[seregarev]

I think you can start now. If you've built enough to have a decent portfolio to show, then you should be able to get clients based on that alone. Team up with a few people that can make up for any weaknesses you might have and get to it. IMO design skills are huge since the way something looks is often how clients will judge your work, so find someone who can wireframe and mockup solutions quickly and get your initial clients excited about your work. You can start with smaller projects and build your way up.

[kusina]

Should I just pound the pavement and talk with local business people and see if they want to get some work done?

[andyakb]

Yes. Your value as a consultant is dependent upon being able to deliver value to clients. From the sounds of it, you are a reasonably skilled programmer, so the difficulty is not on the technical side but on explaining to business owners why your services will make them more money. Read anything you can find by Patrick Mckenzie, and just start putting your knowledge to work. You will quickly learn what skills you need that you dont yet have.