Having a freelance job sounds to many like being a great career. Working from home allows the freedom to be able to balance your working and family commitments as you see best. However you need to be able to carefully plan how to make the most out of this freedom that you have achieved. For example working as a freelance graphic designer requires not only the creative design skills but also self discipline and time management skills to become a success.

Having a freelance job sounds to many like being a great career. Working from home allows the freedom to be able to balance your working and family commitments as you see best. However you need to be able to carefully plan how to make the most out of this freedom that you have achieved. For example working as a freelance graphic designer requires not only the creative design skills but also self discipline and time management skills to become a success.

To be able to work as a freelancer you have to think about how you will work best and structure your working day to suit yours and your family's needs. Think about how old your children are, if you need to be taking a lot of care of small babies or toddlers how much time can you actually put aside. Whereas teenagers can (in theory) look after themselves and so you might have more time free to work. The most important thing is to be realistic. There is no point in working when family might be coming home from school or work. Working as a freelancer might create deadlines which might be difficult to fit around your family but you have to try not to get frustrated when timings collide.

Set aside a separate office or work space, one where you can't see the dishes in the kitchen sink or the laundry pile from. You have to be able to focus on doing the work at hand and not get distracted by other chores that need doing. you wouldn't start vacuuming the carpet at work so why do it when you are at home trying to do your work? Have two different characters one who is the parent, cook and cleaner and the other who is the bread winner and freelancer who happens to be working from home.

Your family has to be supportive of your freelancing career. They have to be aware of and respect your working hours, so both you and they have to know when you are going to be working, you have to stick to these times and they have to leave you in peace when you are working. As with all other jobs there has to be a certain degree of flexibility but the structure needs to remain in place to keep up with the work you will be getting.

If you discipline yourself well enough you can be surprised how much time you can actually free up during the day. If you have children you can often work early in the morning or later at night when they are in bed but make sure that you get enough rest and relaxation time for yourself. You might be able to work from 9 to five while they are at school but during holidays you need to make sure you can make other arrangements for your work and family. Working with a laptop and wireless connection can mean you can think a little more creatively about where and when you get your work done.

Once people start working from home and freelancing they have to realise that they cannot be the perfect parent but that is ok. You have to work out what is really important and not be tempted to start doing other things round the house. What is important to you is it that deadline an employer has set, is it the large pile of laundry that is building up, or is it taking an hour off to go see the school play?

When things start to get you down and you don't have any colleagues to give you a nudge in the right direction, try to remember all the things you have been able to do since becoming a freelancer that you would not have been able to in a nine to five office job. Be realistic, create structure for yourself and remember the reason you became a freelance.