[fffrad]

This something I did and so far has been working pretty well for me.

Look for companies that have contracts with others for short amount of times. The more they send you on jobs, the more website you work on, and the richer your portfolio becomes.

Once you have a good chunk, it is much easier to get consulting work. Sometimes companies I have worked for a month or two contact me directly for more work and a higher rate.

The more items you have on your portfolio, the more people will accept your rates.