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How to compete?

**** dude, take a chill pill. This is what you said and it was all I had to go on. It implies that you used your drone to find a pipe for someone, for a commercial reason as you had to tell them you wouldn’t be paid or even tipped. That means someone offered to pay you to do something with your drone. All of that implies a commercial transaction occurred wether you knew it, or intended it, or not.

That’s all...if it didn’t happen that way, fine.
It was a question I was asking. That's all. Is the sight for asking questions or not.
 
It was a question I was asking. That's all. Is the sight for asking questions or not.

It’s not for me to say what the site is and isn’t for.....that’s up to the owners/admins/mods.

The biggest problem with this form of communication is it’s lack of efficiency. The written word is susceptible to individual interpretation and that may be completely different than intended. We lack the face to face value of body language, voice inflection, immediate feedback and clarification....all those little things that guide a conversation. What is written is all we have to go on, and the slightest omission can turn a thread in a direction never intended.

It’s best to include as much initial information as possible and accept that any misinterpretations will simply need further clarification and more information.
 
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You did everything right except market research BEFORE purchasing your drone.
That's the problem, I THOUGHT I had done my research....but I unknowingly only did research for the LEGAL people in the area.

When deciding to invest this kind of money, I did research on registered pilots in my area as well as registered businesses and nothing came up. I asked around the area both in person and on social media sites for contacts for people that do drone photography and nobody had any names to give me because they hadn't heard of people doing it in my area so I thought I was good to go.

Fast forward to my current situation where there are a handful of people doing it....but again, they aren't registered, they aren't even a registered business paying taxes on said work.

I think I'll keep the bird just to do smaller jobs after I get my part 107 and because my son and I enjoy it anyway.
 
I bought an inpire 2 with the x4s and a crystalsky ultra in hopes that my son and I would start a business together.

I registered our business, started a bank account, got a website, and business cards.....we were set other than my part 107 license. We had started doing free jobs to get our name out and to start building a portfolio. We had a business plan and had settled on pricing and were going to remodel a room in the front of our house to serve as an office for.clients to come to.

Fast forward a couple of months and now it seems there are now 3-4 other people in our town flying drones that are offering their services.... however they only operate through Facebook, aren't part 107 certified, not a registered business, and will do ANYTHING people want including flying at night, flying over people, flying at sporting events over crowds in the bleachers, etc.....and all for like $50 a job.

How can someone that is legitimately trying to go about things the legal way compete against things like this?

It was so disheartening to find this out after investing so much time, effort, and money into this that I've all but given up hope and will probably sell.off all my stuff and cut my losses.
I'm wondering? How are you getting along now? Any progress?
 
I've made a bunch of money but still have debt from all the equipment I have. I got an Inspire 1 Pro (X3) for fun before they get sold out. I like flying in 3rd person for fun. I've also preordered a Skydio 2 before it gets sold out for 2 years. My M2Z for inspection, P4PV2.0 for mapping, M2P for night shots, and Spark for orbit selfies are on standby. No one really hires anymore. Too many other people are taking the work. Only good clients will spend hundreds of dollars only after they know what it is about.

Should see the expectations I had when I got an A7 III with 24-240mm lens. You'd think you'd get clients because you have the equipment but it doesn't work that way. The specialists who are hired have 400mm lenses, macro f/1.4 lenses that will beat out your general versatility. Unless you can provide something everyone else can't, but unless you can show them in their mind that they want to pay you, you will make $0 money. It doesn't matter what desires, possible life-saving results you can give, if no one will hire you, you make $0. The very first drone job I did for $100 took many many many hours. I had jobs paying hundreds with far less effort. I had an inspection job for $120 that took a lot of time and risking the drone too. If I just kept 3 drones and nothing else, I would be paid off but I kept reinvesting as the other drones have other purposes. First time flying the Spark was scary and the M2Z felt 3x bigger and scarier. Flying over water for the first time w/ the M2Z felt suicidal. I had to get a P4PV2.0 for the mechanical shutter and 20MP. Doing Dronedeploy was smooth. First did it with the M2Z though. I got the M2P for the smarter controller and the better camera. I was making drones back in 2013 hoping to get to this level. Now the $3,300 Inspire 1 with mad accessories feels like it would out of the box. Skydio 2 should be better but like older people buy million dollar historic cars, I feel the same when I have my Inspire 1 Pro (X3). :) I modded the settings to have more tilt, ascend/descend limits upped, and other things. The newer drones have mandatory and many NFZs. 150m limits and blue authorization zones where if you had to RTH you can't. I assume it would be a lot worse when the M3s come out. The old Inspire 1 has some NFZs but not as much.
 
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That's the problem, I THOUGHT I had done my research....but I unknowingly only did research for the LEGAL people in the area.

When deciding to invest this kind of money, I did research on registered pilots in my area as well as registered businesses and nothing came up. I asked around the area both in person and on social media sites for contacts for people that do drone photography and nobody had any names to give me because they hadn't heard of people doing it in my area so I thought I was good to go.

Fast forward to my current situation where there are a handful of people doing it....but again, they aren't registered, they aren't even a registered business paying taxes on said work.

I think I'll keep the bird just to do smaller jobs after I get my part 107 and because my son and I enjoy it anyway.
I was going to get my 107 license but it's a waste of time because the FAA doesn't care if you have a 107 license and regular hobbyist are doing jobs and taking the work away from 107 pilots and doing the jobs for nothing. It's pretty said that I have spent thousands of dollars and I haven't even bothered to even lern to even do editing because it's a waste of time.
 
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I was going to get my 107 license but it's a waste of time because the FAA doesn't care if you have a 107 license and regular hobbyist are doing jobs and taking the work away from 107 pilots and doing the jobs for nothing. It's pretty said that I have spent thousands of dollars and I haven't even bothered to even lern to even do editing because it's a waste of time.
I only use mine as a hobbyist and I love flying the i2 . People know your flying a serious drone not a toy. I love my mavic pro also because I have the maxx mod with the three different antennas and I can fly far to see what's going on around town.
 
I was going to get my 107 license but it's a waste of time because the FAA doesn't care if you have a 107 license and regular hobbyist are doing jobs and taking the work away from 107 pilots and doing the jobs for nothing. It's pretty said that I have spent thousands of dollars and I haven't even bothered to even lern to even do editing because it's a waste of time.

I just got my 107 in July and learning to fly and shoot video/pics with the I2. I'm hoping it's not a waste of time. I'll try and develop work word of mouth like most here suggest. Going to keep a positive attitude, FWIW.
 
I was going to get my 107 license but it's a waste of time because the FAA doesn't care if you have a 107 license and regular hobbyist are doing jobs and taking the work away from 107 pilots and doing the jobs for nothing. It's pretty said that I have spent thousands of dollars and I haven't even bothered to even lern to even do editing because it's a waste of time.

And there’s part of your problem. The fact that you can’t edit video is why you fall victim to the ‘$50’ jobs. People hire me because I have my 107 and the clients I work for are strict about using fully licensed operators, Nd they hire me for my videography Nd video editing skills.

That’s the biggest difference between that $50 person and someone that brings in $900 to $1800 per shoot. And I’m not even close to the level of a lot of guys on this forum.

How to compete? Easy, you have to have the knowledge and skills to compete. If you’re better than those other guys, word WILL get out, but you can’t just have the proper paperwork, this is also a craft and there’s people out there willing to pay if you bring them value and craftsmanship.

Think of it this way, you would go out and purchase a guitar, take a couple of lessons, then start gigging and expect people to pay to see you play... would you?
 
And there’s part of your problem. The fact that you can’t edit video is why you fall victim to the ‘$50’ jobs. People hire me because I have my 107 and the clients I work for are strict about using fully licensed operators, Nd they hire me for my videography Nd video editing skills.

That’s the biggest difference between that $50 person and someone that brings in $900 to $1800 per shoot. And I’m not even close to the level of a lot of guys on this forum.

How to compete? Easy, you have to have the knowledge and skills to compete. If you’re better than those other guys, word WILL get out, but you can’t just have the proper paperwork, this is also a craft and there’s people out there willing to pay if you bring them value and craftsmanship.

Think of it this way, you would go out and purchase a guitar, take a couple of lessons, then start gigging and expect people to pay to see you play... would you?
Good . I know it's not easy and should have started my own business a long time ago and I regret it for not starting one now. Good luck and I hope everything works out for you I wish you the best of luck.
 
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