>Start with friends, or friends of friends, doing programming on the side. Word of mouth is the best advertising. Ask everyone you know if they need programming done, and ask them to ask anyone they know. Keep your rates low in the beginning so you can lowball the competition.


My step-dad is self-employed in Denver. I'm hoping if we move there that he'll have some contacts. Who knows, though, in 5 years I may have contacts of my own.

>Also, if your town has them, try some job shops ( temp agencies that specialize in finding contracts for programmers ). Look in the classifieds under Programming in any big city Sunday newspaper. Their ads will be there. Here in L..A., there's dozens of them.
>
>I've been self-employed for twelve years doing database stuff, all by word of mouth, and sometimes, job shops.
>
>Good luck!
>
>PS. Bill by the hour, not by the job. The specs -always- change and the job always gets bigger.

That's true...

Thanks,

-Michelle