So, I started a consulting company yesterday, if you are contemplating a similar move, please allow me to share my accumulated day’s wisdom

1. Don’t start a business—create a customer, or as Peter Drucker wrote: “There is only one valid definition of a business purpose: to create a customer”
2. Learn how to sell. It’s not some black mystical art, it’s actually a well studied field with established techniques.
3. Make calls, not a website (but, you know, you’ll need a website too — just make the calls first) — to who? Anyone you can deliver value to.
4. Care about time management. Pick a simple method and do it. Here’s what I do (1) write down 5-6 things to get done (2) order by priority (3) schedule blocks of time to do them (4) do them.  Leave some unstructured time to process emails and do small unplanned tasks.  Anything new goes on the list for later.
5. Join a peer-group: Brennan Dunn runs two. If you are just getting started, try The Freelancer’s Guild. Only go there at the end of your day.