By Gillian Cornwell of Busy Mothers

Working from home is many parents dream.  Being able to work when and where they like, and work around the children is seen by many as the perfect way to juggle home and work life.  However when the dream becomes the reality at first it can seem as though, while believing you are getting the best of both worlds - you seem to spend less time achieving your goals and more time running around in circles!

But what about all those successful work at home mums you hear about?  What makes them special?  In reality they are probably not much different to anyone else.  What they will however have is a plan.  Like all things in life, if you are organised, have a plan and set some rules and guidelines  you will find that you can, most of the time at least, have it all.

To help you get started here are Busy Mothers tips for Working From Home:

1. Set hours of work - decide when you will and will not work and stick to it (most of the time).  Just as if you were at work have a time to start and a time to finish.

2. Work during work hours - however tempting it may be, don't hang out a load of washing or make that quick call to your mum.  It is too easy to get distracted and you end up having a day where nothing is achieved.

3. Set a schedule - like a school timetable, assign different aspects of your job a time period to work on them.  For instance; Monday morning might be accounting; time to pay all the bills and chase outstanding debts, Wednesday afternoon might be follow up calls to clients and Friday night when the kids are in bed might be answering all those non urgent emails.

4. Don’t answer the home phone (unless it is also the work phone), let the answering machine get it.  If you have a separate work line get a separate phone with a distinctive ring.

5. Have a designated work area - if you don't have the space to set up a separate room, set up a desk and everything else you need in a workable spot, like a corner of the dining room.  See if you can get a screen to cover the area when work is done.

6. Inform family and friends - tell them that yes you will be home, but you will be working and while you love their company, just as they couldn’t just drop in on you in a normal office, they cant do it when you work from home either.

7. Get dressed - while for some this is the ultimate motivation to working at home, not needing to dress to impress, some people find it is easier to get into work mode if they are dressed rather than in their jammies ( I admit, I am not one of these people).

8. Pay back time - if you need to work instead of doing family things in order to meet a deadline, try and pay that time back when things are quieter, this way the family understands that work is important, but also that they are important too!

9. Learn when to say no - working from home can mean it is hard to say no to work or projects and you end up working long hours to complete assignments.  Know what your limits are and stick to them, especially in the beginning.

10.   Learn how to turn off - with work there at home, it can be hard to switch off.  If you find it hard to switch off at the end of the day, try doing non-urgent work for the last half hour, or going for a walk to clear your head.

Working from home can be great with a little planning.  Good Luck!