The popularity and accessibility of drones have opened up opportunities for enthusiasts, hobbyists, and businessmen. Now, they can turn this relatively harmless and enjoyable hobby into a business that can turn a profit for them. But drone videography businesses are easier said than done. There are a lot of components that play into having a business like this.
The expenses that you will incur in the process of building your company might not exactly what you’re expecting. This is more than just purchasing a drone and a high-tech camera. Even before you start purchasing your equipment, there are already a lot of steps involved that will require you to use your capital.
Legal fees
The cost of building a drone videography business is steep because of the legal fees involved—almost $5,000 in legal fees to be exact. Since drone businesses are relatively new, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is still developing its process of dealing with them.
You need to go through an approval process to obtain a Section 333 Exemption. The process can be arduous so legal aid is crucial. There’s a legal team that specializes in drone law but they can be expensive… $5,000 expensive.
4K drone
Drones come in all shapes, sizes, and prices but for a drone video business, you cannot use your ordinary, run-of-the-mill drone. You need a high-quality drone with a 4K camera. Those professional-looking photos and videos are not based on skill.
Those are products of having a 4K camera that can shoot videos with a horizontal resolution of 4,000 pixels. The drone you choose is one of the most critical components of this business so make sure you spend as much time as you can researching about the type you need.
Accessories
You need a protective case so you can travel around with your camera. You need an expensive piece of carrying bag for your drone and camera. If you’re traveling for work, a simple case won’t work. You need a sturdy case that can protect your equipment from all manners of bumps, etc. You need also several SD cards and hard drives to store all those files. You need to back these files up so you don’t lose them ever.
Software and computer hardware
You cannot use your ordinary laptop and computer for storing and editing your drone photos and videos. You need a computer with high specifications, as well as editing software that can churn out professional photos and videos.
Liability insurance
Finally, like in all businesses, you need insurance to protect you from accidents, calamities, and the like. With a drone liability insurance, you are not only protecting your equipment but you’re also absolving yourself from all liabilities in the unfortunate case that you crash your drone into something of value or worse, injure someone.