I've been in and out of consulting work for a couple of decades now, and at times have worked for consultancies/contracting shops. What has been by far the mos

I've been in and out of consulting work for a couple of decades now, and at times have worked for consultancies/contracting shops. What has been by far the most successful strategy for me: * work for free, or work for a lot, but DO NOT WORK FOR CHEAP. What is meant by this is that your rates should reflect not only your value but should force your client to respect what you do. They very easily dismiss what they don't have to pay much for as a commodity. (I've seen this idea from many people in different forums, but I don't remember who/where I read the phrasing above.) If you work for free, ensure your "client" understands you're doing them a favor. In my work, what I mostly do "for free" is take a meeting or provide some advice. I almost never do actual work for free. * your network does all the heavy lifting for bizdev. Go to your meetups. Write a lot. Become an expert at something, even if its a kind of niche area (even better if it is, actually) because the people in that niche will become your most reliable source of referrals. The meetings you take and advice you give for free will lead to work over time. * Have a cushion in your bank account. Calibrate your working week to about half what you think is reasonable (e.g. plan on working 15-20 hours a week and set your rates accordingly.) all that extra time is great if you can bill it, but things come up. * Don't take bad work. The first thing I do when I meet a (potential) client for the first time is hear the 10k-foot view of their idea. Then I tell them what it is I do, and that primarily is talk clients out of hiring me (or anyone else) because their project is A) just plain bad. or B) not ready for development. (I usually look for a tactful way to say those things!) Sometimes I'll work with them to shift the idea into something I think could work, but those are almost always conversations that end with "call me when you're ready." They usually appreciate the honesty and me not taking their money. I appreciate not wasting my time with a client who isn't going to end up having money to pay me with. * Do your best to help potential clients get their needs met, even if that means referring the work somewhere else. If the job is too big for you, don't try to bite it off. If its too small to waste your time with, don't take it. But do try to find someone who can help them if its not you. This is what worked for me—lots of other people have had a lot of success with other paths.