When the client tell's you, he knows a guy who will work for less. Just smile and say, I have clients that pay me more. And never be afraid to walk away.
A friend of mine owns a pawn shop and people come in all the time, ask about some item, then say “they have that same thing down at “Walmart” or “Home Depot” or whatever store...for the same price (or less)” and instead of saying anything he has the name/phone#/Address of every store in a 20 mile radius printed out behind the counter. He simply takes a copy from the stack and highlights the store they claimed has the better price and says “here ya go...drive safe!” It’s so much funnier in real life than it sounds reading this! Their facial expressions are priceless!
I always say if you think their work is better than mine you should hire them...If not then hire me...Works every time.... Everyone who has ever tried this line with me was just trying to get me to drop my price....If they knew someone already we probably wouln't be having this discussion in the first place
One more thanks to Life on T. , I was about to go away from this, it si so many video that do nothing but only 7 minutes, basically telling why they can't tell. F click bait. But thanks to you I finally learn something.
Agree, it just so many videos goes to nothing. Just click bait, all you get what you get in this video in first 7 min. After I knew that there is really good info here, I watched whole video and agree with you. Thank you
The one thing I noticed about being undercut by craigslist photographers in orange county was the clients that usually told me they could have somebody do it cheaper ended up coming back to me because they wanted the quality that I could provide.
first, don't ever apologized for what you charge! you are worth what your customers will pay. knowing your worth is the most important lesson in life. your reel speaks for itself. do u, lil brother.
Man what you shared was deep, but you know that's what trail blazers and leaders do! Teaching and sharing the knowledge to improve the community! Thanks man I really appreciate that brave step! Keep up the good work it's going pay off you will see blessing are on the way!
As a business owner in a different field. I like everything you said. Very well thought out and very informative video. I wish you continued luck in your buisness. I wish more " buisness owners" were like you and had your smarts. These fly by night operations or flashes in the pan guys only hurt established buisnesses. They continually drive pricing down. They make me have explain thier actions and then my own on almost every sale. They last 6 months to a year and push back standards years at a time with thier poor buisness ethics. Kudos to you sir.
Bravo! I love it when other business people put it straight and tell people to STOP undercutting and racing to the bottom with pricing. GREAT advice calling around to your LOCAL competition to find out what is norm.That advice is gold and not just drone specific. I own 2 businesses and this is exactly what I have done.
As one of those folks who is just getting into droning, this is an excellent explanation of a very touchy subject. Watch the whole vid - it's awesome stuff. Thank you for putting this out there! Cheers!
I've been a consultant (not in the video industry) for 15 years and have learned a lot. What he says here about going the "inexpensive" route is spot on. When you charge too little or undercut others doing similar services you are only hurting yourself in the long run. Free, cheap, inexpensive, etc. all carry a perception. That perception is whatever it is doesn't carry a lot of value. Something that is perceived to not have much value is never going to command much money and the person providing the service is never going to be perceived as one with skills and experience above any average person. You have to also remember as a consultant, you also have health insurance, taxes, travel, etc. that should be baked into the cost as those are real costs that come out of your pocket, so you should be. Sometimes it takes explaining to the client why costs are what they are. Most have no clue or have never thought about the underlying costs involved. When someone responds with "that costs too much", you have to ask them "do you mean you believe the product isn't worth it, or do you mean you don't have the budget to pay that?". Those are two completely different scenarios. If they simply don't have the money, move on.
Well put. I have a small heating and air business in a fast growing city . You talk about a cut throat industry. I am a long time RC pilot and have taken this hobby and started a business and am already seeing how cut throat it is. I started this venture before the part 107 and spent 10K getting my pilots license so I could do this legitimately. Now everybody and there dog is starting a drone business and doing it for nothing, especially in real-estate. Thanks FAA! Ruining pilots lives daily!
Austin Boil and further, even if the production isn't worth that to them today, that's a far cry from your services not being worth what you are asking.
Coming from photography, I agree that finding the proper amount to charge for your work is a difficult task for the newcomers, specially since you're so new that you don't even know what you're worth. I charge 350/h for anything less than 4 hours, then full production day is at least 1,500 and they have to provide food and a place to rest and charge the batteries. Also for a full production day you need at least 4 and get a charger that can charge 3 simultaneously.
Big issues I've found in Florida (exp in realestate) is either some body goes down to walmart or bestbuy,buys an air or mavic pro then runs around selling "aerial shots " for 20.. 25 bucks. Severely undercutting prices and without knowledge of editing, angles etc putting out some crappy stuff making it little harder for the customer to try aerial again.
Excellent video with information that applies to most professions. I'm a plumber who has heard all of the same and valid points. The problem tends to be that many new to business do not understand what their true "overhead" expenses are and end up giving away the store. On the other hand there are a lot of crooked contractors. I think the most important point that was made in the video was that we are entitled to a living wage ( that includes benefits ) and that all goes into your calculations. And the photography industry, unlike plumbing, is very creative, so all that should also go into the equation.
I see how hard it is for you to talk about all of this. But as a man looking to get into the drone.. cinematography.. business, I sincerely appreciate this video. I am researching this topic constantly and your videos stand out to me. Because of this video Here, I am a proud new subscriber. Thank you and keep up the good work.
I appreciate this. I am a 25 year pilot and have been flying radio controlled aircraft for 45 years. I just gotcmy part 107 license and am looming forward to putting my skills to work.
Very helpful because people act like their pricing is CLASSIFIED and telling you is a dis service to you to tell you! Then when people undercharge because they don’t know those same people yell that they are undercutting the industry! Having this as a base or goal helps to start out more realistically! Thanks for the information even though you did not mention pricing for delivery of edited video vs raw unedited video which is important as well (and what clients have been expecting)?
Business is war, under cutting is just part of the game. No one in business has ever said “Let’s not take the competition’s business”. People starting out will charge cheaper to get in the door then raise their prices later. Some do just as good a job, no ones born knowing it all, they learn as they do. I do like how you list out what the customers paying for, good stuff.
You've hit it right on the head and it's not just the drone industry! It happens in all professions you get the amateurs that low bid for many reasons. It kills everyone, I'm an amateurs myself just getting started don't even know if I will really end up doing professional work. I try to never undercut anyone cause in the end I've cut my own throat. This is good though to help make people aware that and give ideas of how you have to look at all the aspects of coming up with prices.
OURSTANDING VIDEO & ADVICE !!!! I’ve seen other industry revenue streams become “destroyed” by a “rush to be the lowest priced guy on the block”. I’m very thankful for your wisdom and willingness to share it with all of us viewers!! Best of luck to to you in the future !!!
What a great, great, did I mention great post. As a self employed video pro for over 25 yrs, working mainly as an editor, writer, producer, but now branching out with my production co to high end production, live event webcasting & streaming and aerial cinematography, I can say with110% confidence that the biggest threat to my biz in NYC has been lowballing or underpricing. They say the talent always finds a way to rise to the top but with any leading edge tech, the talent can simply get overcrowded or drowned out of the game all together. Thank you for being brave & confident enough to put your pricing structure out there for others to learn by. A. It shows the rookies that succeeding in a professional production environment requires much more than showing up with your Mavic and a dozen batteries. And B. At least in my case, though I may be a step or 2 below you in level of professional capability, your post shows me that my prices are basically scaled fairly & realistically in relation to yours, along with laying out some of the items that I need to continue strengthening in my technical capabilities and knowledge base to continue to grow this portion of my business to the professional level I require & insist on from all of my other specialties. So thank you so much for this. It is incredibly useful & appreciated & best of luck for continued success in all of your business endeavors.
I agree with the all the commenters. I found that (in a graphics arts business) charging “too little” makes you appear needy or weak. My motto is, I would rather have one client for a $1000 than three clients for $300. Those $300 dollar guys will nit pick you like crazy. Obviously that can’t “afford” normal pricing and will push for every cent they can squeeze. The $1000 guy understands you got this, you are the pro! Not to mention, less work and only dealing with one client!
Thanks for this, B. I really appreciate your honesty and integrity in tackling this difficult area. It's given me food for thought and made me understand just how much needs to be considered when pricing up a job. Great work!
I found in the real estate market to charge for the day of the shoot. I get $350 for the day, I get a check $350 and at the same time I give the realtor the footage and have them look for the sequence they want and order. From there I charge $37.50 per hour for editing. My last two jobs from the same realtor with their input took 20hrs. So I made $1100 total. I fly 3DR SOLO.
So you have no idea what to shoot to sell a house? Thats funny. You actually let the realtor pick the footage? Then you charge $37 an hour to edit? One thing about that is that if you lose a job, you won't miss the money.
Thank you for the great video! Pricing is a tough one to talk about. I have owned and run three different businesses, two of which were great money making ventures till people came in in droves and charged a fraction what I was charging. My businesses had an extreme amount of training and equipment cost before even beginning to seek customers. Along comes these people that spend little to nothing in training, minimal equipment, and low ball all local contracts, cutting the legs off of the professionals. It takes months or years before customers see the value they were getting with trained licensed professionals most of the time. Thanks again for your video. I hope that new operators will listen and think about the industry as a whole after viewing.
you were overcharging then. The market pays what the market pays. You had what is called a "first mover" advantage that got taken away once the market caught up .
This single video is perhaps the best I've seen on UA-cam based solely on content and information. This should be required viewing for anyone who even thinks about starting a UAV-based business.
This was a great video! I am new to the industry but have flown drones in the past for fun. Now I am ready to go to the next step, and I am taking this very serious, and I also agree with everything you said in this video. Thank you for taking the time to educate us newbies and how we should support our other pilots.
Some really good advice dude. I would add that, coming from a computing and technology background, I tend to lower my rates for small non/not-for-profit entities and for local 'community service' groups. I had set standards which I applied (I'm retired now) across the board, whether I knew the people involved or not, so nobody ever gave me grief about "Well, you cut so-and-so a break, why not me?" I just made sure that they knew what my Standard rates were and how much of a discount they were getting. Doing this generated tons of local goodwill and a boatload of word-of-mouth buzz; which in the former case came back from local property owners giving me free permission to shoot many days of 'run & gun' ground footage; and in the latter case, since "Everybody knows somebody who knows somebody who has money" came back to me by way of a new client who had never heard of me, and that I would never have thought to contact. Of course, I don't advertise. Everything I do is from word-of-mouth referrals. My only exception to the non-profit rule is that if a "non-profit" can afford to pay their CEO $1,000,000+ in salary, they can cough-up my regular rates. :) Again, you gave good advice. And your conversational delivery is ever so much more engaging than 'chapter & verse' and pie-charts.
At least he said what he charges for his base rate. Many of these videos they don't even say what they charge. And yet there are tons of videos on pricing drone videos.
How's it going I just wanted to say I just became a commercial UAV pilot after passing my 107 exam and even tho I passed a test that says I can do this I still continue to self educate my self on laws regulations and other safe operations as I don't want to break any laws either and want to operate in a professional matter I've spent at least a whole work week in hours watching videos informing my self on sUAS material and I wanted to say once I found your UA-cam I stopped searching I enjoy your topics they are very informative and even if you are or aren't a paid UA-camr I thank you for taking the time out of your day to teach and inform because prior to being aerial I still did video editing and I know it takes a lot of time and work even for a simple UA-cam video, so as I was saying THANK YOU!! I look forward to more from you
Thanks for the sound advice. It was clear and concise and showed not only savvy business acumen, but depth of points to consider. As a passionate newbie to this I really appreciate the insight. Thanks from Australia !!
I really appreciate this. I just started my company and I just can't tell you how much it means to hear someone make sure that we aren't undercutting because our skills/time/investment is valuable. Plus to not undercut other professionals who have been doing it for awhile.
Woah dude. This is some seriously good content. The way you are using your language and respecting the environment you are in is next level. Thank you so much!
Good point. Im not looking to make any money with my Autel Evo , just enjoy flying and taking videos.Been in electrical business for many years and your advice is great for every business. If you get every job you bid on your price is too low.
so awesome B for your videos and congrats to all the winners. Glad everyone is tuning in on an amazing channel right here. And of course drone media as well.
Hugely informative man, thank you so much. I am not looking to drone commercially - even though I am going to get my UAS license -, but the way you explain the intricacies of commercially piloting a drone is eye-opening. Thank and much success to you.
Excellent words or wisdom gained from experience! I ha e years of broadcast TV, commercials and documentary experience, but I am new to drones. I will take your advice to heart. Thank you.
Much appreciated this vid. Personally mostly fly in So. America. Had issues for a couple of weeks that am still trying to iron out with DJI GO4 App operating on Samsung Tab A, w / Droid 6.6+ Op Sys, just will not launch no matter what I do with any manipulation. Still working on it, but sadly had to purchase a damn IPhone 6 to get the MPP to launch and operate immediately. Have been operating several platforms however this MPP is much better for transporting currently. I operate around Narco territory, Military & Police zones which are all located in what we call red zones. Much attention is paid and so far much permissions granted as long as they are informed and where I operate. Did my first business transaction as a business land owner granted us permission to operate off his premises. Before completion, did multiple shots of his business from altitude, side angles and head on initially to edit and send free of charge just for initial establishment and to get our name out there initially with our first recommendation/addition to our portfolio. Then the pricing begins. Wife to contact 2 additional businesses in week since we have a good reputation with to add a boost to their networking and advertising. Again, thank you for sharing. Keep the great vids coming!!
I truly appreciate this video regarding pricing. Since I am still on the path to the Part107 and also learning "the hard way" about flying my drone. (aka: its at the DJI service center atm) this information was very useful. I live in a very rural location and there is only one other drone pilot in the area. Most of the clients I have talked to are not pleased with his pricing nor his availability. I hope to improve on both and still remain competitive. This video will honestly help me find the happy medium. Good luck on your transition. Can't wait to see the permanent new digs.
Good luck to you too!! Sounds like you're in the right mindset. The clients will be lucky to have you. I'm going to be shooting some "how to get the best shots" videos soon! Stay tuned!
Thanks I would really appreciate ideas or hints to getting good images. I spend several hours each day flying and practicing. I have tried my hand at a few UA-cam videos to get feedback from the community and look for areas I can improve. I have really been bitten by this drone bug and want to see how far I can take it. Feel free to look at my channel, I would always appreciate constructive feedback.
Customers need to realize that the "day of work" they hire you for also includes all the time at home editing, then re-editing when they preview the footage and request changes.
Working drones since 2014, and still run into the common response that your trying to rob them. In areas where filming is not common, the value proposition is much more difficult, and everybody thinks they can do it DIY. Keep plugging B.
Superb video. The newbie's that undercut the more experienced camera operators have been a growing issue in all areas of cinema/videography (not just drone operation). It forces the guys in the mid-level to drop their price because they begin starving for work until it's an non-livable income for everyone. That's where I begin to like the 107 certification. At least it weeds out some of the "rich-daddy-sons" and non-serious videographers who aren't willing to put in the work and education into doing it on a more professional scale. Videography overall has become a struggle to make it (especially in certain areas) when everyone now has a 4K camera and the clients (again, in certain areas) are also not educated and just want the cheapest rate. Great insight into the drone market, you've earned yourself another subscriber.
Hey DRONR, I just subscribed to your channel. I'm an avid drone pilot and enjoy flying my PHANTOM 3 (for recreational purposes only). Enjoy watching your videos because I always learn something useful. Keep up the great work.
Excellent Video. Thank you for emphasizing the true associated costs of a drone production. I especially love that you are not afraid to charge what you are WORTH and to beware of the "undercharger". FYI: These undercharges do not last long in this biz and go by the wayside, but like roaches, another one always pops up. Great sound advice!
man I've been thinking about this and I just stumbled on to your page.... awesome find. Good luck! and thanks for answering some questions I didn't know I had lol
Aviation has always been a cutthroat business. The running joke is hold a cardboard sign which reads: "Will fly for food". Just hold your ground on prices.
Shitttttt. Just passed my 107 yesterday, first "furtherance of a business" job is in 48 hours. I wouldn't have factored in my drone use for ….never mind. Thanks for the informative video. Semper Fly! Gunny J. OUT!
I agree very much with the points made here. Very much like the video...very straight forward. But one MAJOR thing to keep in mind. You have that huge laundry list of top notch experience. There is NO WAY an entry level operator can charge anywhere near what you charge....and they shouldn't. I think entry level people should be very clear about their experience and charge accordingly. You I'm certain are very clear about your level of expertise and charge accordingly. It falls largely on YOU to sell that level of service that you can provide. I hate undercutting, but there is sometimes not a big difference in the way "undercutting" is looked at vs. someone entry level trying to get into the market. It's all about perspective sometimes. Loved the video!
I am personally thankfull for all of your information. I have been so under cut in my area by non 107 pilots that real estate photography is a joke!!! But Realtors in my area are finally starting to pay attention to the laws and the price is slowly coming back up. I have a very unique job to do with my drone and Part 107. I can't divulge much info about it but I did wonder if I had my pricing right. Watching this video and putting all things in perspective, I realize I have found a perfect Ballance of where I need to be. Thank you for putting your information and perspective out there. It helped me tremendously.
Thanks for a useful and informative video. Here's a bit more advice from my experience of re-building and servicing a friend's fleet. One thing that my friend always does is provide a contract and an invoice. If a potential client doesn't want either, he won't work for them. Another crucial thing to do is to have lots of drones (at least three) and lots of batteries. Having an idiot like me to look after the damn things is also useful. Why three drones? One is the 'master drone', which is what you usually use to do the work with. Another is a back-up in case the master drone malfunctions or crashes. The third drone is the 'weather check drone'; this does not need to be particularly good. Before throwing thousands of pounds (or dollars) up into the air send up a drone that cost less than 200 pounds / 300 dollars, then see how stable it can hover at the intended working altitude.. If all is well send up the master drone, if things are a bit risky send up the back-up drone, if the weather check drone crashes, go home.
Thanks so much for this video. Professional pilot/Architect looking to add to and merge skill sets for future work opportunities. This is great, even if I end up working for a company, it's good to know how to price services.
As a D.J. I'M JUST so on point with this.. its IDENTICAL to.our industry With pricing etc. But as I up my professional career in entertainment the cinematic type of film has peaked my imagination for the possibilities of what my business can do..
Thank you. What an awesome video!! I've had a P3P for a couple of years and just got my Inspire 2 and ready to move to the next level. This video was just great!!!
Thank you for making this video, you've definitely helped to educate me. I've been racing drones for a few years now and have recently been getting into the cinematography side of it and considering trying to make some extra money. Without watching this, I probably would've been "that guy" that inadvertantly undercut everyone. Thanks again!
Business can be tough. In almost every sector there are people who will undercut. The way I deal with it is being very knowledgeable and not selling someone something they do not need. I also do my best to get get the job done right and when they need it. So treat your customers like they are your friends because they are. Also I did not see anything about building in replacement cost, nothing lasts forever and will usually cost more next time around, this includes the vehicles that get you where you need to, which will need tires, maintenance and other repairs. So like the man said do not cheap out, it is just not worth it .
Great video. I have recently added a drone to my arsenal for my clients, its nice to see my idea of pricing is inline with what you discussed. Also nice to know related pricing within the industry. Some good explanations of why we charge what we charge.
Thanks for the candid information. I’m a News cameraman and I want to supplement that by including drone photography. You are absolutely right about not undercharging. It has hurt a lot of freelance industries.
Excellent presentation and information. I don't think the average person understands the liability aspect of the job. Beyond that, as you mentioned, unless it's super high end photography or videography the newer drones that you can by for a few thousand dollars can produce good quality results that for many jobs would be acceptable. I thinking pricing is going to transition to a place where a lot of work will not provide a living wage but there will be enough people willing to do for the love of flying and supplemental income (weddings, parties, special events, real estate, inspection, etc.) and high end work that does require a higher level of expertise on many levels and pay a living wage.
Thanks for doing this video. It has been a burning question for me for a while now. I got my 107 in June and I'm currently working with a SCORE mentor in order to start a drone business and I'm trying to be methodical about this. This is valuable info for real life application. Love the tip about calling around to determine competitor pricing.
There is ALWAYS a first time... a lot of first timers here I am thinking, by touting your laundry list and saying that it is a really big deal, is frankly intimidating. It would be nice IF you expounded on your first or first few clients and how you were able to land them... THAT would be priceless.
I usually don't subscribe to people on the first video I watch and I watch ALOT of UA-cam to learn about whatever I am interested in at the time. I just recently got a Mavic mini a few weeks ago but have been learning about it maybe a month prior. Last night I started considering getting the Part 107 and started studying for it. All the info you have given has been really helpful to new people like me and definitely is helpful to your fellow Drone Pilots so the industry doesn't tank from people doing less quality work for less just to start working. But it's definitely nice to know what the work is worth so I can practice for that level of Pay. I am not sure how much work I would be able to do with a Mavic mini but I am sure there is something I could do, right? I figured if I can do something to make money with this Drone eventually, (not really why I bought it in the first place but always looking to bring value back) I would be able to put the money back into my drone and upgrade to something like a Mavic Pro 2 and go from there. I have been into Photography as a hobby for the past like 5 months and wanted the drone to go along with that.
I feel your pain on the pricing concerns as new inexperienced users enter the space. But I really believe it's less of an issue than it sounds like. For one, the industry is growing. The growth includes your normal buyer who has a big budget, as well as fresh new buyers of your services entering with varying budgets. Some of these new low budget buyers would not become buyers at all, if the price was not low. Then a number of those buyers eventually work their way up to paying a premium for more experienced professionals. I'm rambling a bit but the point is, it's all a part of healthy growth. Price is only one factor in a healthy competition. History shows us we can trust a free market to sort MOST of this out naturally. One man's opinion. Respectfully. Best of luck.
Thanks for the insight! As a new Productions company I was very unsure about what to charge for pricing. I know feel like I was being the undercutter because my prices are very low. My packages come at a base rate and then pending on location and prep they increase which I feel is a reasonable tactic, say I had to travel and get a hotel, that would have to increase the price of the complete package. Additionally I don't have any other employees at the moment so my overhead cost is low and the only variable expenses are time and that leaves the customer paying for the bill. The hard part for me is where to set the base rate at, this video helped a lot. Thank you!
Back in the 60's my Dad called a TV repairman to 'fix' or tweak our B/W TV. That was what one did with technology that nobody fully understood. The repairman showed up, turned the TV on, played with the knobs a little, and then took the cover off the back of the TV. He then turned a single screw, and boom! It worked great! He then handed my Dad a bill for $60. Dad freaked out, (as $60 was like $600 back then.) He shouted: "$60 to turn ONE screw? That's highway robbery!" The repairman responded: "It's not that I turned 1 screw and it cost $60, Sir! It's knowing WHICH screw to turn, that legitimizes the price." :)
It’s a tough thing walking that tightrope between trying to help those who a) appreciate it and b) will use your knowledge with maturity & respect vs giving info to people who are abusive & will misuse the info with malice. I think you did a GREAT job on that tightrope! Thanks so much for taking the time to make this video. Here’s one guy that appreciates it!
Man this is truly a great, honest and very informative video. As you said, those who lowball everyone else, can definitely give clients who are shopping around the wrong impression for your services.
Amazing video ! Thank you for the information, I have been flying my drone for almost 2 years with some projects and work that I’ve created using aerial videography🚁💨 Charging a price that the consumer and the business is happy with, only increases the value of our industry 🙏🏼 thank you so much for the valuable information
Great advice for anyone working in *any* kind of freelance creative field or scene! When someone undercuts simply to get gigs, they hurt everyone! Thanks for digging deep, great work. Peace
Good conversation, and all good points. Anyone who is interested in charging for drone services should find this both a good resource as well as a reality check.
How do you handle video editing? Do you just give clients raw footage to do what they want with? Or do you offer video editing packages as well? For simple cinematography jobs obviously. Thanks, -Adam
Thanks dude, I have been flying since 2010 helicopters I just got into flying drones in 2014. Great video thanks!! I'm studying currently for my faa part 107
Thanks for the input…this is what I wanted to hear, I don’t want to come in undercutting anyone and don’t want to be way over ether! Trying to be fair but justified with the price range 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
Your info was very helpful I am just in the process of starting up my drone business this is some great advice for people who are just starting out and in general. Keep up the good work
Great video and good information. I am a retired wedding and sports photographer as well as a licensed pilot( medical has long sence lapsed. My daughter works for a realestate company and while I was curent with my pilots license was asked on several occasions to take air to ground pictures of farm land and remote cabin lots or developments. I was always hesitant to tell them what it would cost to fly the plane for the shoot.In fact as a private licensed pilot I could only split the cost of the fuel. Now I am considering doing the drone buisness as it would be less expensive than the plane and now with good digital cameras (film was Killing me. I agree that I was under charging for my services and the equipment I was using. You are doing the industry a great service by making it real . people need to understand that we all have to pay expences and feed our familys. Equipment gets broken and wears out and must be replaced and upgraded. Keep it cool and good luck.
Some may agree, some will disagree... As a commercial pilot of manned aircraft and a 107 holder, it is sometimes cheaper for the customer if I use a manned aircraft simply because I cut through the red tape of waivers. It really is sometimes cheaper to use a manned aircraft for the shot (depending on shot needed). After the time invested in airspace waivers a small chopper with a mid range camera is still the best choice. Above 500 feet a manned aircraft can fly over people and get the shot the day of without waiting for or doing research for the waiver. Which in my example, the over people waiver will 99.9999 % not be approved.
The prices are way different in Pennsylvania where I'm from...make sure if you're new to charging money for drone footage that you compare to local photographers...good info in this video
Hey man! Guess what... I was looking for info on which (first) drone to buy and here I land up on this video. Have to say it was fun watching... and very informative. Although it doesn't help me directly as I don't even know how to fly a drone... yet... but your video has sure built some curiosity in me. I suppose the drone business landscape would have changed a bit from July 2017 when you posted this video, but thanks for putting this out there and giving all this information.
Very much appreciate your insight. I am only in the initial stages and don't want to be 'that guy'. Thanks for you thoughtful and very useful guidance.
Really appreciate you sharing. Video has been my specialty (not that you can tell from my channel) for a good while now and I'm contemplating getting a drone. Mainly for myself initially but who knows. Thanks for your honesty and I hate you for how cool you look. New sub right here. Peace ✌🏻
Biz Since 2013 myself in south Florida currently Trying to get set up with the FAA LAANCE system for faster Authorizations and waivers when needed!! ,, And your absolutely right ,,Don't be afraid to charge what your worth . Plenty of have kids and adults have called me for pricing and i knew exactly what they were doing. !! lol So I also also can edit Videos a separate charge !! and as a hobby i actually started flying helicopters RC way before Drones,,,That was a huge advantage . now i also fly Turbine Jets for the speed thing !. love the hobby and now loving where its going the drone biz etc ,, been crazy with FAA 333 and the 107 until they figured it out took a while etc . ,, i only fly under 107 now . good luck to you and your biz. OH i also Give discounts when i work with Ground photographers that use my drone services for more than one time. all about the relationships you build as you grow and word of mouth is Everything !!! oh yea. Be Fair don't be to cheap theres always the co. or person that wants to not pay much.. but you get what you pay for also ... !!! Quality Photos and video and safety and Professionalism goes a along way .
When the client tell's you, he knows a guy who will work for less. Just smile and say, I have clients that pay me more. And never be afraid to walk away.
brilliant - I'm gonna use this
When they say that to me I say “I’m sure they know what their services are worth, and I know what mine are worth.”
A friend of mine owns a pawn shop and people come in all the time, ask about some item, then say “they have that same thing down at “Walmart” or “Home Depot” or whatever store...for the same price (or less)” and instead of saying anything he has the name/phone#/Address of every store in a 20 mile radius printed out behind the counter. He simply takes a copy from the stack and highlights the store they claimed has the better price and says “here ya go...drive safe!” It’s so much funnier in real life than it sounds reading this! Their facial expressions are priceless!
Jim mckay absolute 🔥 🔥 🔥
I always say if you think their work is better than mine you should hire them...If not then hire me...Works every time.... Everyone who has ever tried this line with me was just trying to get me to drop my price....If they knew someone already we probably wouln't be having this discussion in the first place
Pricing info starts at about 7:00. I suggest skipping ahead to that point.
Life on Trehan Creek tysm
Thx man. You’re the man.
One more thanks to Life on T. , I was about to go away from this, it si so many video that do nothing but only 7 minutes, basically telling why they can't tell. F click bait.
But thanks to you I finally learn something.
There’s a lot of good info before that
Agree, it just so many videos goes to nothing. Just click bait, all you get what you get in this video in first 7 min. After I knew that there is really good info here, I watched whole video and agree with you. Thank you
The one thing I noticed about being undercut by craigslist photographers in orange county was the clients that usually told me they could have somebody do it cheaper ended up coming back to me because they wanted the quality that I could provide.
Dam tough
KarlGPhoto you’re right!!!
fuk yes
first, don't ever apologized for what you charge! you are worth what your customers will pay. knowing your worth is the most important lesson in life. your reel speaks for itself. do u, lil brother.
Well said sir. Self confidence, self worth, is important no matter what business your entering.
As with any service or product, market bares only the price customer is willing to pay. Your challenge is to convince them to pay your price.
nice
Man what you shared was deep, but you know that's what trail blazers and leaders do! Teaching and sharing the knowledge to improve the community! Thanks man I really appreciate that brave step! Keep up the good work it's going pay off you will see blessing are on the way!
Thanks, David. Appreciate the encouragement!
As a business owner in a different field. I like everything you said. Very well thought out and very informative video. I wish you continued luck in your buisness. I wish more " buisness owners" were like you and had your smarts. These fly by night operations or flashes in the pan guys only hurt established buisnesses. They continually drive pricing down. They make me have explain thier actions and then my own on almost every sale. They last 6 months to a year and push back standards years at a time with thier poor buisness ethics. Kudos to you sir.
This info is cross industry!!!
Bravo! I love it when other business people put it straight and tell people to STOP undercutting and racing to the bottom with pricing. GREAT advice calling around to your LOCAL competition to find out what is norm.That advice is gold and not just drone specific. I own 2 businesses and this is exactly what I have done.
New sub because of it too!
As one of those folks who is just getting into droning, this is an excellent explanation of a very touchy subject. Watch the whole vid - it's awesome stuff. Thank you for putting this out there! Cheers!
I've been a consultant (not in the video industry) for 15 years and have learned a lot. What he says here about going the "inexpensive" route is spot on. When you charge too little or undercut others doing similar services you are only hurting yourself in the long run. Free, cheap, inexpensive, etc. all carry a perception. That perception is whatever it is doesn't carry a lot of value. Something that is perceived to not have much value is never going to command much money and the person providing the service is never going to be perceived as one with skills and experience above any average person. You have to also remember as a consultant, you also have health insurance, taxes, travel, etc. that should be baked into the cost as those are real costs that come out of your pocket, so you should be. Sometimes it takes explaining to the client why costs are what they are. Most have no clue or have never thought about the underlying costs involved. When someone responds with "that costs too much", you have to ask them "do you mean you believe the product isn't worth it, or do you mean you don't have the budget to pay that?". Those are two completely different scenarios. If they simply don't have the money, move on.
Well put. I have a small heating and air business in a fast growing city . You talk about a cut throat industry. I am a long time RC pilot and have taken this hobby and started a business and am already seeing how cut throat it is. I started this venture before the part 107 and spent 10K getting my pilots license so I could do this legitimately. Now everybody and there dog is starting a drone business and doing it for nothing, especially in real-estate. Thanks FAA! Ruining pilots lives daily!
Austin Boil and further, even if the production isn't worth that to them today, that's a far cry from your services not being worth what you are asking.
Austin Boil perhaps those with money need to stop being CHEAP. And paying friends and family for poor quality. But it’s the industry.
Austin Boil most don’t have the budget to pay. The industry has bastardized itself.
dlamoro1 and part107 is a laughable joke. Makes no sense, unrealistic hypotheticals, just another money making scheme.
Coming from photography, I agree that finding the proper amount to charge for your work is a difficult task for the newcomers, specially since you're so new that you don't even know what you're worth. I charge 350/h for anything less than 4 hours, then full production day is at least 1,500 and they have to provide food and a place to rest and charge the batteries. Also for a full production day you need at least 4 and get a charger that can charge 3 simultaneously.
WalkaboutLife because it's a personal channel not a business one. Any other questions?
i love this info thankyou isaac, i assume your talking USD not euros?
USD of course
Isaac Alonzo what type of work do you do?
Excuse my French, but this was informative AF for someone like me who's in the same, or aiming to be in the same industry. Thanks an eff ton.
Big issues I've found in Florida (exp in realestate) is either some body goes down to walmart or bestbuy,buys an air or mavic pro then runs around selling "aerial shots " for 20.. 25 bucks. Severely undercutting prices and without knowledge of editing, angles etc putting out some crappy stuff making it little harder for the customer to try aerial again.
Excellent video with information that applies to most professions. I'm a plumber who has heard all of the same and valid points.
The problem tends to be that many new to business do not understand what their true "overhead" expenses are and end up giving away the store. On the other hand there are a lot of crooked contractors.
I think the most important point that was made in the video was that we are entitled to a living wage ( that includes benefits ) and that all goes into your calculations. And the photography industry, unlike plumbing, is very creative, so all that should also go into the equation.
I see how hard it is for you to talk about all of this. But as a man looking to get into the drone.. cinematography.. business, I sincerely appreciate this video. I am researching this topic constantly and your videos stand out to me. Because of this video Here, I am a proud new subscriber. Thank you and keep up the good work.
I appreciate this. I am a 25 year pilot and have been flying radio controlled aircraft for 45 years. I just gotcmy part 107 license and am looming forward to putting my skills to work.
Very helpful because people act like their pricing is CLASSIFIED and telling you is a dis service to you to tell you! Then when people undercharge because they don’t know those same people yell that they are undercutting the industry!
Having this as a base or goal helps to start out more realistically!
Thanks for the information even though you did not mention pricing for delivery of edited video vs raw unedited video which is important as well (and what clients have been expecting)?
sardomnumspa every client is different. But 99% of my clients want the raw footage.
Business is war, under cutting is just part of the game. No one in business has ever said “Let’s not take the competition’s business”. People starting out will charge cheaper to get in the door then raise their prices later. Some do just as good a job, no ones born knowing it all, they learn as they do. I do like how you list out what the customers paying for, good stuff.
Business usually look for untapped markets not competition. Why put yourself in a competitive situation on purpose? Not a smart business move
You've hit it right on the head and it's not just the drone industry! It happens in all professions you get the amateurs that low bid for many reasons. It kills everyone, I'm an amateurs myself just getting started don't even know if I will really end up doing professional work. I try to never undercut anyone cause in the end I've cut my own throat. This is good though to help make people aware that and give ideas of how you have to look at all the aspects of coming up with prices.
OURSTANDING VIDEO & ADVICE !!!! I’ve seen other industry revenue streams become “destroyed” by a “rush to be the lowest priced guy on the block”. I’m very thankful for your wisdom and willingness to share it with all of us viewers!! Best of luck to to you in the future !!!
What a great, great, did I mention great post. As a self employed video pro for over 25 yrs, working mainly as an editor, writer, producer, but now branching out with my production co to high end production, live event webcasting & streaming and aerial cinematography, I can say with110% confidence that the biggest threat to my biz in NYC has been lowballing or underpricing. They say the talent always finds a way to rise to the top but with any leading edge tech, the talent can simply get overcrowded or drowned out of the game all together.
Thank you for being brave & confident enough to put your pricing structure out there for others to learn by.
A. It shows the rookies that succeeding in a professional production environment requires much more than showing up with your Mavic and a dozen batteries.
And B. At least in my case, though I may be a step or 2 below you in level of professional capability, your post shows me that my prices are basically scaled fairly & realistically in relation to yours, along with laying out some of the items that I need to continue strengthening in my technical capabilities and knowledge base to continue to grow this portion of my business to the professional level I require & insist on from all of my other specialties. So thank you so much for this. It is incredibly useful & appreciated & best of luck for continued success in all of your business endeavors.
I agree with the all the commenters. I found that (in a graphics arts business) charging “too little” makes you appear needy or weak. My motto is, I would rather have one client for a $1000 than three clients for $300. Those $300 dollar guys will nit pick you like crazy. Obviously that can’t “afford” normal pricing and will push for every cent they can squeeze. The $1000 guy understands you got this, you are the pro! Not to mention, less work and only dealing with one client!
Thanks for this, B. I really appreciate your honesty and integrity in tackling this difficult area. It's given me food for thought and made me understand just how much needs to be considered when pricing up a job. Great work!
+medialegend thanks !
I found in the real estate market to charge for the day of the shoot. I get $350 for the day, I get a check $350 and at the same time I give the realtor the footage and have them look for the sequence they want and order. From there I charge $37.50 per hour for editing. My last two jobs from the same realtor with their input took 20hrs. So I made $1100 total. I fly 3DR SOLO.
Does it take an entire day to do one house? or do you do several homes in one day?
So you have no idea what to shoot to sell a house? Thats funny. You actually let the realtor pick the footage? Then you charge $37 an hour to edit? One thing about that is that if you lose a job, you won't miss the money.
I appreciate your transparency and counsel. You are a gift to UA-cam.
Thank you for the great video! Pricing is a tough one to talk about. I have owned and run three different businesses, two of which were great money making ventures till people came in in droves and charged a fraction what I was charging. My businesses had an extreme amount of training and equipment cost before even beginning to seek customers. Along comes these people that spend little to nothing in training, minimal equipment, and low ball all local contracts, cutting the legs off of the professionals. It takes months or years before customers see the value they were getting with trained licensed professionals most of the time. Thanks again for your video. I hope that new operators will listen and think about the industry as a whole after viewing.
you were overcharging then. The market pays what the market pays. You had what is called a "first mover" advantage that got taken away once the market caught up .
This single video is perhaps the best I've seen on UA-cam based solely on content and information. This should be required viewing for anyone who even thinks about starting a UAV-based business.
Great information. I 100% agree with the under cutting. It hurts all of us in the long run.
thanks!
Nothing but respect to you. Hopefully this will deter people from hurting this industry even more.
This was a great video! I am new to the industry but have flown drones in the past for fun. Now I am ready to go to the next step, and I am taking this very serious, and I also agree with everything you said in this video. Thank you for taking the time to educate us newbies and how we should support our other pilots.
Some really good advice dude. I would add that, coming from a computing and technology background, I tend to lower my rates for small non/not-for-profit entities and for local 'community service' groups.
I had set standards which I applied (I'm retired now) across the board, whether I knew the people involved or not, so nobody ever gave me grief about "Well, you cut so-and-so a break, why not me?" I just made sure that they knew what my Standard rates were and how much of a discount they were getting.
Doing this generated tons of local goodwill and a boatload of word-of-mouth buzz; which in the former case came back from local property owners giving me free permission to shoot many days of 'run & gun' ground footage; and in the latter case, since "Everybody knows somebody who knows somebody who has money" came back to me by way of a new client who had never heard of me, and that I would never have thought to contact. Of course, I don't advertise. Everything I do is from word-of-mouth referrals.
My only exception to the non-profit rule is that if a "non-profit" can afford to pay their CEO $1,000,000+ in salary, they can cough-up my regular rates. :)
Again, you gave good advice. And your conversational delivery is ever so much more engaging than 'chapter & verse' and pie-charts.
Thanks for the great advice. I’m a new drone operator who is trying to start a business. This video gave me a lot of insight.
You are very welcome! Check out my beginner vids and part 107 study guide. Super helpful!
DRONR thank you. I have to other partner and we all are subscribers to your channel. Thanks for all the information
Yet people do. Including myself
What a stupid thing to say? Just stupid.
And the Earth is flat too!!! Moron.
At least he said what he charges for his base rate. Many of these videos they don't even say what they charge. And yet there are tons of videos on pricing drone videos.
How's it going I just wanted to say I just became a commercial UAV pilot after passing my 107 exam and even tho I passed a test that says I can do this I still continue to self educate my self on laws regulations and other safe operations as I don't want to break any laws either and want to operate in a professional matter I've spent at least a whole work week in hours watching videos informing my self on sUAS material and I wanted to say once I found your UA-cam I stopped searching I enjoy your topics they are very informative and even if you are or aren't a paid UA-camr I thank you for taking the time out of your day to teach and inform because prior to being aerial I still did video editing and I know it takes a lot of time and work even for a simple UA-cam video, so as I was saying THANK YOU!! I look forward to more from you
+Mike Muscatello thanks, Mike! Appreciate it and congrats !
Thanks for the sound advice. It was clear and concise and showed not only savvy business acumen, but depth of points to consider.
As a passionate newbie to this I really appreciate the insight.
Thanks from Australia !!
I really appreciate this. I just started my company and I just can't tell you how much it means to hear someone make sure that we aren't undercutting because our skills/time/investment is valuable. Plus to not undercut other professionals who have been doing it for awhile.
Woah dude. This is some seriously good content. The way you are using your language and respecting the environment you are in is next level. Thank you so much!
Good point. Im not looking to make any money with my Autel Evo , just enjoy flying and taking videos.Been in electrical business for many years and your advice is great for every business. If you get every job you bid on your price is too low.
so awesome B for your videos and congrats to all the winners. Glad everyone is tuning in on an amazing channel right here. And of course drone media as well.
Hugely informative man, thank you so much. I am not looking to drone commercially - even though I am going to get my UAS license -, but the way you explain the intricacies of commercially piloting a drone is eye-opening. Thank and much success to you.
Excellent words or wisdom gained from experience! I ha e years of broadcast TV, commercials and documentary experience, but I am new to drones. I will take your advice to heart. Thank you.
Much appreciated this vid. Personally mostly fly in So. America. Had issues for a couple of weeks that am still trying to iron out with DJI GO4 App operating on Samsung Tab A, w / Droid 6.6+ Op Sys, just will not launch no matter what I do with any manipulation. Still working on it, but sadly had to purchase a damn IPhone 6 to get the MPP to launch and operate immediately. Have been operating several platforms however this MPP is much better for transporting currently. I operate around Narco territory, Military & Police zones which are all located in what we call red zones. Much attention is paid and so far much permissions granted as long as they are informed and where I operate. Did my first business transaction as a business land owner granted us permission to operate off his premises. Before completion, did multiple shots of his business from altitude, side angles and head on initially to edit and send free of charge just for initial establishment and to get our name out there initially with our first recommendation/addition to our portfolio. Then the pricing begins. Wife to contact 2 additional businesses in week since we have a good reputation with to add a boost to their networking and advertising.
Again, thank you for sharing. Keep the great vids coming!!
I truly appreciate this video regarding pricing. Since I am still on the path to the Part107 and also learning "the hard way" about flying my drone. (aka: its at the DJI service center atm) this information was very useful. I live in a very rural location and there is only one other drone pilot in the area. Most of the clients I have talked to are not pleased with his pricing nor his availability. I hope to improve on both and still remain competitive. This video will honestly help me find the happy medium. Good luck on your transition. Can't wait to see the permanent new digs.
Good luck to you too!! Sounds like you're in the right mindset. The clients will be lucky to have you. I'm going to be shooting some "how to get the best shots" videos soon! Stay tuned!
+DRONR i'll def will be waiting for that!!!
Thanks I would really appreciate ideas or hints to getting good images. I spend several hours each day flying and practicing. I have tried my hand at a few UA-cam videos to get feedback from the community and look for areas I can improve. I have really been bitten by this drone bug and want to see how far I can take it. Feel free to look at my channel, I would always appreciate constructive feedback.
Customers need to realize that the "day of work" they hire you for also includes all the time at home editing, then re-editing when they preview the footage and request changes.
Not for the level he's doing. They will be editing.
Working drones since 2014, and still run into the common response that your trying to rob them. In areas where filming is not common, the value proposition is much more difficult, and everybody thinks they can do it DIY. Keep plugging B.
Randomly found this video. I have to say this was gold, pretty much literally ! Awesome vid, subscribed!
Superb video. The newbie's that undercut the more experienced camera operators have been a growing issue in all areas of cinema/videography (not just drone operation). It forces the guys in the mid-level to drop their price because they begin starving for work until it's an non-livable income for everyone. That's where I begin to like the 107 certification. At least it weeds out some of the "rich-daddy-sons" and non-serious videographers who aren't willing to put in the work and education into doing it on a more professional scale. Videography overall has become a struggle to make it (especially in certain areas) when everyone now has a 4K camera and the clients (again, in certain areas) are also not educated and just want the cheapest rate. Great insight into the drone market, you've earned yourself another subscriber.
Hey DRONR, I just subscribed to your channel. I'm an avid drone pilot and enjoy flying my PHANTOM 3 (for recreational purposes only). Enjoy watching your videos because I always learn something useful. Keep up the great work.
+isadore adger thanks for subbing!
Excellent Video. Thank you for emphasizing the true associated costs of a drone production. I especially love that you are not afraid to charge what you are WORTH and to beware of the "undercharger". FYI: These undercharges do not last long in this biz and go by the wayside, but like roaches, another one always pops up. Great sound advice!
man I've been thinking about this and I just stumbled on to your page.... awesome find. Good luck! and thanks for answering some questions I didn't know I had lol
Aviation has always been a cutthroat business. The running joke is hold a cardboard sign which reads: "Will fly for food". Just hold your ground on prices.
Shitttttt. Just passed my 107 yesterday, first "furtherance of a business" job is in 48 hours. I wouldn't have factored in my drone use for ….never mind. Thanks for the informative video. Semper Fly! Gunny J. OUT!
How’s the business going 3 months later Gunny? I’m considering doing the same thing, getting my 107 in the near future.
-Semper Fi Devil Dog.
We, as a community, have the same problem in Poland. A lot of people getting into the businness, have low prices and trying to get first clients!
I agree very much with the points made here. Very much like the video...very straight forward. But one MAJOR thing to keep in mind. You have that huge laundry list of top notch experience. There is NO WAY an entry level operator can charge anywhere near what you charge....and they shouldn't. I think entry level people should be very clear about their experience and charge accordingly. You I'm certain are very clear about your level of expertise and charge accordingly. It falls largely on YOU to sell that level of service that you can provide. I hate undercutting, but there is sometimes not a big difference in the way "undercutting" is looked at vs. someone entry level trying to get into the market. It's all about perspective sometimes. Loved the video!
I am personally thankfull for all of your information.
I have been so under cut in my area by non 107 pilots that real estate photography is a joke!!! But Realtors in my area are finally starting to pay attention to the laws and the price is slowly coming back up.
I have a very unique job to do with my drone and Part 107. I can't divulge much info about it but I did wonder if I had my pricing right. Watching this video and putting all things in perspective, I realize I have found a perfect Ballance of where I need to be.
Thank you for putting your information and perspective out there. It helped me tremendously.
Thanks for a useful and informative video. Here's a bit more advice from my experience of re-building and servicing a friend's fleet.
One thing that my friend always does is provide a contract and an invoice. If a potential client doesn't want either, he won't work for them. Another crucial thing to do is to have lots of drones (at least three) and lots of batteries. Having an idiot like me to look after the damn things is also useful.
Why three drones? One is the 'master drone', which is what you usually use to do the work with. Another is a back-up in case the master drone malfunctions or crashes. The third drone is the 'weather check drone'; this does not need to be particularly good. Before throwing thousands of pounds (or dollars) up into the air send up a drone that cost less than 200 pounds / 300 dollars, then see how stable it can hover at the intended working altitude.. If all is well send up the master drone, if things are a bit risky send up the back-up drone, if the weather check drone crashes, go home.
Thanks so much for this video. Professional pilot/Architect looking to add to and merge skill sets for future work opportunities. This is great, even if I end up working for a company, it's good to know how to price services.
As a D.J. I'M JUST so on point with this.. its IDENTICAL to.our industry With pricing etc.
But as I up my professional career in entertainment the cinematic type of film has peaked my imagination for the possibilities of what my business can do..
Thank you. What an awesome video!! I've had a P3P for a couple of years and just got my Inspire 2 and ready to move to the next level. This video was just great!!!
Thank you for making this video, you've definitely helped to educate me. I've been racing drones for a few years now and have recently been getting into the cinematography side of it and considering trying to make some extra money. Without watching this, I probably would've been "that guy" that inadvertantly undercut everyone. Thanks again!
Same here...
Thank you for taking the time to have this discussion.
Business can be tough. In almost every sector there are people who will undercut. The way I deal with it is being very knowledgeable and not selling someone something they do not need. I also do my best to get get the job done right and when they need it. So treat your customers like they are your friends because they are. Also I did not see anything about building in replacement cost, nothing lasts forever and will usually cost more next time around, this includes the vehicles that get you where you need to, which will need tires, maintenance and other repairs. So like the man said do not cheap out, it is just not worth it .
Great video. I have recently added a drone to my arsenal for my clients, its nice to see my idea of pricing is inline with what you discussed. Also nice to know related pricing within the industry. Some good explanations of why we charge what we charge.
Thanks for the candid information. I’m a News cameraman and I want to supplement that by including drone photography. You are absolutely right about not undercharging. It has hurt a lot of freelance industries.
Excellent presentation and information. I don't think the average person understands the liability aspect of the job. Beyond that, as you mentioned, unless it's super high end photography or videography the newer drones that you can by for a few thousand dollars can produce good quality results that for many jobs would be acceptable. I thinking pricing is going to transition to a place where a lot of work will not provide a living wage but there will be enough people willing to do for the love of flying and supplemental income (weddings, parties, special events, real estate, inspection, etc.) and high end work that does require a higher level of expertise on many levels and pay a living wage.
pmh1nic thanks! Agreed.
Thanks for doing this video. It has been a burning question for me for a while now. I got my 107 in June and I'm currently working with a SCORE mentor in order to start a drone business and I'm trying to be methodical about this. This is valuable info for real life application. Love the tip about calling around to determine competitor pricing.
There is ALWAYS a first time... a lot of first timers here I am thinking, by touting your laundry list and saying that it is a really big deal, is frankly intimidating. It would be nice IF you expounded on your first or first few clients and how you were able to land them... THAT would be priceless.
I usually don't subscribe to people on the first video I watch and I watch ALOT of UA-cam to learn about whatever I am interested in at the time. I just recently got a Mavic mini a few weeks ago but have been learning about it maybe a month prior. Last night I started considering getting the Part 107 and started studying for it.
All the info you have given has been really helpful to new people like me and definitely is helpful to your fellow Drone Pilots so the industry doesn't tank from people doing less quality work for less just to start working. But it's definitely nice to know what the work is worth so I can practice for that level of Pay. I am not sure how much work I would be able to do with a Mavic mini but I am sure there is something I could do, right? I figured if I can do something to make money with this Drone eventually, (not really why I bought it in the first place but always looking to bring value back) I would be able to put the money back into my drone and upgrade to something like a Mavic Pro 2 and go from there. I have been into Photography as a hobby for the past like 5 months and wanted the drone to go along with that.
Love this content you got a new subscriber!!!! Looking forward
This is by far the most helpful video I've watched since I've gotten into aerial photography with drones. THANK YOU & KEEP IT UP
THANKS, MATT
Very good info B and a lot of food for thought. Thanks for being up front and keeping up the good informative work you do.
Thanks,Wayne!
I feel your pain on the pricing concerns as new inexperienced users enter the space. But I really believe it's less of an issue than it sounds like. For one, the industry is growing. The growth includes your normal buyer who has a big budget, as well as fresh new buyers of your services entering with varying budgets. Some of these new low budget buyers would not become buyers at all, if the price was not low. Then a number of those buyers eventually work their way up to paying a premium for more experienced professionals.
I'm rambling a bit but the point is, it's all a part of healthy growth. Price is only one factor in a healthy competition. History shows us we can trust a free market to sort MOST of this out naturally.
One man's opinion. Respectfully. Best of luck.
This was actually a very helpful video for somebody looking into getting into the drone industry after getting my Part 107, thank you!
Just getting started commercially with my drones. Thanks for the information and for opening up to the beginners.
Thanks for the insight! As a new Productions company I was very unsure about what to charge for pricing. I know feel like I was being the undercutter because my prices are very low. My packages come at a base rate and then pending on location and prep they increase which I feel is a reasonable tactic, say I had to travel and get a hotel, that would have to increase the price of the complete package. Additionally I don't have any other employees at the moment so my overhead cost is low and the only variable expenses are time and that leaves the customer paying for the bill. The hard part for me is where to set the base rate at, this video helped a lot. Thank you!
thanks!
Back in the 60's my Dad called a TV repairman to 'fix' or tweak our B/W TV. That was what one did with technology that nobody fully understood. The repairman showed up, turned the TV on, played with the knobs a little, and then took the cover off the back of the TV. He then turned a single screw, and boom! It worked great!
He then handed my Dad a bill for $60. Dad freaked out, (as $60 was like $600 back then.) He shouted: "$60 to turn ONE screw? That's highway robbery!"
The repairman responded: "It's not that I turned 1 screw and it cost $60, Sir! It's knowing WHICH screw to turn, that legitimizes the price." :)
It’s a tough thing walking that tightrope between trying to help those who a) appreciate it and b) will use your knowledge with maturity & respect vs giving info to people who are abusive & will misuse the info with malice. I think you did a GREAT job on that tightrope! Thanks so much for taking the time to make this video. Here’s one guy that appreciates it!
Thank YOU for takin the time to watch!
Man this is truly a great, honest and very informative video. As you said, those who lowball everyone else, can definitely give clients who are shopping around the wrong impression for your services.
Amazing video ! Thank you for the information, I have been flying my drone for almost 2 years with some projects and work that I’ve created using aerial videography🚁💨 Charging a price that the consumer and the business is happy with, only increases the value of our industry 🙏🏼 thank you so much for the valuable information
Olmediafilms thanks for the love!
Well done thank you for putting your self out there with your pricing.
Great advice for anyone working in *any* kind of freelance creative field or scene! When someone undercuts simply to get gigs, they hurt everyone! Thanks for digging deep, great work. Peace
So true.. it's a difficult biz with all the "cheap" competition out there.
Good conversation, and all good points. Anyone who is interested in charging for drone services should find this both a good resource as well as a reality check.
How do you handle video editing? Do you just give clients raw footage to do what they want with? Or do you offer video editing packages as well? For simple cinematography jobs obviously.
Thanks,
-Adam
6spdbeast 99% of my clients are doing their own editing. I don’t edit, but i know editors I recommend if need be.
Thanks dude, I have been flying since 2010 helicopters I just got into flying drones in 2014. Great video thanks!! I'm studying currently for my faa part 107
Thanks for sharing. Plenty valuable information. Don't skip through the video.
Kt Din thanks!!
Thanks for the input…this is what I wanted to hear, I don’t want to come in undercutting anyone and don’t want to be way over ether! Trying to be fair but justified with the price range 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
Dude, You are very professional!!! I wish all the best for you. God Bless you. Thanks for this video I am Portugal and I am starting pretty soon.
Your info was very helpful I am just in the process of starting up my drone business this is some great advice for people who are just starting out and in general. Keep up the good work
Great video and good information. I am a retired wedding and sports photographer as well as a licensed pilot( medical has long sence lapsed. My daughter works for a realestate company and while I was curent with my pilots license was asked on several occasions to take air to ground pictures of farm land and remote cabin lots or developments. I was always hesitant to tell them what it would cost to fly the plane for the shoot.In fact as a private licensed pilot I could only split the cost of the fuel. Now I am considering doing the drone buisness as it would be less expensive than the plane and now with good digital cameras (film was Killing me. I agree that I was under charging for my services and the equipment I was using. You are doing the industry a great service by making it real . people need to understand that we all have to pay expences and feed our familys. Equipment gets broken and wears out and must be replaced and upgraded. Keep it cool and good luck.
Thank you for making this video! I want to be competitive, but not over step any bounds for sure.
Great Ball Park look at Drone Pricing!
Some may agree, some will disagree... As a commercial pilot of manned aircraft and a 107 holder, it is sometimes cheaper for the customer if I use a manned aircraft simply because I cut through the red tape of waivers. It really is sometimes cheaper to use a manned aircraft for the shot (depending on shot needed). After the time invested in airspace waivers a small chopper with a mid range camera is still the best choice. Above 500 feet a manned aircraft can fly over people and get the shot the day of without waiting for or doing research for the waiver. Which in my example, the over people waiver will 99.9999 % not be approved.
The prices are way different in Pennsylvania where I'm from...make sure if you're new to charging money for drone footage that you compare to local photographers...good info in this video
Awesome video and I liked the points you put across. Many of the things that you think are obvious but you don't necessarily think about at the time!
That random crash happened right before an ad ran lol DRONR is a awesome name!
I found this to be very informative. I appreciate that you put yourself out there and hopefully it will reduce the undercutting.
Hey man! Guess what... I was looking for info on which (first) drone to buy and here I land up on this video. Have to say it was fun watching... and very informative. Although it doesn't help me directly as I don't even know how to fly a drone... yet... but your video has sure built some curiosity in me. I suppose the drone business landscape would have changed a bit from July 2017 when you posted this video, but thanks for putting this out there and giving all this information.
Very much appreciate your insight. I am only in the initial stages and don't want to be 'that guy'. Thanks for you thoughtful and very useful guidance.
Really appreciate you sharing. Video has been my specialty (not that you can tell from my channel) for a good while now and I'm contemplating getting a drone. Mainly for myself initially but who knows. Thanks for your honesty and I hate you for how cool you look. New sub right here. Peace ✌🏻
Biz Since 2013 myself in south Florida currently Trying to get set up with the FAA LAANCE system for faster Authorizations and waivers when needed!! ,, And your absolutely right ,,Don't be afraid to charge what your worth . Plenty of have kids and adults have called me for pricing and i knew exactly what they were doing. !! lol So I also also can edit Videos a separate charge !!
and as a hobby i actually started flying helicopters RC way before Drones,,,That was a huge advantage . now i also fly Turbine Jets for the speed thing !. love the hobby and now loving where its going the drone biz etc ,, been crazy with FAA 333 and the 107 until they figured it out took a while etc . ,, i only fly under 107 now . good luck to you and your biz. OH i also Give discounts when i work with Ground photographers that use my drone services for more than one time. all about the relationships you build as you grow and word of mouth is Everything !!! oh yea. Be Fair don't be to cheap theres always the co. or person that wants to not pay much.. but you get what you pay for also ... !!! Quality Photos and video and safety and Professionalism goes a along way .