Stop trying to undercut prices is my advice. You need to make enough to survive on working half of normal hours that way you don't go under right away if you are slow or get slow later. Then when working a lot you get a lot. Look, sound and be professional to everyone you encounter. Show confidence in your abilities and always make it right. This means you will work sometimes at no charge and late into the evenings. Always talk to people about what you do and how it makes a difference. Be careful not to go on and in but definitely bring up your line of work. People like to deal with successful people. It's what makes it hard to get started. No one wants the guy with no customers. They want the busy guy. Therefore be busy and look busy even if not actively on a job. Use terms like'schedule you for 3 PM today' or after I finish this job at approximately 3 pm , etc. Be honest and brief. Don't lie. Get credit card processing. Don't make it hard for your clients to pay you. Some won't have cash or money in checking account and need to pay with CC. DON'T GIVE CREDIT. You are not a bank. Be clear on your rates before you arrive. Most wont care if it costs $150 or $200 as long as they can trust it to be done right. Don't take shortcuts. Remember that just because it is easy for you doesn't mean that it isn't valuable. Don't give away your time. Friends and family pay too. Just discount them but always keep your rate high. People feel a lot better paying $75 per hour if the normal rate is $100. Much better than 75 if that is the standard rate despite paying the exact same thing. If you fix the problem in 5 minutes, don't just walk out. Spend a few minutes cleaning up and chatting to the customer and then leave. Always have a minimum charge.