I would strongly suggest having a handful of clients. Currently the two things likely to kill an early consulting / freelancing career are: the client you're wo

I would strongly suggest having a handful of clients. Currently the two things likely to kill an early consulting / freelancing career are: the client you're working for going out of business, or the client you're working for cutting budgets back to the point where they can't afford you any more. Being spread across a few clients lessens your risk a great deal, but it shouldn't become unmanageable to keep in touch with all of them. [Edit] I should have said - couldn't agree more about the conferences. Whether full on conferences or more community driven events like BarCamps, they're a great place to meet very good contacts.