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2. Set clear financial goals
You are no longer getting one check every two weeks for the exact same amount. You have to sit down and make a realistic budget for yourself. What are your basic expenses?  What are your “extra” expenses? How much work do you need to do in order to cover your bills and be comfortable?  How long will it take to get payment from your clients? These are all questions you must be able to answer with confidence before you decide to take the plunge into working  for yourself from home.

3. Get tax professional advice
Taxes can be a tricky thing as a freelancer. Don’t mess yourself up for tax time. Consult a professional who can tell you what you can write off and what you can’t.  You don’t want to end up with months or years worth of drawn out tax problems just because you  bought a crappy software program instead of ponying up the money for a real tax professional.

5. Set business hours
When you had a regular 9 to 5 job in an office, you probably didn’t actually work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it was very clear when you were in the office and when you were not.  When you work from home, the line can get blurry.  You are kind of always at home and always at work. You might feel compelled to do chores or run errands because you’re at home. Resist it. If you were at an outside office, you would not stop doing work to vacuum, so don’t do it now either. Stick to your business hours. Be on the grind when you need to of course, but don’t feel pressure to do everything at the same time all the time.

11. Stay vigilant about invoices
In the “sad but true things” category is the fact that some clients will do everything possible to not pay you. If you put in the work and delivered what you were obligated to provide in the agreed upon time frame, you are entitled to your fee.  Don’t worry about being “a pest.” It’s your money. Threaten to get a lawyer and then get a lawyer, if it comes to that point.