I bought a long arm a couple months ago... haven't set it up yet because the week the drywall finishing was to be done turned into 2 months. :hunf: I started talking to a few people... (only four, LOL) and now 2 months out I've got people asking me to quilt and the machine isn't even set up yet!

I'm cautious though, I want to spend at least 6 months doing charity quilts, and my own, before taking in anyone else's quilt. I'm told there are online resources to help learn how to start a LA business... I owned a small business for 12 years so I haven't checked online resources, but you might continue asking on the quilting board. The people here are faaaaabulous, like no other place online I've found. <<<group hug>>>>

Don't underestimate the time it takes to get good. Some of us need lots of practice. Then have you got the nerve to quilt it however you want. This one surprised me. My first 4 customers all told me to do what I want. YUK! I stressed lots about that even though I like to figure out what design to use on my own quilts. I gave up on the idea of doing customer quilts and will write another book instead.
On the other hand, if you go for it, don't get a 10 foot pole. You need 12 foot minimum. Good luck and have fun.

i just purchased mine because it was costing me lots to have them
long armed. well i am not in the business and dont plan to be
some friends have ask me to do theres and i have said no.

I bought a Gammill Vision 18/8 with a 10 foot frame last June. I love it. I had a midarm prior so I had some experience. My friends started asking me immediately to quilt for them and I did. Mainly pantographs at the beginning and now I'm doing some custom work. I have been doing about 4 or 5 per month and that is all I want to do. I can't say I've made that much money because I continue to reinvest in additional pantographs, rulers and thread. I took the money out of our savings to purchase (my husband got a fancy fishing Kayak) so I didn't have to worry about payments. I don't have much time anymore to piece which I also love so that is a negative. I have decided not to let others use my machine (I have been asked) because there is just too much of a learning curve with the quilting and maintenance and I think I would spend all my time helping them. Hope this helps.

If it's really something you want to do, I say go for it. I quilt mostly my own quilts(some for others), but I also have a full time job and three kids to take care of. There is a learning curve to quilting(if you've never done it before). It took me about 4 years before I was comfortable enough to work on someone else's quilt. Everyone is different though.

Long arm quilting is way fun! but it's a large investment of money and time so be sure to think everything through.

I would be hesitant to let others rent time on my machine. There may be additional tax and insurance implications. You can't learn on customer quilts. You may be a natural, but most folks need a fair bit of practice before they become profficient. You say that you have the room, but remember that you need at least 2'-3' around the front, back and one side. You will need to get to both sides and the back. will you get lessons from your dealer? Will they come to the house for setup and/or major problems? Most machines are very heavy and difficult to bring in for service. How many other brands have you tried? it's a big investment and you want to make sure that they machine is the right one for you. Quilting for hire is a business, and like any other business you need to do research in your area to make sure that there is need for this service in your area. I would also recommend the book: "Ultimate guide to LA Quilting" by Linda Taylor. She has info on setting up a business.

I've had my Gammill Classic + since '96 and would not encourage anyone who can't make the payments for at least 8 months from another source - to make the leap. Stress of money can certainly affect all you do creatively and affect your homelife and relationships. I would never rent my machine - if they break it you are going to end up paying. Don't think it's worth the risk. Especially if you have a new business and your own committments are ending up delayed because of it. Your reputation is primary. If you decide to procede - the way I started, I bought enough from a couple shops for a sample they could hang on their wall. Pieced and quilted it - gave it to them. They got a free sample. People always want the fabrics they see done up if it's nice. In return, they gave out my cards and of course the sample showed my skills. WIN-WIN. I was able to deduct the cost of the materials as advertising expense. I did that for 2 local shops and that is the total of my advertising since the beginning. I will do some charity quilts, but set my limits for the year and when someone asks me about doing their charity quilt for free. I decide if it's a charity I believe in and if not, I say I have already committed all the charity spots on my schedule.
Recently I have changed my way of scheduling regular quilts. A quick turn around is bringing in more business every week and I'm keeping up. I work 1 day a week out of town to sub for my office replacement from the old days. A lot of my customers are in that area. I pick up at my 1 day job and bring back the following week. No interruptions during the days in between. The day after I pick up, I call each customer and tell them what their bill will be, before I start quilting. They can cancel at that time if they like - doesn't matter. You may need some experience before your customers say do whatever you like. All mine do and that is so nice. Often I see something I want to do to a quilt that I didn't quote for - if I do it - the price doesn't change. It fills my need to create and Enjoy the process. I don't get to feeling like it's drudgery as I would if I were locked in to something. Each quilter does their own thing, their own way and I only say what has worked for me. Hope it works out for you too.

You say that you have interest and passion for Fmq but I missed it if you said you had practice and experience.

Several of us do just fine without a long arm set up. I have the space commitment of one corner of my bedroom for my sewing machine and a bakers rack full of quilt tops and UFO's in our "junk room". I will not go into debt. If I can't pay cash for it, it doesn't come home.
I got a little frame last year, and I found out that I hated it. It took up way more room than I thought it would, it was hard to load the quilt on correctly, change the bobbin... Just seemed like it was more trouble than it was worth and it was frustrating and not fun one bit. I am glad I hadn't invested much in it, because it was dragged to the garage after about a week. I splurged ($50) on a Pfaff that I love and I don't get frustrated with it at all, only beautiful results!

Some would say to do "whatever it takes" to get a long arm: Layaway, payments, sell the kids, throw out the dining room table, sell the small house and get a larger house or add a room for long arms, etc, etc, etc... but my motto is "USE what you have" and be the best at it!

After waiting several years, I recently purchased a used longarm machine. I made my purchase outright so that I would not have any payments on the machine and feel pressured to take in work immediately, which is why it took so long to be able to get it.

One thing that I am giving myself is TIME. I work full time outside the home, so evenings and weekends are my 'play time' on the machine. I would dearly love to have my own longarm business and am going to work toward having one. However, I won't take in someone else's quilt top to work on until I feel confident that I can do a great job on it.

The machine I purchased is a Nolting, and their customer service and support is unbelievable. They go above and beyond to help their customers. This is something you need to consider. Make sure you factor that into your decision. You need to be comfortable with calling someone for help and being able to get that help.

Good Luck!

It seems to me you say you have the time and room, but not the money. Why not start with a used short arm machine? I purchased mine for $1,500. It is a Pfaff Grandquilter with only a 9" throat on a 10' frame. I have had it for about 1.5 years and love being able to finish my own quilts. That said, I only do one or two pantos and no FMQ, and it will only handle about a lap quilt size before you run out of room on the take-up bar. I have found that my back cannot take standing for long periods of time. But it would give you the time to practice without the investment. And you would find out what it is like to load a quilt, clean out the machine while on the stand, change the bobbin, etc. And you can easily resell it and get a larger machine when you are ready.