Self employment is a great option for mothers who want to stay home with their young ones and also work. You can set your own hours, take on as much work as you need, avoid a commute into the office, etc.

I’ve had the chance to work with different PR and creative agencies, small businesses and authors over the past 10 years. My 3 year old started daycare when she was 18 months old; my 18 month old is about to start daycare in a few weeks. I am grateful they were able to stay home with me for so long, and I could also handle work assignments.

Is self employment right for you? Here are some actions you will have to do:

1. Sell your services. You’ll have to get out there, network, hand a lot of people your business card, set sales appointments, etc. It takes time to develop business — the prospects may need to get to know you more before they decide to hire you.

2. Chase some clients down for payment. There will always be some clients who don’t pay on time. I spoke to a small business owner recently who was having trouble meeting payroll because his clients owed him a large amount of money. I politely follow-up with those who are overdue on payment and keep at it until I get my fees. It’s important not to get testy as you don’t want to sour the client relationship.

3. Weed through poor, low paying jobs to find the best opportunities. It’s amazing to me how many low paying writing and marketing gigs there are out there. Set your standards, know your rate structure and don’t settle for a job that doesn’t offer decent compensation for your skills.

4. Be prepared for strong months and weak months. There are highs and lows to self employment. Even if you start out strong, you will inevitably hit a downturn. Try not to be reliant on one or two clients because if you lose them you will be scrambling to find replacement work. Offer a range of services–think about other services you can add to your mix so you can secure larger deals.

5. Work odd hours. You may have to work early morning, evenings or weekends to get the tasks done–when the kid(s) are asleep. This will not be a 9 to 5 job, especially at the start when you will be building your client base.

Hope these pointers are helpful. I’ve enjoyed self employment tremendously and recommend it for mothers with young children.