There are no hacks for clients. The client-consultant relationship is -- well it is a relationship. Good clients have ongoing relationships with consultants. Those consultants are actively working to maintain that relationship because -- well they are good clients.

To put it another way, it is a mistake to assume the market is inefficient and there is a trove of good clients who cannot find consultants. There might be, but that would just be dumb luck.

Without clients you don't have a business. Finding clients is hard work. Harder than doing what they want.

Looking for hacks is easier than finding clients. That's why it is attractive. It's also why it is not work. There's not some step before finding clients. Looking for hacks is turning a Y problem into an XY problem.

The problem is no network. The way to build an network is to build a network. The way to find to find local clients is to find local clients. If those are activities you are avoiding, my best advice is to find something else to do. There's nothing wrong with that. Everyone isn't cut out for the work that is involved.

Finding clients is both necessary and sufficient for having a consultancy. If you can do that, you can hire technical talent to execute.

Good luck.