Working from home is often painted like it's a carefree lifestyle. There are definite freedoms to working for yourself, but there is also a lot of responsibility. Part of the problem with this perception of the work at home life is that other people might not respect the fact that you have to work.

It's often assumed that people who work at home are free to drop their work whenever and go out for lunch, go shopping or just slack off for the afternoon. If you work from home, you know that is far from the truth. Successful working at home means that you have a detailed schedule that you follow carefully. Any interruptions to that schedule may effect your business negatively.

But this can be hard to get across to your friends and family. Many people who work from home have to deal with interrupting phone calls from well meaning friends, or other distractions in the work day. It may be hard for other people in your life to understand that you need to work and aren't always available. They may also look down on you for working at home and assume that you're just spending your time having fun.

While you can't change the way that people think directly, you can help guide their actions and attitudes by setting an example. If you treat your business like a business, then the other people in your life will as well. You need to have set times to work, and dedicate yourself to working during those times. You need to keep your commitments to your work and let others know that you'll be working on certain days or during certain hours.

People will follow your example if you treat your business like a business. They will begin to respect your schedule and the times that you need to work. It all starts with setting a schedule. Consider keeping regular hours and posting your hours in your office. Anyone who visits you in your home office can see the hours that you've posted. The next time that they want to call you during the middle of the day, they will think twice.

Don't be afraid to be vocal about your business hours and your boundaries. If someone calls in the middle of the day, tell them you are working and that you'll get back with them later. Schedule visits for certain days, and let your friends and family know that you are rearranging your work schedule to spend time with them. The more messages you can send about how important keeping your work schedule is to you, the better.

Although one of the perks of owning your own business is being able to set your own hours, you can do yourself a favor by keeping semi-regular business hours. Not only will this help your family and friends understand your commitment to your business, you'll be giving yourself some structure.

You can also set a precedent by the language that you use when you talk about your business. A lot of new home business owners make the mistake of down playing their new role. They feel like they shouldn't brag about their business, or express how difficult it is to own a business. They support the stereotypes of home business owners being lazy or always having fun. There are parts of running a home business that are difficult, and it's okay to tell your friends and family about them. You can express your frustrations when they ask how business is going. It's okay to tell them about the challenges you are having. This may help them understand that you are serious about your business, and that you are working hard.

This isn't a license though to overwork. Make sure that your friends and family don't resent your business by working all the time. It can be really easy to drop personal commitments for work ones, especially when you are first starting out and need to turn a profit. In just a matter of time, you can find yourself "married" to your business.

Balance your work with the rest of your life. There's no point in working from home if you are spending all of your time locked away in your office. Setting office hours, even if they are a bit flexible, can help you balance your life.