What seems to be the best way to determine the need for drones in my area? Thinking of roof inspection, real-estate, construction progress etc. Live in a very rural area of N.E. Ohio. Thank you for your time and any suggestions you may have.
Determining need
- Thread starter DaveH70
- Start date
Felix le Chat
Well-Known Member
Instead of following someone else's lead (all of the above sectors are already well saturated with many drone owners chasing what few commissions there are): identify 'niche' markets and specialize.
A good start might be getting certified as a forensic photographer... a lot cheaper and quicker than you might think. That way you immediately stand head and shoulders above the majority of the herd. It also gives you the leverage to invoice your services at a higher rate. Not all potential clients equate 'cheap' with 'good'.
A good start might be getting certified as a forensic photographer... a lot cheaper and quicker than you might think. That way you immediately stand head and shoulders above the majority of the herd. It also gives you the leverage to invoice your services at a higher rate. Not all potential clients equate 'cheap' with 'good'.
What do you do?
I mean really are you up for a new education? Drone ownership alone will not qualify you as a surveyor or construction inspector, You gotta have the knowledge. sure you can go out there and wing it BUT you wont get far or last long. Find something you are interested as well as knowledgeable in and build your Drone business around that.
I mean really are you up for a new education? Drone ownership alone will not qualify you as a surveyor or construction inspector, You gotta have the knowledge. sure you can go out there and wing it BUT you wont get far or last long. Find something you are interested as well as knowledgeable in and build your Drone business around that.
AMann
Well-Known Member
That’s a great idea! Forensic Photography sounds like it would be a very interesting career, even for someone living in a rural area who wants to work with local lawyers, insurance companies, law enforcement and fire departments, but there is a learning curve to climb in order to be certified- look at the requirements here (page 46):
And here is the organization it came from:
AMann
Well-Known Member
another idea, if you are tech savvy, there are companies online that sell miniature 3-D printed models of people‘s homes as keepsakes, that’s something you can do with a drone and a 3-D printer. I’m assuming since you’re in a rural area, there’s agriculture? Perhaps get into NDVI imagery to assess crop health? Although this would take some start up money for the cameras and equipment, but there are no licensing or certification requirements (besides a 107) to do it. Volunteer with a local fire department or a search and rescue unit, or advertise that you can look for lost pets by air and perform other aerial photo services. Do you like working with youth? A Career Technical Education (CTE) credential, authorizes an individual to teach vocational or trade-specific subjects. Computer related Technology is one of the areas you can do if you have a tech background, with a 107 certificate you can incorporate drone education into classes for local schools.
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AMann
Well-Known Member
My ideas are flowing here… I’ve taught robotics lessons for kids and adults before and used the meeting room at our local library as a classroom. I didn’t charge for them, but they did sell kits with a small profit that was mainly just to cover my time and effort, but they were pretty successful, I just kind of got burnt out. Perhaps you can do the same in your area with drones? If you’re into building them, especially the racing type, that would probably be even more successful. Find someone with a barn or an empty werehouse with owners willing to let you temporarily use them to make an indoor drone racing circuit! I haven’t tried it, but I think racing FPV drones indoors would not only get my adrenaline going, but would make me a few years younger also!
WDKZoom
Well-Known Member
Don't discount the need to have fun by enjoying a beautiful day seeing the sites in your area and others!!!
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