This may not help a lot, but I did a good job at my regular employer and connected with coworkers. One of my coworkers introduced me to people that needed some side work. That turned into a steady stream of contract work so far.

Been doing it as primary income source for about a year and I enjoy it. As long as the work keeps flowing in I’ll stick with this path. I lucked out in that one of the contacts I made runs their own consulting agency so they bring me in on jobs I’m good at when they need help.

So networking, your work ethic, and integrity demonstrated to others seems important..