Do you have a passion for working with your drone? Do you love photography and videography? Do you dream of ditching your 9-5 so you can work for yourself?
Then you need to learn how to make money with a drone! You can stop working for someone else, and start building the business of your dreams.

If this sounds confusing or intimidating, don’t worry, we’ve got you. Keep reading for the complete process of how you can make money by marketing to real estate agents and building the business of your dreams.

How to Make Money With a Drone

While it might take a while to get established, you can make good money with a drone. There are more and more companies every day looking for aerial footage for their business. From engineers to contractors to realtors, this is a great industry to specialize in.

It’s vital in today’s market for realtors to show their clients not only the house but the neighborhood as well. If there is a park or great school nearby, the aerial video shows this feature to young families. Show realtors how they can target their ideal audience by using a drone to shoot video footage.

As you can see every real estate agent in your area could benefit from aerial drone photos. Will all real estate agents want to get aerial pictures of their listings? No, not everyone will.

Will some of them want to do it themselves? Yes, some will want to DIY this task of drones and videos, but others will realize how many mistakes they could make by trying the DIY method.

Plus, you only need a few great clients to make good money with your drone. Think about how many listings each realtor has, and this will show you how with just a few clients you can keep busy for a long time to come.

Create a Local Drone Video Business

Obviously, realtors sell houses, not make videos. So, start reaching out within your current circle and see who you know who is a realtor or who knows a realtor.

Create a list of contacts of businesses who need aerial footage. Offer to take still photos of the back yard for each of their listings. You can also shoot videos of the short walk to the local coffee shops or neighborhood parks.

If you charge $100 for still photos and $300 for videos for each listing, even one realtor with a dozen current listings can keep you busy for the next few weeks.

Drone videos are the wave of the future for real estate marketing. Remind realtors they don’t want to get left behind by lack of video skills. They should instead hire this out. And they should hire you.

Figure out Your Costs

Before you start any business, you will need to know what your expected costs will be. One example of this is the fact that you need to purchase your drone. You will need to purchase editing software, and you’ll need to get your Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.

You’ll also need liability insurance for your new company. Don’t risk losing everything before you’ve even begun.

These all cost you money before you start earning anything from your business. You’ll need to decide how you’ll finance these costs. If you choose to use money from savings, have a plan for how and when you’ll pay yourself back.

Of course, in the business world, these initial business costs are minuscule compared with starting most businesses.

Create Your Business Plan

While this is the least sexy part of making money with your done, it’s still incredibly important. You can’t start a successful business without some sort of plan.

Don’t skip this because it sounds hard or boring. It doesn’t have to be fancy, and you don’t need an MBA to do this.

First, you’ve already started when you figured out your start-up expenses in the section above. Second, as mentioned above you’ll need to have an income plan established.

We suggested some generic pricing models above, but do some research around your area. Are there other established photographers in your area? What are they charging?

If there aren’t any other established drone photographers, find the closest one to you and use this to your advantage. Now you know there is a large gap in the market, and you’re the person who’s going to fill that gap.

Lastly, head out to a local landmark or historic home and take some stills and videos. Create a website for your business and feature your quality, professional pictures. Then, start networking with everyone you know and get the word out that you’re open for business.

Now you have a minimalist business plan. You know how you’ll make money, you know how much money you’ll need to get started and where it’s coming from, and you’ve started marketing online with your website. Now, you get to do the fun part, and that’s making money with your drone.

Get out There and Make Some Money Shooting Videos With Your Drone

You love to work with your drone. You want to make money with your drone. But can you really make money with your drone?

If you market your new business to realtors, then yes, you learn how to make money with a drone. Every realtor in your area will be calling you, wanting to work with you, once they see how professional your photos and videos are.

Contact us today if you want to know more about which drone will be the best for your new business. This is what we do and what we love to talk about all day. We can’t wait to help you find the perfect drone to help you start making money today.

If you love operating your drone, you might not think about the potential ill effects that it could end up having on yourself or others.

Whether you’re a commercial flier, or you just love to fly your drone recreationally, you might want to look into drone liability insurance for your own protection and wellbeing. You might not be familiar with drone liability insurance, but insuring your drone and yourself can really save you a lot of money and trouble in the long run.

Now, with drone liability insurance not being strictly necessary, you might be thinking that you probably don’t want to be stuck with the extra expense, right? Well, consider rethinking that stance. There are plenty of reasons that insurance for your drone might not be such a bad idea.

For five benefits of drone liability insurance and why it might actually save you time and money to get it, keep reading.

1. If You’re Working on a Project, You Might Need It!

In the United States, you don’t legally need to have any kind of drone liability insurance (at the moment, at least) to operate a recreational or commercial drone. You can generally fly freely without the restriction of insurance burdening your drone flying practice.

There are limitations to this depending on your state, but typically speaking, drone insurance isn’t necessary according to the law. Make sure to check your local laws before operating, though, as laws and regulations can change over time and you don’t want to land yourself in hot water).

That being said, if you intend to use your drone for any kind of video project (or any other project where a drone might be necessary), you may be required by the city or the company to get insurance before you’re able to fill out the required paperwork.

Do you want a film permit to film above your city for a cool shoot? You might need a basic level of liability insurance. Do you want to work with a company on a project? They might ask you to get liability insurance as well. Getting it ahead of time will get this out of the way and free you up for whatever projects that you have in mind.

2. It’s Inexpensive to Get Drone Liability Insurance

If you haven’t looked into insurance for your drone yet, you probably have cost as a complicating factor, right?

Believe it or not, you can get drone liability insurance for pretty cheap, especially if you shop around.

Sometimes your home property insurance will even cover recreational drones (because they are personal property), but it’s best to go out of your way to get extra insurance just in case you cause damage to someone else.

The kind of drone that you operate will partially dictate the cost. A hobbyist drone will cost significantly less to operate than an expensive commercial drone. That said, you’ll also be more likely to potentially cause damage with a commercial drone.

3. You’ll Need it If You Travel

So we’ve already mentioned that in the United States, you don’t need drone liability insurance.

This isn’t true for other countries around the world. If you’re someone who plans to take your drone on some adventures to get to filming, you’re going to need to cover your machine.

One of the coolest things about having a drone is being able to get those amazing aerial views of your travel destinations. If you want to be able to do that freely, you’re going to have to consider looking into liability coverage if you don’t want to face any legal problems.

4. It Protects You from Further Costs

You might be thinking “Well, none of this really matters if I never get into an accident with my drone anyway”.

Technically this is true, but how realistic is that?

Drone related incidents aren’t at all uncommon. If your drone does something serious and causes damage to a person or property, you are then liable for the costs of the damage incurred.

It’s very likely going to be much more expensive than the insurance. Isn’t that what insurance is for anyway?

You wouldn’t (and can’t, legally) drive a car without insurance. Many people wouldn’t operate a seacraft without insurance. With drones, you’re operating a tiny aircraft that’s subject to changes in the wind, rogue birds, and plenty of other complicating factors.

Insurance makes sense for your drone.

5. You Get Peace of Mind

Peace of mind is priceless.

Even if you find drone liability insurance to be a bit costly for your taste, you no longer have to worry about anything happening to your drone or anyone else’s property. You don’t have to worry about being at fault for your drone malfunctioning and causing harm to a person or property, and the financial hit that that event can cause you.

Insurance is only beneficial to you. You never think you need it until it’s too late. Getting it before it’s too late (and ideally never having to use it) is the goal.

You’ll be able to rest easy and operate your drone when you know that you’re covered.

Are You Insured Yet?

Not everyone needs drone liability insurance, but if you operate your drone frequently, or you plan on any travel or large projects, it can only help you in the long run.

Drones are fun little machines, but they’re also powerful aircraft. They’re machines and they can cause serious harm if they’re mishandled. Protect yourself and others by investing in drone liability insurance as soon as possible.

For more up-to-date information and news on drones for drone enthusiasts, visit our site.

Drones and other AI are becoming essential to the modern way of life. As of today, they have applications in logistics, law enforcement, real estate, photography, and many other industries.

For many of us, robotics and artificial intelligence is something of a Pandora’s box. Despite everything they do for us, how they function is a mystery to some.

Have you ever wondered how do drones work? How do they navigate their environment without colliding? Read on to learn more about drones and UAV technologies.

The Science of Drones

Many people buy and use drones as a hobby. Others use them for work or to create art. There are many great examples of drone photography to give the viewer an unprecedented perspective of otherwise familiar things.

It’s amazing that just about anyone can buy a drone, learn to use it, take some killer selfies, and post them without breaking a sweat.

However, the science behind even simple drones is incredible. Let’s takes some time to learn more about these awesome machines.

How Do Drones Work?

One hundred years ago, people predicted that we would be using flying cars to get to work.

We might not have gotten there quite yet, but at least self-flying vehicles are a thing, which is nice. In a way, drones and other UAVs represent the pinnacles of technology.

They combine automotive engineering, flight, robotics, and other technologies into one package. And you can get one for yourself for just a few hundred dollars. Here is what makes them tick.

Power

Of course, drones need an energy source to power their engines and computers. There are several ways to do this.

Batteries

Most drones rely on batteries. This is a simple and relatively cheap fuel source. However, they will need to be recharged or replaced regularly.

Most recreational and commercial drones use lithium-polymer batteries (LiPos). You will have to plan the voyage carefully because the battery only lasts 20 minutes or so.

Solar

Drones can be outfitted with solar cells that trap energy from the sun to power the engine and charge the battery. Of course, the sun has to be out to charge the battery but surplus energy is stored and can be used in cloudy weather or at night.

Other

Other energy sources can include traditional fuel-powered combustion engines and hydrogen fuel cells. Either one provides several times the amount of flight time and is more powerful.

With increased power and inflammable components, comes an increased risk of an accident. These shouldn’t be treated as toys.

Maneuverability

Much like a helicopter, standard commercial drones use a system of rotors for movement and control. The main rotors work like a fan that pushes down the air, creating an antagonistic push upwards.

Once these forces are greater than gravity plus the weight of the drone, you get vertical liftoff.

In order to change direction, the drone needs to create angular momentum. This is achieved through differences in speed among the rotors spinning in different directions. To get the drone to move forward, decrease the speed of the front rotors relative to the rear ones.

Autonomy

Depending on the model and configuration of the drone, they rely on different degrees of autonomy.

Some are completely remote-controlled recreational models, such as the ones used in drone racing. Here, the pilots need to be in full control.

There are also sophisticated drones that are capable of navigating and completing other functions on their own.

Drone Camera Control

Many drones come equipped with digital cameras. These can be used for surveillance or general photography.

Some can be controlled to adjust the angle of the shot.

UAV Collision Avoidance Technology

The most important aspect of any flight mission is safety.

Generally, you aren’t allowed to fly any commercial drone faster than 100 mph, which is faster than you can go in a $180 drone anyways. However, you don’t need to be going that fast to cause an accident.

Also, some drones are capable of traveling upwards of 300 mph. They depend on collision avoidance technology but how does this work?

1. GPS

Advanced drones often come equipped with GPS, as do our phones and new automobiles.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system maintained by the U.S. Air Force.

GPS satellites send signals that are received by different kinds of devices. The time it takes for the signal to arrive is measured. Once four or more satellites send their signals, the location of the device can be calculated using geometry.

2. Sensing and Avoidance

Drones use sensing and avoidance (S&A) technology to avoid threats. This is done by determining the location, speed, and direction of the drone relative to that of possible obstacles.

Drones may use sonar, radar, cameras, and other devices to detect the location of possible threats.

3. Path Planning

Once the position and path of obstacles are determined, the drone’s computer has to decide which is the safest path to take.

The computer can predict which pathway has the lowest chance of creating a collision depending on the environment.

4. Careful Adjustments

Once the plan is made, it is time to execute.

Using the maneuvers described earlier, a sequence of adjustments is performed that ensure the drone takes the desired path.

5. Autonomous Mental Development

Autonomous mental development (AMD) is an innovative technology designed to mimic the human learning process.

AI with AMD is constantly recording and analyzing data. This data is used to evaluate the threats faced and the responses made by the drone.

The idea is that the drone will learn to be more efficient with its planning and movements. This is a relatively new field but the possibilities are fascinating.

The Future of Drone Technology

Despite the fact that self-flying vehicles that can evaluate potential danger and learn from them, we tend to take technology for granted. A curious mind, however, is currently wondering.

So, how do drones work? They depend on imagining technology and computers that solve complex equations. The modern drone wasn’t invented in a day.

Are you as fascinated by drones as we are? We have a whole blog dedicated to all things drone-related. Check out this article to learn more about the basics of drones and their importance in our world.