I’ve been freelancing now for nearly a decade and during this time, I’ve mostly spent it working from home.

I did dabble with occupying a desk in a shared office for around a year or so, but in the end, found that working from home was preferable and also much easier for me.

It isn’t however always a breeze. And as appealing and as wonderful home working definitely is, there are some things that are definitely worth bearing in mind, if you’re thinking of doing it too.

ARE YOU MOTIVATED ENOUGH?

This is something you need to ask yourself when it comes to working from home, because trust me, if you’re not good on the self motivation front, you may find it a bit of a struggle.

When you work from home, you’re continually surrounded by temptation. Everywhere. So it’s super easy to choose to ignore your work for a day and instead, sit down and binge watch a TV series or even crack on with some housework (and you definitely should allow yourself to do this occasionally!) but, to get work finished and money made, you’ve got to have good levels of self motivation.

If you’re somewhat lacking in this department, you might be best working from an office or with others, where you can be held more to account.

HAVE YOU GOT EVERYTHING YOU NEED?

What would you need to do your job if you were working for a company? Write it all down and then see 1) If you already have it and 2) if you don’t already have it, can you source it and can you afford it?

Whether it’s space to get creative, a laptop that works or even a comfortable chair to sit and work from, really think through everything you need including the absolute essentials and the ‘like to haves’.

IS YOUR INTERNET GOOD ENOUGH?

It doesn’t matter what industry you are in or what work you do as a freelancer, you will not be able to survive working for yourself and from home, if you don’t have a decent broadband connection.

From emails to social media, from writing to surfing the web, as a freelancer working from home, you need the best possible broadband connection you can get. Trust me, there’s nothing worse when you’re on deadline for a client only to discover that your Internet has ‘gone down’ or is working, but at a snail’s pace.

There are various types of broadband including ADSL and fibre. ADSL works over the same line as your landline phone and is available to more than 99 per cent of the population whilst fibre broadband (which is what I use) is the quickest, offering super fast speeds and a more stable performance, especially at peak times. (Something again to bear in mind when you work for yourself.)

An excellent Internet connection is an essential and thankfully, it’s never been more affordable. You can find cheap broadband deals really easily today so don’t delay. If you’re going to work from home, make sure you find the best package for you and give yourself one less thing to worry about!

WILL YOU BE LONELY?

Working from home is fantastic in so many ways. The drinks are cheap, you can get more work done in less time (if you’re motivated), it provides flexibility (which is great if you’re a freelancing mum like me) and you even get to choose the hours. But, it can also be incredibly lonely.

Some people are better than others at working alone so if you’re someone who needs constant human interaction or loves to be around other people, bear this in mind. You may want to consider something like a shared office space instead or at the very least, make sure you schedule in some ‘work away from home time’ so you can sit in your favourite coffee shop or meet fellow freelancers.