1) I joined my local programming mailing lists - e.g. the nearest Hacker Space, Ruby Ireland. 2) I went to a local tech conference. 3) I went to local tech meet ups and made a lot of noise. I paid extra attention to the non techies. 4) I followed everyone I met at said events.
After a few months of doing this I understand the local freelancing scene much better, have a good idea of market rates and am exposed to lots of freelancing opportunities.
- Tell all your friends and family you're freelancing. Chances are, you can find a few leads this way.
- Get hooked in with a network of local freelancers; they might share referrals. Unfortunately, I don't think you can just search for these groups on Google. I believe they're mostly informal networks of freelancers who stay in touch with each other, rather than actual clubs or trade organizations. I found one through another freelancer I happen to know, so give that a shot. YMMV.
-I haven't set up a Sortfolio account yet, but you might want to give it a shot. If you do, and it works out for you, please let us all know.
Best of luck!