Seeds of Growth blog on how to get experience and credibility when you are just Starting your business:

Gaining Experience

If you are brand new in your field, you might want to "test drive" your service as a volunteer. Choose an individual or organization that would be an excellent case study and that would provide clear "before and after" results. Gain agreement from your client that if she is satisfied with the results, you may use her as a reference for future clients and would use her project as a case study for your marketing.

Gaining Confidence

Find yourself a mentor. There is nothing like hearing "stories from the trenches" from someone who used to be in your position and now has a thriving practice. You can get information, resources and confidence-building from the right person, or group of people. You may also join a professional Organization or community. They are usually very open and supportive people and I am sure would share tips and tricks with you, as well as give you encouragement to make the leap.

Getting Clients

Obviously, there is an art and a science to small business marketing. If you are concerned with just getting things going and taking on a few clients, start with defining your niche. That is the specific segment of people that you will target for your marketing efforts.

For just about anyone these days (well, anyone with the something meaty to share and who likes to write), I would recommend starting a blog on your topic, since it is a great way to showcase your expertise, build community, test ideas and develop a friendly relationship with potential clients.