If Your Friends Don't Think You Can Do This, Get New Friends:)

In all the years I've been in this business as a voiceover artist and a VO coach, the number one concern/complaint I hear from people is "My friends say there is no way I can do this".  It's a question about human nature I suppose, that it can be difficult to get support from another person for ones new endeavors. However, there are always a small number of people who are naturally supportive and those are the ones we should hang with.

I don't know of anyone who has tried something that didn't work out who wasn't at least glad they tried, but I know legions of people who are miserable because of the un lived life.
We have lots of cliches that remind us of this, Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Follow your dreams, etc etc.

The most important thing about choosing any career, or not, is to not make decisions based on what you're afraid of. Every profession is very competitive, Every career takes time and training and hard work. The question is always simple. What do you love to do. What do you want to do? There is a running joke that I tell everyone in voiceover class, "People dumber than you are making a fortune"
If you are willing to do the work, you can succeed. It's never too late to become who you might have been:)

Buy The Best Equipment You Can

There is a wide range of audio recording equipment available. Some of it is very cheap and sounds like it. You don't have to spend the rent money to set up a quality home studio though. There is no need to buy the most expensive components when you're starting out, but it is important to keep upgrading everything.

Areas that can be addressed from the start : The quality of XLR cables. Do not grab those $5 cables from the bin, spend the extra money on Mogami or other quality cables. Next get a good preamp like MPA II or other units. The next piece is a power conditioner such as Furman.
These are simple pieces that will make a big difference in the quality of audio you're recording. You have a very wide range of microphones that you can choose from depending on individual taste and budget. Remember to play withy the equipment constantly so you learn the intimate details of how your set up responds. it's never just about editing out flubs, become a master of your set up:)