Attend a trade show & check out different models. Get the good commercial machine if you're serious; the home machines are OK, but you have a lot more options with the commercial brands. Start with a single head; some companies offer in house training. Then you just practice & learn. Start with small jobs, such as names, and then move up. Proper hooping is probably the most common mistake, if not done correctly, it can give you thread breaks, needle breaks, and lots of grief. Second most common issue is thread tension; making sure you have the proper "tension" between the top embroidery thread & bottom bobbin thread. It's all practice & asking questions, but not really hard to learn.