I have been inspecting pipeline for department of energy for a while but now I have another gig doing solar panel inspection. I just started calling around. I just got a call back from a roofing company and would like to know price per job to inspect ceramic roof shingles. Takes 30 min tops, I told them 50 every 30 minutes, they don't have to pay for insurence or worrying about someone break more shingles. It was hard to start out but I just started cold calling comanies that would do inspections. Roofing, construction, solar companies I have even had my infor posted on the local news by sening in photos of sunsets and sunrises, traffic jams etc.. The jobs are here we just need to be hungry enough to go after them.
107's guys, get to work. Its not hard. You just start calling companies and offer services.
- Thread starter jaysrmc
- Start date
What's your actual profit per hour, I assume there is work to be done post flight? Do you charge for travel time?
To be clear I'm not trying to be a smart *** I'm just curious about the total costs to you in terms of your time.
Bella
Well-Known Member
Thanks man, this is great info! I have been just limiting my marketing to real estate but of course there is so much more work available.
So, with a $50 per 30min while on site, how did you factor in ammortization of your hardware, your backup drone, cost of your computer for postprocessing, your time spent for post processing, etc? You fall into same mistake a lot of amateurs do trying to complete with pros - charging peanuts for 'time' of an actual photoshoot while photography by itself is hardly a 10% top of a total time you will have to spend to deliver a final product. It is same with wedding business - a lot of wannabies look at that and say, a $3k or a $5k package price for an hour job is crazy, i will do it for, say, $500. Or even $200. And then they realize that to prepare a proper album alone costs $200 just for core materials and services...
Anyway. Do not sell your time. Sell your product. Marketing is everything, if you start underselling your services, it will only lead to bankruptcy.
Anyway. Do not sell your time. Sell your product. Marketing is everything, if you start underselling your services, it will only lead to bankruptcy.
Anyway. A practical advice - if you want to establish yourself - better do a job for free, making it clear that you do it as a pro bono for marketing purposes. It sucks but it is better than establishing a precedent to be treated as a bottom feeder. A much better way would be to get to assist somebody in your area or nearby initially, to make list of references and a verifiable portfolio. I get it - it is tough. But, try to find a compromise and do not undersell yourself. It will hurt your business very much.
Per hour. Solar Panel jobs take 20 minutes-Roofing Jobs 15 minutes. I don't charget travel within 15 miles of my house. Weddings, I charge 1000 for raw photage this includes 4 hours of outside like at the reception. In Arizona most our outside. If they just whan video of them leaving the church and then drone folllow, I charge 50 per 30 minutes because we set a time priror and if the weddings take longer and im standing around loosing money.
Bella
Well-Known Member
Too much thought about profit and amortization, etc. I think you are doing a great thing and really appreciate your infectious motivation and positive attitude.
I sell my time because I do no post production.
I find it a little odd and insulted, I mean, I make 100 bucks an hour or 50 dollars every 30 minutes with my drones. My first 10 gigs paid for all three drones and my acceries and not to mention this is a side business. I contract for the department of energy inspectnig equipment and piplines making more that I do with the side businesswith my drones and I work my side business every weekend for atleast 8 hours.
Hi Jay, what equipment are you using for your pipeline inspections? You using FLIR? Primarily looking for leaks, gas, oil? Gas detection via a sniffer on the UAV?
Thanks...
Leaks for gas and oil. Our company has delevelopted a system where there is equipment with buit in sniffers and they are emitted via a small antennna that is picked up by a raspberry pi device built to just grab data along the line or the piece of equipment. We also have the after market cameras that do IR.
So, they give you an SD card, you do your shoot, take card out, handle it over, get paid and leave?
Why not, may be it is a new way of getting it done. I am not critical, only trying to explain that those boring things, they all add up. And to have a more or less comfortable life your business will need to average at least $500 a day, as a minimum. That is a reality if you do it full time for a living.
Exactly. I only insure the photos and videos are on the card and then job is finished.
If it works for you, it is great and I have nothing but best wishes for you to keep it growing. You indeed found a good niche,a minimum time spent for most profit, excellent.
Bella
Well-Known Member
That is very cool! I’ve been wanting to get into Raspberry Pi for a while now - never thought about integrating into drone systems. And I’m not in agreement with some of the detractors on this thread. Everyone’s situation is different. What makes the difference are attitude and determination. Kudos to you.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT!
Perhaps another useful foot in the door technique is to volunteer services. Police fire, S&R etc. Endoresments by such organizations help to show a community involvement, build a portfolio, and gives a much better sense of necessary overall equipment and always needed experience needed to perform.
Even if the cities have no fire, crime, or lost loved ones at the particular time, volunteering to drone video their procedures during training can really go a loooong way to help build experience and credit. It benefits you and them!
Establish a flight logbook and keep accurate records, even for pro bono. EXPERIENCE is a must to garner the choice assignments. And fees.
Volunteer to do demonstrations at AMA meetings, schools, church outings. Contract with the local Parks and Recreation to drone video the parks for community involvement.
In other words, build your experience and portfolio at the same time. Not every job is free, but ever job is experience!
Perhaps another useful foot in the door technique is to volunteer services. Police fire, S&R etc. Endoresments by such organizations help to show a community involvement, build a portfolio, and gives a much better sense of necessary overall equipment and always needed experience needed to perform.
Even if the cities have no fire, crime, or lost loved ones at the particular time, volunteering to drone video their procedures during training can really go a loooong way to help build experience and credit. It benefits you and them!
Establish a flight logbook and keep accurate records, even for pro bono. EXPERIENCE is a must to garner the choice assignments. And fees.
Volunteer to do demonstrations at AMA meetings, schools, church outings. Contract with the local Parks and Recreation to drone video the parks for community involvement.
In other words, build your experience and portfolio at the same time. Not every job is free, but ever job is experience!
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