How to become the "go to" expert?
I am an artisan entrepreneur, so I am more familiar with my craft than I am with running a business. That said, I'm good at what I do and I was able to bootstrap a small graphic design and app development firm with the funds I've earned from freelance work. I always am willing to work hard, and have been doing so for a long time. But now I'm kind of playing it by ear.
There is a strong network of friends backing me, including an attorney offering free legal advice (bless his heart) and an accountant who is willing to answer many of my questions.
My problem, however, is that in spite of all the work and experience I have accumulated, I am pretty unremarkable, and so is my business. Contract work is exceedingly hard to come by, and my business is always in "starvation mode."
My current goal is to become an established expert in my local community. I have been attending networking events and connecting with good people in hackerspaces. I like people, and they seem to like me well enough.
But even so, it is really hard to stand out and be someone people remember. Since I am currently operating my young small business alone, and my personal portfolio is being displayed on my company website, my personal brand is currently mixed with my company brand. My (goofy) face is the only face that will sell the company.
So, what would you recommend doing to be remarkable and the "go to" expert on a subject, and how would I best route people's interest to my business?
Of course, in the event my philosophy to the whole thing seems "off" somehow, tell me. I can take abuse.