I have quilted for others and quilted for myself. I just finished 10 quilts for QOV and have 30 project linus to finish...for now. My suggestion is this: If you buy a long arm, you need to learn the craft, like charity quilts, and watching utube quilting videos. If you feel that you are proficient at it, you can take in quilting for others, but start with your quilting friends first. Practice is the best. I have had my long arm for 2.5 years and have completed a lot of quilts and feel that if I had tried quilting them on my DSM it would have killed my back and shoulders. The cost of sending them out for a LA quilter should be taken into consideration too. I like the thought that my time is my own and if it takes you a couple of weeks to LA your own quilt, that should be good for you. I hope this helps a little.