[alxmng]

You’re correct that to get clients you need to prospect, and one of most effective ways to prospect is networking.

You can start now with your existing network. Just let everyone know you’re available for work, and see what comes your way.

real high leverage networking is done at the job, in my experience.

What do I mean by networking on the job? I mean establishing good relations with others at your current gig - not just your contact that hired you. Treat whoever you work with well and make sure they have your contact info.

My best clients came from people at previous gigs that I didn’t know at first and weren’t my contact. But they would remember “the contractor my boss hired at the last company I worked at was great and was so nice to me and I have his number” and then bam you have a new gig. People start their own companies and need help, they get a new job and are put in charge of hiring, or someone asks them for help and they drop your name.

Everyone you work with is a potential future gig. So don’t just focus on the work, also focus on getting to know everyone you work with.