One of my common hangups with these kind of posts is the lack of history as to what lead people to these consulting gigs. Where were you before, and how long were you there? How long have you been in the game and what do you offer that is unique / special? I feel like I've wanted to jump into the consulting game for the past few years but haven't because I don't feel like I'm an expert in a particular field that would warrant consulting/contracting expertise, and I feel like you need to have a certain skill set / years of experience under your belt if you want to maximize your chances of being successful as a freelancer.<p>Happy for the OP, but it's just as important to provide how you got there (not to mention I'm really interested to know what led you to this level of expertise to be so in demand) so a greenhorn dev doesn't quit his job thinking anybody can do this.
Very inspiring post. Almost thou persuadest me to go indie :).<p>I am glad you covered all the angles, including family, which is very important to me too. Good luck with 2014!
Are you required to give project time estimates to clients before you start? What's the best way to set expectations? Things always seem to take longer than planned. One could add a bit of padding for tasks but sometimes you don't need it.