In honor of Mother’s Day, how about a little help for self-employed mothers? All those moms who run businesses from their homes while having to mind the kids and drive the carpools?

I’m a big fan of these moms/businesswomen – especially as an employer. A number of my best contractors are women who’ve quit corporate jobs to set up their own freelance practices of writing, software developing, editing or graphic design. I asked three of my contractors – Alice (with a 12-year-old), Julie (with a 5-year-old) and Sue (with an 18-month-old) to share secrets for juggling both demanding jobs at once. And I’ve added a few of my own.

+ Take your e-mail and the Internet with you. “Now that I have my iPhone,” Alice told me, “I don’t know how I lived without it! Being able to check and send e-mails from wherever I am, and review documents is a lifesaver ... . Before, I’d have to rush home or find a Wi-Fi spot, or would be a nervous wreck wondering what was going on that I didn’t know about.” Sue can’t live without her Blackberry.

+ Set aside working hours. You’ve got two jobs to do – watching your kids and running your business. You can’t always do both simultaneously. Your working hours might be 9 at night or Saturdays when Dad can take the 2-year-old to the playground, but have times when you only pay attention to your work.

+ Get away. If the kids can’t leave the house, you might have to. Julie loves public libraries and parks: “Ask your spouse/partner to watch the child or get a babysitter and head off to the library. Need some phone time with a client? Grab a wireless enabled laptop and cell phone, head off to a park or do it in your car.”

+ Be realistic about time commitments. Working from home gives you flexibility, but it doesn’t give you more hours in a week. Your clients deserve to be confident you’ll deliver in the time frame promised. But, as Sue says, “Nannies, day care and schools all have many more vacation days and holidays than your typical business. You also have to take little ones to the doctor a lot.” So don’t expect – or commit to – working 40 hours a week.

+ Take advantage of technology. If you’re not a power user of technology, it’s time you become one. Alice is particularly adept at making technology work for her. She uses call forwarding (as well as her cell phone), so she receives her calls no matter where she is. She bought a high-speed color printer that prints on both sides, and she uses online services such as freeconferencecall.com (for phone meetings with clients), myfax.com (to send and receive faxes from anywhere) and yousendit.com (for sending large files) to supply “back-room” functions.

+ Bring your child into your world. It’s easy for your kids (even teenagers) to resent your work because they see it intruding on “their” time. Julie found this out the hard way when her 5-year-old daughter broke her laptop. “I assumed it was an accident. She later sheepishly confessed that, ‘It wasn’t an accident, Mommy. I wanted to see how it felt to step on it’ … she subconsciously wanted to ‘off’ the competition for Mom’s attention (and lap).” Since then, Julie has introduced her daughter to her laptop, shown her what she does for a living and taught her some online games. Even with a 12-year-old, Alice had to sit down and explain why she’s exceptionally busy.

+ Network with other mothers. In many communities, you’ll find moms groups and e-mail lists. These are great for building networks, even finding paying work. “Playdates with clients have replaced golf dates and elegant dinners,” Sue confessed. “I belong to the local moms club and found my attorney, insurance provider, graphic designer, babysitter, day care and housekeeper via referrals.”

+ Get child care backup. Even if you use a child care provider to give you some good quality work time, you’ll sometimes need extra help. Sue suggests lining up two-three babysitters and neighboring parents who can watch your kids in a pinch. One day, you’ll need them!

Here’s wishing all those overworked working moms a happy Mother’s Day every day.

(Opinions expressed in columns are not necessarily those of The Eureka Reporter or its staff.)