AnnieSue

Would I be crazy to rent out time on my HQ Sweet Sixteen if I were close by to watch and help? And how much would you charge an hour?

AnnieSue

Onebyone

If you know and trust the people that would rent it. Strangers are more apt to push it to the limit and take chances with it. The LA at the quilt shop here charges to take a course how to use the LA before anyone can rent it and then so much an hour plus cost of batting and thread.

PaperPrincess

In addition to damage to the machine I would be concerned about liability. What if someone sews thru their finger?

carolaug

I think this is a neat idea if you know the people you are renting to...I agree...I would want to be right there.

QuiltE

I think it's a great way to help "pay" for your machine.
I've been hoping that some LQS' would rent it, as they do with LAs.

It sits idle when you are not piecing, so I've always thought it'd be a great machine for two friends to own together, where they could go to each others homes to use it; and/or that it "lived" in each home for three months (for example) and moved to the other for the next three.

Some things to consider --
* liability, as mentioned above; speak with your insurer and discuss
* do you want other people in your home?
* how will you handle things, if there are problems with the machine while someone else is using it?
* are you prepared to teach FMQing? many who rent may not have the skills and will look to you to take them thru it all step by step
* would it be easier on you to take in custom quilting, instead of renting the machine?

dunster

There are so many things to consider before you start a business in your home. Liability, which PaperPrincess mentioned, is a big issue, and your homeowner's insurance probably will not cover you for liability or damage to your longarm if you are using it in a business. You also may need a business license, and you have to keep records and pay taxes. In Oregon there's a property tax assessed on any equipment used in a business - not a high tax, but it requires keeping records and filling out forms every year, even if your equipment isn't high enough in value to require that you actually pay anything. If you make enough (the limit is only $400) then you have to pay social security tax and medicare tax on your earnings, and that is more than 15%. If you are already doing longarming professionally, then you have probably already addressed all of these issues and it would not require much additional record-keeping or expense to rent out your system, but it would mean that you would not have access to your machine during the time others are renting it. If you are not already using your longarm in business, then there's a lot to do and you have to decide whether that additional amount of money would be worth the effort. (The other worries - that you would potentially have strangers in your home, that someone might damage your machine, that there could be scheduling difficulties if someone doesn't finish in time and someone else has scheduled the machine...)

I think renting out time on a longarm is better done in a business location, although there probably are people who have successfully done it in their homes, and of course some probably do it in their homes without thought to the taxes, license, insurance, etc.

DebraK

I wouldn't do it, which is kind of funny, because it was a rental before I bought it.

KarenR

This is a very hard question. Personally I would not want anyone using my machine (If I ever got one.)

luvTooQuilt

I wouldnt not risk it to strangers but friends who are familiar with the machine then i wouldn't mind.. I dont know if id charge them for the use but id barter instead.. but then it defeats the way to defray the cost of the machine.. but thats me..

Lori S

Would you rent your car? to someone who had little to no experience ... same kind of issues.