When I get a conversation going with a friend and it turns out it can be done with some programming, I often do it. But I only do it when I have 4-5h I can spend with them to get it done and then I walk away from it. Really awesome to help friends, especially when wine is involved.

My bread and butter business comes through networking at events in my niche and then making continuous updates on social networks so people I've worked with remember I'm out there and pass my name on when people mention business I could do. I maintain a "resume site" with a contact form that facilitates catching those leads.

When I meet people who come through the system I ask the source of their referral. If I know the referral person well, I will take the project 98% of the time.

If they say "I found you on the Internet" I probably accept only 25-50% of the offers, I take extra long to respond to the quote request to test their patience, and if they even flinch on the topic of money I bail out before we get a contract started.