This is just my experience and may not be applicable in yours or anyone else's case. <g> But, as people post you may find some common thread that makes sense to you.
When I first decided this was what I wanted to do, I made several calls to broadcast friends who had made the transition. The best advice I got, although I didn't know it at the time, was this. "Everyone has to find their own way." It's true. There are some key things like making a good demo, but finding and maintaining clients will have to come from your Rolodex, experience, creativity and luck. For me, I had a lucky break that made all of the difference. A major player in New Orleans wrote a very nice comment about some work I had done for him and about 10 good clients came on as a result. And then, there are some radio friends who are now PD's who use me as their "station voice."
For me, the web site has been the key, especially in a rural area and working outside of my market. On a personal note, I can appreciate your position with your aging family member. I am in the exact same situation and have been doing this full time with no other source of income for eight years. You'll have freedom and availability that will be very helpful. Only you can answer how much you'll need to make. Before I left my full time job I made sure my finances were in order and that I had saved about half a year's salary while I found my way. I also didn't leave my job until I had three good continual clients, and that working 40 hours was keeping me from finding and doing work with my own business.
Brice is correct. Wi-fi and other ways of staying connected will help you now in ways I didn't have in the early 2000's. The best trick is "call forwarding" that forwards your home calls to another phone seamlessly. Or maybe get a cell phone as your business number. That way you can take calls while out. Nowadays, there are lots of ways to check your e-mail and reply.
Lastly, get a PayPal account. This allows you to get paid via the internet using an account or charge card. It will cost you a bit per transaction, but you can take that off on your taxes and shuttle the money straight into your bank account. I'll do a quick voiceover for a client and then had money in my PayPal half an hour later. Groovy! <g>
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