I think the scariest concern about starting LAQ is the customers you have to deal with. Imagine doing a potential prize-winning quilt, having tension problems, cutting something that should not be cut, their piecing, etc mistake is blamed on to you when it does not look good. you have to know if your nerves can take those kinds of things. I do most of my own quilting but send the large ones out,they just look so much better & I don't have the misery of handling a big quilt. quilters here charge 1.5 psi, with fancy quilting going for 3-4 cents psi.
there are a lot of machines in our area, many of them for home use. and out of all,3 or 4 are real talents.
do it for yourself, if you can afford that. then when you get good & decide to do customer work,that will just be a bonus $$ for you.
PS--would have one in a minute if had room & $$$.