so-sew

Those of you who do it, how did you "break into" the business? I'm not looking to support the family with the business, just perhaps do a few jobs here and there to offset the price of the machine. How many jobs do you get, and what is the going price for quilting someone's project? Do any of you have a Nolting Long Arm Intellistitch? Do you like it? Thanks.

PaperPrincess

If there is a guild in your area, you can join and let folks know word of mouth. Another great idea is to do a bit of research to see if there is a group that does charity quilts near by. They are usually looking for donated long arming work. You would donate your time, and usually thread, but you get to practice and this also gets your name out there. As far as pricing, it varies by geographic region and what type of quilting you are doing, custom vs. panto/computerized etc. Check with local long arm businesses in your area to see the going rate. I got a long arm a couple of months ago and was not planning on doing any 'for hire' quilting, however, several folks have approached me and asked if I would do their quilts. I need to feel that my skill level is sufficient, but I probably would take a few jobs. My theory is that I don't want my hobby, which I love, to become a job.

bearisgray

Some people do charity type quilts for practice to get their techniques down before "going into business"

I would prefer to have a person that has done this for a while - and have seen examples of his/her work - before entrusting a quilt I had made to an absolute novice.

the casual quilter

I have a 24" Nolting with Intellistitch and a 12 foot table. I don't have the Pro model, I have what is called the 2ISKN. I've had it for about 5 years. It's a great machine and is relatively trouble free. The only thing that is difficult with the model I have is making adjustments to the Intellistitch. It's not impossible, but it is cumbersome. I understand the the Intellistitch in the Pro is much simpler to make adjustments to, but since I don't have that model, I can't testify to it. Nolting's website has some good information about setting the adjustments on my model. One thing that I've found is that the customer service and technical support at Notling is outstanding. Which is a real plus.
I am in business to quilt for customers. I charge by the square inch for quilting. I do pantos and freehand. I do very little advertising and most of my business is by word of mouth and repeat business. One way to "get your name out there" is to offer to quilt a top for a quilt shop in exchange for displaying your name on the quilt as the quilter when it hangs in their shop. Also, some shops will allow you to do quilting through the shop on a referral basis. It takes a little time for word to get around, but once you are recognized as a good quilter the calls will start coming.
Hope this helps answer some questions.