Generating an income as a freelance mom with younger children underfoot can be difficult. It can also take a while to learn the tricks for ensuring you make more than “pin” money.

Here, then, are my “in the trenches” tips for making real money as a work-at-home freelance mom.

1. Treat your business like it’s a real business.
I purposely gave my business a name and incorporated early on because I wanted my clients — and my family — to view my business as a serious enterprise, even though when I started, I worked only 15 hours a week.

In addition, it’s important to set aside space for your business, whether you use the spare bedroom or a corner in the unused dining room. Make sure everyone in the family knows this is where you *work* and that they are not to touch your space on pain of death.

Since your business is a living entity that resides in a real space, you’ll also need a telephone and a phone number separate from the house phone. I know this may seem like “duh” advice, but I’m still surprised by the number of women who use the home phone as their work number — and/or don’t use their business name on the outgoing voice mail message.

If you have very young children, you’ll also need voice mail or an answering machine for those chaotic times when you can’t answer the phone. Under no circumstance should you answer the phone with children playing (or worse, crying) in the background. Why? It’s simply not professional — and you want to look and sound professional so that you can charge bigger bucks.

And finally, don’t forget to open a bank account for your business. It makes record keeping much easier, and it also looks professional to have checks with your business name – versus a joint account with your husband.

2. Find a good daycare provider.
Mothers of young children mistakenly think they can work at home while their child or children nap or play quietly. Ha! Nothing is further from the truth. If you have a young child or children, and you want to start a business, you’ll need some form of childcare.

When my son was very young, I used a woman who had an in-home daycare. He went to daycare in the mornings four days a week; I picked him up at 1:00 PM and spent the afternoons with him. It was an ideal situation. Come up with something that works for you and your children.

3. Invest money in your business.
In addition to a phone, desk, computer, etc., you’ll need educational materials (i.e. books, seminars), trade association memberships, marketing materials (e-newsletter, blog, Website, etc.), and business cards / letterhead.

Get the best marketing materials you can afford. My first Website was a five-page site that cost me $750 back in 1999, but it was professionally designed. My letterhead wasn’t fancy, but it was offset printed — versus printed at home on an inkjet printer.

4. Invest in accounting software.
Whether you use Quicken, Quickbooks, or some other accounting software, keep track of all expenses and revenues. Each month, analyze your profit and loss statement. Did you make money? Lose money? How come? How many hours did you work versus the number you actually billed out? Where did your money go? How can you reduce expenses?

Again, treat your freelance business like a real business. It will make a big difference in your pocketbook.

I have four more tips I’ll share with you later this week. So make sure to come back and check them out.

In the meantime, do you agree with these suggestions? Disagree? What other tips would you offer new or aspiring freelance moms?

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In addition to providing results-oriented B2B marketing consulting and copywriting, Dianna Huff, Principal of DH Communications, Inc., also offers marketing coaching to consultants. Sign up for her newsletter, The Profitable Consultant and receive a free report: Achieve Fame & Fortune: 25 Tips for Using Twitter for Business.