I don't think you can get a visa as a self-employed. Small start-ups hiring H1-Bs are very unlikely because it is a long and expensive process, unless you have a background that is truly unique and valuable. Think about the research you have developed at UC Berkeley, maybe you can find a start-up that matches your research and wants to invest in a visa sponsorship.

I think it's easier for a big company to hire H1-Bs because they already have an infrastructure to handle that (lawyers, immigration experts, etc...). I myself immigrated to the US through that path. Maybe you can work for a big company and do something on the side?

As far as I know, the government issues visas any time of the year. There is a yearly cap, so maybe they already reached the cap for 2010? I don't know, but it's easy to look that up (go to USCIS web site).