As I already said, if you have a chamber of commerce, or equivalent organisation in your city, join their events. In most cities, chamber of commerces organises events, meetups, seminars, meetings targeting local businesses & owners.
Main idea is, once you identify which market segment you want to target, in order to sell 'yourself' to them, be where they are. Meet with them, listen to their problems, and offer tailored solutions. Being a 'solution' guy instead of 'random web developer/designer' guy will help you differentiate yourself from your peers.
For example, instead of telling a business owner 'I design websites', go with "I create websites that will help you boost your sales, that will pay for itself and earn you more money". First one is generic, second one is offering a solution to their problem, a benefit that they can understand. Back your claims with research and data, and deliver what you promise.
As my target was business owners, I gave examples on that segment. But you can apply the same strategies to any other segment you want.
