Ask HN: Going solo as an HPC/DL specialist?

I have an academic background in HPC (C, C++, CUDA, numerical programming and simulation) and DL (PyTorch, Deepspeed). My academic contract is coming to an end and because I was too busy I did not prepare myself well for what comes next. I am searching for a new academic contract or an industry job in this niche but it will probably take some time before I land a new job/contract.

In the meantime I am considering doing freelance consulting in this niche. However, I do not know where to start or if it is even possible. If it may be of relevance I live in Germany and am limited to the EUA region due to VISA reasons for on-site work.

Where do I find clients is my first question. Is there a better approach than signing up for UpWork? Should I setup my own website or is that unnecessary? Do people expect a Linkedin account? How do I win clients?