Clients in home office

You are right to be concerned about having a client come to your home office when it's in such a private family area. It's probably not a good idea.

If you don't have a suitable area in your house, and if your client's office isn't an option, look for an executive office suite in your area that offers professional services, including office and conference room space available in incremental units as small as one hour. These firms can provide you with many other services that will raise your level of professionalism without a lot of expense.

If that doesn't work, try your attorney's or accountant's office, the office of a friend, or a "public" space, like the lobby restaurant or quiet lounge at a local high-end hotel. These can be perfectly suitable meeting areas.