FW: Ind. Contractors - where do you get new clients?

["Humbird, LenX" <lenx -dot- humbird -at- intel -dot- com>]

I rarely find that cold calling gets me anywhere. Over the years of doing
this, I have come to the conclusion that when I'm really being a contractor,
I'm constantly marketing - and I'm hardly aware of it. Whether it's at
church, having beer with the guys, emailing friends, updating my grata
project web site, etc., I'll bring it up in passing and never make a big
deal about it. And of course, have business cards to pass out.  

A tech writer friend referred me his overflow work. That turned into a
regular client of mine for a couple years. 

I took my young son to a playground one day, and idly talked with another
parent. When she asked what I did for a living, I told her. She said, "Oh,
my husband is looking for a tech writer!" Her husband was the president of a
small medical software company. That was the start of another long-term
source of business. 

A friend passed on a tip that a regional tech magazine publisher was looking
for writers. I became a feature writer for that magazine for five years. 

So you just have to be in the right frame of mind all the time. Be prepared
to answer the question, "what do you do for a living?" And eventually
business happens. 

Len