To quote the immortal words of Blink 182 “Work sucks… I know!”. Well, let’s be real here. It’s not so much that work sucks. It’s that the corporate structures within which we work suck. Think about it! We work so hard for our employers, yet all we get in return are scraps from their table. We’re working within a system of wage repression, where our employers deliberately keep our wages lower than we deserve in order to inflate their own profit margins (wage suppression). Heck, look no further than Amazon. Sure, they’re a huge employer that creates a lot of jobs. But no business that has an ethical backbone should be headed by a man who’s set to become the world’s first trillionaire in less than a decade.

If you’re disenfranchises by the world of work, who would blame you? The career ladder is arguably a thing of the past. Employers seem to be sawing the rungs away beneath us so that no matter how high we climb, we’re always on the bottom rung. Now, with the pandemic throwing the way we live and work into such a state of flux, perhaps it’s time to rethink how we make our money. We’re seeing that businesses that had been resting on their laurels are collapsing under the weight of their indifference. But we’re also starting to identify some awesome opportunities for entrepreneurship. We’re starting to believe that maybe our dreams of running our own businesses could be a reality. 

But why would we want to start up a business doing something that stresses us out and causes us misery? If we’re going to pursue the path of an entrepreneur, we want to be able to pursue it doing something we love. And if you love to pilot and play with drones in your free time, there’s actually a wealth of ways in which you can monetize this hobby and make a tidy profit, even in the current climate. Heck the pandemic even creates some specific opportunities of its own for drone pilot. Let’s take a look at some of the ways in which you can make money from your drone…

Sell aerial pics and videos as stock assets

You’ve ;likely already mastered the art of creating dazzling aerial images with your drone. In fact, if you have a model like the DJI OM4 you’ll be amazed at the super-smooth stabilized videos you’ve been able to create. You have the right tool, bags of talent. So why not turn that combination into an opportunity? 

There are all kinds of reasons why people might want high-quality 4K images of nearby locations, from tourism companies wanting to buy stock assets to make promotional videos to private commissions. If you live near an area of outstanding natural beauty or a popular tourism hotspot, this could be a great opportunity for you. Find local beauty spots and start posting images on your social channels. Actively invite commissions, and use them to showcase your expertise. You may even be able to sell framed prints of your images at local maker’s markets. One great shot can make you a small fortune.

Alternatively, you could try starting up your  own YouTube channel to showcase your work. When you post the videos captured by your drone and tag the locations, you may elicit interest from people who would be interested in purchasing your assets or hiring you for commissions.  What’s more, publishing your drone footage on YouTube and joining a partnership program could allow you to monetize your channel and make money from the loyal following you’ve cultivated.

Take up wedding drone photography

Weddings are always a great opportunity for enterprising entrepreneurs. Plus, what’s more rewarding than helping happy couples capture the perfect footage from their dream wedding to help them remember it for years to come? 

Wedding drone photography is great work and very well paid. But it’s also highly competitive. Here are some tips to give you an edge and build a sterling reputation;

Here are some tips for excelling at this job:

• Be sure to fly your drone close to the venue. Do not fly a drone directly over the guest, as this can be startling and potentially cause accidents.
• Do your homework. Find the best perspective to take photos or shoot footage while flying your drone.
• Chose an outdoor somewhere spectacular to showcase your skills in capturing the beautiful scenery.
• Offer your clients both aerial videos and pictures of the same wedding.

All you need to do is buy an advanced small drone and a high-resolution camera, as well as a gimbal to keep shots steady. And, of course, practice your craft every single day. Satisfied customers lead to enthusiastic referrals which lead to a stream of regular work. 

Offer aerial surveying services

If you already have a technical and analytical mind, this could be a very rewarding career option for you. Drones are small and light and affordable, meaning that they have taken over a lot of the surveying work that has long been carried out by helicopters.

Aerial surveys are highly in-demand, and as they are now a lot more affordable and accessible, this has opened up a whole new market for skilled drone pilots like yourself. Your work can have limitless applications in a number of different fields, including  digital mapping and topography, archaeology, feature recognition, and various GIS applications. 

Can you get to work straight away?

Woah there, cowboy! As talented a pilot as you may be, if you expect to pilot a drone professionally you’re going to need a license. This is a necessary requirement to legally fly a drone for business purposes within the US. You need to get your Part 107 certification before offering your services to clients. This shows that you understand the regulations, operating requirements, and necessary procedures to safely fly a drone. You will need to pass a number of tests and a final exam, after which you will receive your Remote Pilot Certificate. You can learn more about the process on the FAA’s website.