[jontas]

I got all of my clients via word of mouth. It sounds weird on the surface, but honestly, as a web developer, I didn't even have my own website. I can't think of a single client who didn't approach me first.

I guess it is a bit of a chicken and egg problem, but there's always a way to get those first couple clients. Reach out to your personal network, everyone knows someone who needs a website. Price the first couple of jobs cheap, do good work, and your name is bound to get passed around. Also after you build your first dozen sites, many of them are bound to require maintenance--eventually you end up with fairly consistant work even if you aren't closing new deals all the time.

After a year or so I had enough work to support me full time, and after 2 years I had enough work to bring on a second person.