Where the first ten jobs come from, and what each channel needs from you
In one paragraph
The first ten jobs do not come from a website. They come from six channels that already exist around a working electrician: the general contractors and property managers who know your work, the supply-house counter, home-warranty and solar companies that need a licensed sub in your area, realtors with inspection reports, and the neighbors of the first job. Each channel asks for a different thing before it will hand you work. Here is what each one wants, in the order you should knock.
The rule
Every estimate, bid and contract you hand any of these channels must carry your license number (B&P 7030.5), because a contractor who was not duly licensed at all times during the work cannot sue to be paid and must return what was paid (B&P 7031(a)-(b)). Commercial channels will also require a certificate of insurance before the first dispatch, and public agencies require DIR registration before you may even bid (Labor Code 1771.1).
Why it matters
New contractors spend the first months on ads that produce price shoppers, while the channels that produce steady, paid work are a phone call away and only ask for paperwork you already have from Phases 0 and 1. The order matters: the channels that pay reliably want a certificate of insurance and a clean license record, and they want them before, not after, the first call.