I run a website to share information on all aspects of working from home, mobile working, co-working and Jelly, and to help people who work from home to feel connected, as it can be isolating to spend lots of time alone in your home office.

I started work on the website just before my book ‘Work from Home’, was published by How to Books a couple of years ago.

I was on the MA Professional Writing course at University College Falmouth a few years ago, and my thesis had to be a commercial book proposal including market research, pitch to publisher, sample chapters etc. As a non-fiction writer I had to write about something I knew well, and during the Christmas holiday I had a lightbulb moment when I realised the common thread throughout most of my working life had been working from home. I’d never even thought about it till then!

Having completed the course and the thesis I had a ready-made proposal and got a contract from How To Books a few months later. A website was the obvious way to reach home workers scattered in back bedrooms and sheds all over the world!

The freedom and flexibility it gives me to live my life in my own way. I mix so-called ‘business’ and ‘domestic’ stuff all day long – it’s all just life and I don’t see any boundaries.

I’ve done it so long now I have no idea how people cope when they have to cram all their personal life into the evenings and weekends. I like working when I feel like it and taking time off when I don’t, and not being answerable to anyone else.

Understanding your own personality and what you need to stay motivated and productive. You can then work in accordance with your own habits and preferences. You also need to be open to constant change and development, because if something’s not working, nobody else is going to fix it.

Also to realise that you’re probably the harshest boss you’ve ever had, and to give yourself a break!

It’s not for everyone, but if you have a yearning to do it, then go for it. Once they’ve taken the plunge, many people would never go back and just wish they’d done it sooner.

Don’t take well-meant advice too seriously – what may be right for your best friend may be all wrong for you. We all have different personal circumstances and personalities and need to find our own way.

Be very careful how much time you spend alone in your home office – horizons can shrink alarmingly quickly when you’re bouncing around inside your own head. Coworking spaces are brilliant for getting out and offer the possibility of collaboration, taking your business in directions you’ve never dreamed of.