ways to find clients

I did some and small time pro-bono stuff as well as my personal site to build my portfolio but everyone does that. What you're talking about is moneyed jobs which are a little harder to break into.

Most of my paid jobs come from word of mouth from people I've previously worked with or repeat business from former clients. I try to meet and develop relationships with designers because I only do development work. When they need a hand, they give me a call. You mentioned that you're having trouble with your price point, perhaps what you can do is create a very simple package at even lower price point for very small businesses. I built a web site for a coffeeshop nearby that I charged $150 for but it was very clear going in that the scope of the project is very limited. Still, that's a real commercial business and if you help them you can get an awesome reference or testimonial. It's all about selling what you can do for their business and profit more than what you can do on the web. Most companies think they want a website but don't know why. Sell them on why and you'll grab some clients.

Freelance boards are useful when you're just starting out but it's hard to rely on those jobs for serious cash. Most of them underpay. I've had more luck cold-emailing through Craigslist. Cold-calling is actually an option, but start out approaching businesses you might have a relationship with that could actually benefit from your services.

I also got a lot of jobs from agency work early on. Agencies have clients that tend to be more serious and understand more about what's actually happening with the process. Some creative agencies are even looking to hire other small companies. Normally I hate talking to LinkedIn recruiter types but they might be able to help you get your foot in the door somewhere. So many agencies don't even post their projects publicly and always go through intermediaries. This makes is hard to break in but very easy to get repeat business. I turn down far more jobs than I accept because I've developed a good repor and reputation at the agency and they call me quite often.

The biggest thing is to get your name out there and keep at it. I always thought the walking around handing out business cards was kind of lame, but once in a while it does lead to something. Perhaps make a bi-fold brochure and hand it out next time you're downtown. Provide coupons or promotions. Take them muffins. Get creative. Network with other small web firms in your area, you might need their help or they might need yours. Maybe you stumble upon a project that's too big for two people but would work with 4. Well now you can say "yeah, we'll be happy to take that job!"