[acallaghan]

Yeah I worked straight out of Uni for a few different companies, starting on £24k, but ramping up quite quickly to my last permanent job, which paid £40k (in Liverpool, not London). I then saved up a few months rent and just made the leap, setting up the business and accounts were easy, and earning roughly the same as I was before, but now just working half the time.

Edit: Oh for actually getting the contracts? I usually find them via ruby friends, or LRUG - the London Ruby User Group - a healthy supply of companies & contractors scour it to quench a never ending demand, it seems.