Don’t quit your day job. I started slow, created a logo and branding for business cards and invoices, started a checking account, filed for a state tax license as a LLC, and bonded through an insurance company, I use Verifly for liability insurance per job, if you have a brick and mortar store you will need more comprehensive insurance. I
applied for a peddlers license and Flew down the street taking stills of the homes around golf corses and put together a binder with the pix. Then walked Door to door selling a package of aerial shots of their beautiful homes. It lead to other jobs at lake cabins and group photos of families and employees. Put together an idea of pricing by checking out the competition and not undercutting and cheating your self out of revenue for quality work. Find out what you want to shoot. Realstate, weddings, insurance work etc. learn one thing well then expand, don’t try to do everything half well, realstate can be quick and easy if you do a good clean video. Weddings take forever and people get demanding and rude. Pick your battles. Learn to edit your videos and pictures, take a Photography Class and learn to adjust and use and maintain your equipment well.
You may want to start by building a online gallery of your work. At first your work may look home made like a first grade refrigerator art so practice a lot and get feedback to improve not get mad. Practice on your friends homes for free and develop a style. After you get a couple dozen good videos and a ton of aerial still shots build your website for people to see your work. Approach photographers to see if they offer drone shots for their clients, if not offer your service to several of them. Contact advertising agency’s to do the same thing, sub contract. Saves them an employee and equipment. If you get in with a realty company or two offer a special pricing option. A lot of videos are mixed up with no order or sequence, learn to work a story board when you shoot so your finished video flows from start to finish. That way when people visit your site gallery it is enjoyable to watch. When I do realty I keep the video around 1-2 minutes. People will watch a short video over and over rather than sit through a 5 minute forever video. Consider your audience needs, not your likes. Ask them what they want to hi-light about the house or property. If you don’t have anything compelling to offer, there is nothing to sell. Check out your local competition. As far as fun goes I like flying with a purpose rather than just going to a park or open space to waste time. It is a challenge offering people a different view that excites them. I also have a set of the
DJI goggles that I let my customers ware and let them direct the shots, get closer, mor right, left etc then I can offer ideas and work with them to co-creat a finished project they have invested in. After 4 years I have several realtors, a good marketing company, 4 car dealerships several businesses and a lots of freebies along the way with non-profits to encourage their donors to support and give to community projects. I fly road construction are one the area and post that sort of thing on FB. You are only limited by your imagination. Slow and steady will pay for your HOBBY and when you get established it can be fun and rewarding..... but...Don’t quit your day job, yet! Best to you.
