Marshall, you might want to look at
www.brookemdavisdesign.com/ - a young lady with a furniture design education, who uses a CNC (shop bot) to create artistic components for her furniture. She admits that after she gets a pattern perfected (such as woven branches) she does resize, adapt, and reuse the pattern many times, but not necessarily to build another copy of the same exact piece.
Brooke also rents shop time and space, and teaches CNC through
www.makeshiftatx.com - another site with links and ideas.
One of my friends who also does custom furniture invested in a ShopBot. He started thinking it would be a $5000 investment, but admits he has $25-30,000 invested in machine and software. He has done a lot of Tudor style architectural millwork, which requires unique hand-carved panels everywhere - among other uses, he has the ShopBot do the rough carving, which he finishes by hand.
Talking to CNC users, one of the easy high volume use of smaller CNC machines is making signs. Look into that as a specialty to get you started with CNC.
When I retired to full-time woodworking, I thought a CNC would help me work alone safely - first requirement was NO employees or helpers. I was ready to buy a CNC (presumably complete except cutters) for $25,000. As we were filling out the paperwork, the salesman asked what I would do for hold down. I said, "whatever you included in this COMPLETE system." He said "that isn't included either. We recommend a minimum of 15 hp vacuum pump." Shortening the long story, I tore up the contract, and later bought a combo machine with 8.5 foot sliding table saw.
You might want to look at
www.solowoodworker.com - so many people were envious of the business I built as I retired, that I got tired of repeating the advice, and built a web site with that advice.