Hello from Central Virginia.

[Taffer]

I've flown some kind of UAV since ~2003 which was an indoor coaxial helicopter. Mainly goofing off and having fun. Over the years I upgraded through a few various hobby type drones. I bought my brother's Mavic Pro 1 3 years ago and upgraded to the Mini 3 Pro almost 2 years ago.

My plan was to get my part 107 and start doing some low-end mapping flights as a small business, some real estate photography for realtors selling homes, and maybe for insurance companies to see if they need to ding homeowners to lower their risk. i.e., we were dinged for not having a net on our trampoline which I believe was due to a drone flyover. Who knew it would take DJI so long to release the SDK. Well, probably several of you with more experience. :0)

I can get the 107 and mapping education. That's the part I can do easily. I have no clue how to get started finding customers. I have run a roof & exterior cleaning business for 9 years and I could use Thumbtack to find work, but there must be other avenues. Can anybody tell me other sources to find potential customers? Any pitfalls I could avoid?

If this is all already available here, maybe just drop a couple search criteria names and piont me in the right direction please.

 

[msinger]

Welcome to the forum @Taffer!

You might find some good tips over in this forum:

Commercial Drone Pilots Forum

Commercial Drone, UAV, UAS Industry Discussions

commercialdronepilots.com

 

[MA2 317]

Hello from the Crossroads of America Taffer.

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[Kendallfordguy]

Welcome from Wisconsin!

 

[old man mavic]

welcome to the forum

 

[LoudThunder]

My plan was to get my part 107 and start doing some low-end mapping flights as a small business

Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA. We have a Member's Map in the Upper Right of the Title Bar. Click on "Members" and then Click on "Member's Map…" Check it out and you might find some new flying friends.

Member Map

mavicpilots.com

As a New Drone Pilot, there are a couple of Legal Things you may need to do…

You did not write if you have done so or not, but if you have not already done so, you will need to get your TRUST Certificate. You can get that at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…). Your Drone weighs less than 250-grams (0.55 pounds), and while you are flying under The Exception for Recreational Flyers, you are not required to register your Drone.

However, if you do pursue a part 107 and any drone used in your enterprise, no matter how small or how light your drones are, they all must be registered and transmit Remote Indentification.

Link to the TRUST Certificate at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…)

FAA TRUST Online Portal for Recreational Drone Operators - Pilot Institute

Get your FAA TRUST Certificate of Completion to legally fly drones for recreational reasons in the United States.

trust.pilotinstitute.com

Link to the FAADroneZone (Optional Registration for Drones under 250-Grams…)

FAADroneZone

faadronezone-access.faa.gov

If you are considering acquiring your Part 107 License, here is a link to get you going…

Drone Courses - Free and Paid Drone Pilot Training

30+ free and paid classes to fly your drone. Pass your FAA Part 107 license exam, learn how to fly your drone, and more.

pilotinstitute.com

Since you live in Virginia, there are specific laws and rules for you to follow, please check the link below for all the Rules and Laws that are in effect in your neck of the woods and it also links you to some of the Best Places to Fly in your area… Also, if you travel on vacation, visit friends, and relatives in other parts of the country, check back here so you do not run afoul of the law.

Federal Drone Laws in the United States (FAA) - Pilot Institute

44809 is an exemption from Part 107 drone laws. This means that drone pilots fly under Part 107 drone rules by default unless they meet all 9 of the requirements to fly under 44809, the exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft. You can read more about these requirements...

pilotinstitute.com

You would be best served by taking business courses dedicated to Drone Businesses.

Here is a link to all the courses you could imagine taking to get you started in setting up a successful business. The various courses include: Part 107 Commercial Drone Course Made Easy, Drone Mapping, Modeling and Surveying, Drone business Made Easy, and so many more…

Drone Courses - Free and Paid Drone Pilot Training

30+ free and paid classes to fly your drone. Pass your FAA Part 107 license exam, learn how to fly your drone, and more.

pilotinstitute.com

The search feature in the MP web site has extensive postings made for the most successful members on this site and YouTube offers many hours on "How-To" and How-Not-To" videos on starting a business.

Good Luck!