Self-employed with family

Working independently often means working independently. For many parents, this sounds like a real opportunity: organizing their own working hours, spending more time with the family, balancing work and everyday life more flexibly.

However, this path is also challenging. Because self-employment brings new questions: How can you plan reliably? What happens in the event of illness? And how can everyday family life be reconciled with working life? Good to know: There are many ways to make self-employment family-friendly - with a clear structure and supportive networks.

A key advantage of self-employment is flexible working hours. Those who can organize their working hours largely independently can often integrate family responsibilities more easily: An unexpected absence from daycare or an important doctor's appointment can be absorbed more easily.

However, flexibility is not a sure-fire success. It needs structure. Without clear boundaries, work and private life quickly become blurred - and freedom becomes excessive demands. What can help: Fixed time slots for professional tasks, consciously planned family time and regular routines provide stability - and allow real freedom.

Whoever works independently usually juggles many tasks at the same time: writing offers, coordinating appointments, handling projects - and changing diapers or supervising homework on the side.

Good time management is crucial to ensure that neither your own business nor your family are neglected. A weekly schedule that takes both areas into account helps to keep an overview. Even small habits - such as having breakfast together or a fixed hour for undisturbed work - bring calm and structure to everyday life.

Many self-employed people work from home - an advantage that saves travel and makes everyday situations easier. At the same time, this also brings challenges: when the kitchen table becomes a desk and professional phone calls are accompanied by the noise of toys in the background, clear boundaries are needed. A separate work area, ideally with a door, helps you to concentrate on your work - and to make the transition between work and family life more conscious.

By the way: in some cities, there are now co-working spaces with childcare - an innovative solution for anyone who is looking for interaction and wants to combine family and career at the same time.

If you are self-employed, you bear the entrepreneurial risk alone. It is particularly important for families to make good provisions for this. Fluctuating income, illness or periods without orders can become a burden without a safety buffer.

It is helpful to seek advice at an early stage - for example about support programs, insurance options or subsidies in the start-up phase. You can find information on the portal Startercenter.NRW, the NRW.Bank and the KfW.

Many legal regulations apply differently to the self-employed than to employees - especially in a family context. For example, self-employed mothers are not yet entitled to maternity leave, but they are entitled to parental allowance. You can find detailed information on this on the start-up platform under the keywords "Maternity protection and self-employment" and "Self-employed: Parental allowance regulations for 2025".

Self-sufficiency is easier with support. Exchanging ideas with other parents in a similar situation, local networks or advice centers help not only to get information, but also support.

Whether questions about taxes, work organization or childcare - many things have already been resolved. Talking to others can open up new perspectives, provide encouragement or offer very practical tips.