One of the toughest parts when getting started freelancing as a web designer is not having a portfolio to show your skills off to potential clients. Sure, you could spin up a couple of websites but they end up lacking that special sauce that wows your clients.
And it doesn’t have anything to do with your skills! I couldn’t create a site out of thin air, I’m just not creative enough. I’d end up just adding a bunch of Lipsum text because I got stuck trying to write about this fictitious business.