Don`t take this the wrong way Pete, but…
You really need to have the work lined up well before you even think of applying for an O licence…
This in turn would dictate where you operate from, not the other way round
And, if you really want to succeed, you will need to get your head around being a tramper / night owl / very early starter, you won`t fall onto any cream work without being able to handle all of the above [IMO]
Day rate / Day work will be sown up by lads who have been around along time…