Have you been contemplating the possibility of getting a drone, but aren’t sure how you could make good use of it? Don’t worry, many people are unaware of how financially rewarding, owning a drone can be. In fact, drones provide owners with much more than a gadget to fly around as a hobby, you can actually make some pretty decent coin by owning a drone. In this post we take a look at 9 ways drone owners can make money.
1. Sell Aerial Footage
One of the most popular ways drone users have been making money is to sell aerial videos and photos to people online. Drone photography is a business sector that has proven to be very popular and statistics show that the demand for aerial photos is growing. In order for you to pursue this route, you have to get a drone which is equipped with a high quality camera and gimbal. Alternatively, you can get a GoPro camera to attach to the drone, which is able to take 4K Ultra HD Videos.
2. Private Company That Provides Aerial Surveying
Small drones have the ability to capture photos of terrestrial places which are impossible to reach. Modern day drones have excellent flight abilities which make them ideal for the aerial surveying of difficult areas. Because of the costs associated with it, more and more companies are replacing helicopters with drones when it comes to surveying difficult terrestrial places.
3. Wedding Photography
Wedding photography is an extremely lucrative business. Even though the competition is tough, you can make yourself stand out by providing awesome photos which are taken from a unique perspective. Couples want wedding photos that provide them with excellent memories of one of the most important days of their lives. As such, more and more couples desire aerial wedding photos as opposed to the traditional ground based photos.
4. Reselling Drones
The concept of reselling products for a profit is similar when it comes to the drone reselling business. The key thing to remember is that you should find a reliable drone supplier that offers some of the best rates on the market or to locate international companies which provide unique drones that you can’t find in the American market. You can even customize these drones with different colors and designs as to which you can provide on platforms like eBay, Etsy and Fancy.
5. Advertising
Statistics show that aerial video captures of property help to get the property sold faster than it would if real estate agencies only provided a standard video of the property. More and more real estate companies are using this approach because it provides the customer with a view of the entire structure such as the roof and chimneys. Besides real estate, you can also provide low altitude banner advertising. When it’s all said and done, advertising is a very competitive field. Business owners would love to promote their business in a unique way that their competition hasn’t adapted to yet.
6. Utility Companies
Most utility companies use airplanes and helicopters to help them inspect electrical lines, especially in remote locations. However, it has always been dangerous for pilots to get to these kinds of places as well as the fact that it was very expensive. More companies have been gravitating towards the idea of hiring drone operators to help them reduce the risk and expenses associated with using helicopters for inspection jobs.
These small aerial vehicles have demonstrated that they have the flight capability and camera to handle the job. They can quickly move to gas and water outlets to make high quality footage. This has proven to be useful when it comes to helping utility companies conduct routine checkups as well as to assess damages which may have been caused by a pest or natural disaster.
7. Drone Deliveries
Does the idea of using a drone to do deliveries sound far-fetched? Well, what would you say if I told you that Amazon is in the process of getting approval to start delivering packages via drones? In fact, in other countries drones are already making deliveries on behalf of multi-billion dollar corporations like AliExpress. As such, offering drone delivery services is something that you can do to make additional income. It is worth noting however, that in order for you to pursue this route, you will need a very large drone, as the standard size drone will not have the ability to deliver heavy loads.
8. Private Investigation/Surveillance
Recently, some search engines have banned companies from advertising surveillance related products from their platform. However, the demand for surveillance and private investigation remains high. And, with the fact that companies have been banned from advertising these types of services from several advertising platforms, this is the best time for you to provide those services to people who live within your state.
Statistics show that many large companies are already in the process of hiring drone pilots to aid in their private investigative efforts. This is because drones provide a more cost effective way to track and investigate people, places and things. In addition to that, drones are less noticeable and can easily keep up with a target regardless of traffic conditions or physical barriers.
9. Precision Agriculture
Lastly, drone owners can make money by using their device in precision agriculture. They have proven to be helpful to farmers because of the reduced expenses they offer for crop surveillance. In order for you to use a drone for this purpose, it needs to have a specialized camera that is able to capture different wavelengths of light. These types of infrared cameras are able to provide different contrasting colors which enables them to see the health of crops within a certain area. Drone operators have also been hired by farmers to help locate and diagnose a problem they’re having with their fields such as pest infestation.
Where To Get A Drone To get Started
When it comes to by an Unmannedsas drone, most people tend to go to their local electronics store. While this may be a good idea if you want to get a drone for a child, no serious drone operator would pursue this route. By purchasing it online, you gain the ability to get more powerful drones that offer advanced features that you won’t find in a children’s toy.
