You are partially defeating yourself here. Yes there is some legwork to be done with this approach (did you expect to get $100/hr by browsing craigslist?), but

You are partially defeating yourself here. Yes there is some legwork to be done with this approach (did you expect to get $100/hr by browsing craigslist?), but these hurdles are more about simply getting out of the comfort zone of a stay-at-home college student and into the comfort zone of a businessperson. > ...live in a city that lets you throw an event, figure out which people you need to convince to let you throw that event... The location requirement is basically "big enough to sustain a hotel with a conference room," as that is all you need. Cities do not have a Department Of Permits To Host A Seminar, you can just rent a conference room, VFW hall, or park district room, and pass out fliers. > ...somehow get local business owners to attend your event... Mention free donuts. Only half joking here; your seminar doesn't need to be ISO Certified to attract attention and curious business owners. If you read your local library newsletter or village website, you'll probably see dozens of similar talks put on by local lawyers, accountants, print shops, etc, and people attend those. Heck, the library will probably advertise it for you! > ...presentation skills and "appearance skills"... This is really what it boils down to. Do you have the confidence to convey the image of a professional developer as opposed to a student. After a decade of experience, I would say this is a greater asset than wizardly technical expertise, and a harder skillset to refine.