Finding your first client is without doubt the hardest part. After that you’ll have more confidence, a reference, and possibly some word of mouth running ahead of you.
A frequent recommendation I’ve heard is to make your current employer your first client. I’ve never been in a position to pull that off, but can at least verify that it’s not the _only_ way to start. I’ve had leads off of Craigslist, though haven’t closed them. I’ve had successful matches from the monthly HN Freelancer thread. Where most of my client contacts have started, though, is conversations within my network—build initially from W2 jobs and helping run a programming language meetup, and then building atop engagements with clients and agencies.
A frequent recommendation I’ve heard is to make your current employer your first client. I’ve never been in a position to pull that off, but can at least verify that it’s not the _only_ way to start. I’ve had leads off of Craigslist, though haven’t closed them. I’ve had successful matches from the monthly HN Freelancer thread. Where most of my client contacts have started, though, is conversations within my network—build initially from W2 jobs and helping run a programming language meetup, and then building atop engagements with clients and agencies.
Zach Burt’s “The Software Engineer’s Guide to Freelance Consulting” (https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/title/software-engineer...) is a pretty good reference; there should be ebook copies out there for a reasonable price.