I started to give a vague answer, but I realized you asked specifically how I got started, so I'll answer that: I took any random job that came up. First it wa

I started to give a vague answer, but I realized you asked specifically how I got started, so I'll answer that: I took any random job that came up. First it was updating the website for my friend's art gallery getting paid $20 an hour in trade out when I was in college. Next it was helping out a friend who was doing a larger contracting project, then I did a project for someone who I randomly met at a friend's party. Before I knew it, I'd been doing little contracting projects on the side for 10 years. That's when I decided to make the jump into full time. I didn't have the client base to do that, but I had the experience and confidence that I could present a professional front. I had business cards and invoice systems, time trackers, etc. I then did a similar thing to what rfnslyr described doing when starving: Find a product that companies need and you can build with your skills. Then it's just a matter of knocking on doors. Last year I cold called a company with a proposal on how I could augment their business. A month later they signed a $40,000 contract with me to implement stage one. Since then, they followed on with two additional contracts and now I have an open ended contract with them to work "As many hours as I have time for." The important question is to ask yourself what you can offer that will add value to a company. There are opportunities all around you for that. You just have to think a little bit outside the box. The really traditional and obvious ones are SEO type stuff and building websites, so those will in most cases have the least rewards and the most competition, but there are so many more out there.