliverables. Exact scope, timing, fees, and deliverables will be stated in writing for each engagement.
2. Fees and payment
Fees and payment schedules are stated in the applicable proposal, invoice, or agreement. Unless otherwise agreed in writing:
- payment is due by the date shown on the invoice;
- work may be paused when a payment is late;
- the client is responsible for approved third-party costs, platform fees, licenses, hosting, domains, advertising spend, filing fees, and similar expenses;
- payment plans are a scheduling accommodation and do not convert the engagement into a month-to-month service; and
- MLBM may charge a reasonable fee for work requested outside the agreed scope after receiving client approval.
3. No refunds; cancellations and chargebacks
All sales are final. MLBM does not provide refunds. Payments reserve capacity, compensate planning and strategy work, and support work performed or resources committed before final delivery. This includes deposits, retainers, reservation fees, full payments, installment payments, and payments for digital or customized services.
If a client cancels, delays, abandons, or chooses not to use completed or partially completed work, amounts already paid remain non-refundable. Any unpaid amount for work completed, committed costs, or amounts that the signed agreement makes due remains payable.
Clients must contact MLBM promptly to address billing concerns before initiating a payment dispute or chargeback. Nothing in this section limits rights that cannot legally be waived.
4. Client responsibilities
The client will provide accurate information, timely feedback, approvals, account access, content, and materials needed for the work. The client represents that it has permission to use all names, logos, images, copy, data, and other materials it supplies. Delays in client materials, decisions, access, or payment may extend deadlines. MLBM is not responsible for delays caused by the client or third parties.
5. Revisions, approvals, and timelines
Included revision rounds and project milestones will be stated in the project scope. Additional or late-stage changes may require a revised schedule and additional fee. Approval by email, message, or project platform is authorization to proceed. Estimates depend on timely cooperation and are not guarantees unless expressly stated in a signed agreement.
6. Intellectual property and portfolio use
Each party retains ownership of materials it owned before the engagement. Unless the project agreement states otherwise, ownership of final custom deliverables transfers only after MLBM receives all amounts due. MLBM retains ownership of its methods, processes, templates, tools, concepts not selected, working files, and general know-how. Third-party materials remain subject to their licenses.
Unless the client and MLBM agree otherwise in writing, MLBM may identify the client and display public-facing final work in its portfolio, website, social channels, awards, and business-development materials. Confidential information will not be intentionally disclosed.
7. Funding, business, and performance disclaimers
MLBM provides business education, preparation, strategy, and operational guidance. MLBM is not a bank, lender, broker, law firm, accounting firm, investment adviser, credit repair organization, or guarantor of financing. Services are not legal, tax, accounting, lending, or investment advice.
No specific financing decision, credit result, approval, revenue, audience growth, search ranking, conversion rate, publicity result, or business outcome is promised or guaranteed. Third parties make their own decisions and may change their rules, platforms, algorithms, eligibility standards, availability, and fees. The client remains responsible for business decisions and for consulting licensed professionals when appropriate.
8. Confidentiality
Each party will use reasonable care with nonpublic information received from the other and use it only for the engagement. This does not cover information that is public through no breach, already known without restriction, independently developed, properly received from another source, or required to be disclosed by law.
9. Suspension and termination
MLBM may suspend or terminate services for nonpayment, prolonged client delay, abusive or unlawful conduct, infringement concerns, security risk, or material breach. Either party may terminate as allowed by the project agreement. Termination does not create a refund right and does not eliminate payment obligations already incurred.
10. Warranties and limitation of liability
Services and this website are provided on an “as available” basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law, MLBM disclaims implied warranties, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. MLBM is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, punitive, or consequential damages, lost profits, lost opportunities, loss of data, or third-party platform actions.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, MLBM’s total liability arising from a claim will not exceed the amount the client paid MLBM for the specific service giving rise to the claim during the six months before the event. Some jurisdictions do not permit all limitations, so these terms apply only to the extent allowed by law.
11. Indemnification
To the extent permitted by law, the client will defend, indemnify, and hold MLBM harmless from third-party claims arising from client-supplied materials, unlawful instructions, the client’s products or services, or the client’s breach of these terms, except to the extent caused by MLBM’s own unlawful conduct.
12. Governing law and disputes
Unless a signed project agreement states otherwise, these terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Before filing a claim, the parties will attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute through written notice and direct discussion. Venue and any additional dispute process should be confirmed in the project-specific agreement.
13. General terms
Neither party may transfer the engagement without the other’s written consent, except as part of a merger, sale, or reorganization. MLBM may use qualified contractors and service providers. A failure to enforce a term is not a waiver. If a provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue. These terms, together with the applicable signed project documents, form the parties’ agreement and may be changed only in writing.