I am 2 and a half years into building my new run. The first 2 years were fairly tough here (I am in the south west of Ireland where there is high unemployment etc.) and many of my customers were one-offs or messers. In the last few months I have picked up some good, regular, quality customers, and now that my book is now filling up, the work seems to be flying in without me actively trying.
I reckon on hitting my targets for customers and earnings by the summer, by which time I will be looking at fresh targets and refining.
To the OP, best wishes.
John