I've been thinking about consulting myself, and have slowly been working out solutions to those problems. Remember this is from someone who doesn't actually con

I've been thinking about consulting myself, and have slowly been working out solutions to those problems. Remember this is from someone who doesn't actually consult yet though. But since I seem to be the first one to comment here goes nothing: 1 - I'm in the UK so not a problem. But if I was in the US and didn't have a regular income, no immediate life-threatening diseases and was just starting out I'd be tempted to let that slide for a few months. Put it on the priority list for when you get stable. 2 - Think of yourself as your customer that's looking for a consultant. Find consultants in your local area-ish and ask them what their rate is. Make it a bit cheaper than that to start with and be honest with your customers that you are just starting out, "so you're getting an experienced dev for cheap but I would like to use you as a reference." 3 - As much work as you can get to start with! Never stop looking for business. Even if you're jammed with work right now (and you're not) you should expect to spend some of your time each week "feeding the pipeline". Also remember to sell support contracts to your customers as much as you can, this is where you're going to get your regular income. You charge more for "instant response" and on-the-day fixes. Free tech support is "I'll answer an email when I get a chance". It also makes sure that your customers know that just because you did some work for them that doesn't mean they now get 24/7 support for free for life. 4 - I've worked from home for 3 years and I like it. Some don't. Either way make sure to get some social interaction. I have a dog I walk to the pub :). Another good way to meet people is to join a gym but then do the sports clubs there - I've joined the squash club and we meet every Thursday and Sunday. It's good because you meet different people and it kind of forces you to get out. Also remember to put in a bit of effort to see friends and family. It takes a little more effort because it means you have to get off your arse and out of the house - but it's not that much more. 5 - Sales, sales, sales. Who are your contacts? What business meetups are there in your local area? Is your website setup with your own domain and clean and professional? Do you have business cards? You're not just a dev now, you're a businessman/dev. Hope this helps...