Depends on the client. Some people you cannot sculpt easily...as someone else said, nailbiters I usually start out with tips (and SHORT) and then as they grow out they become sculpts/nno's.
If you are going to use tips, use good ones. THAT I will say to you. Crappy tips make it that much harder. CND do awesome tips, as do Pro Impressions. I've been using Nfoh tips and I love em.
If you are going to sculpt, use decent forms. Those horseshoe ones are not worth it, more aggro than they are worth (you get what you pay for). Again, CND do excellent forms, as do Entity. I use OPI reusable forms most of the time myself, but its a preference thing.
Good luck