The majority of jobs will be perfectly straight forward but unless you know how to deal with the 5% that are not you will find yourself in a lot of trouble. Too have an opportunity to learn from the most experienced cleaners in this business and to have them as a resource I believe is folly to ignore. I find you get out what you put in and mixing with like minded folk is a real bonus. Training is tax deductable, invest now and you could save a fortune.
Your machine is perfectly fine and if looked after will serve you well. I use a tripple vac machine, it does not make me better, but it does make me more efficent. Most here have used twin vacs and built a very successfull business with them.