When Should I Make the Jump?

The professional drone industry has matured somewhat over the past 5 years and has seen a huge influx of new operators who are keen to see their business succeed. Some people pursue it as a change of career, others as a part-time business, and many as an add-on to their existing business.

The good news is that any new drone business can be built around your current situation (in most cases) One of the common questions that we get asked from both new and established operators is when does it become a viable business? The answer is that it depends on your circumstances!

The ‘acid test’ of this ‘point of viability’ is when you can pay yourself a livable salary and still make a good net profit. This will depend on many things such as:

1.How much do you need to earn

2.How many repeat clients and long-term contracts you can win (Do you have a sales strategy?)

3.What are your profit margins? Are they high enough?

4.Which sector of the industry will you specialize in (Being a me-too business is never a good plan)

Having a plan that includes a sales and marketing strategy, financial goals and an idea of what you need to reach them (in terms of aircraft, equipment, software, and other assets) should help you to answer these questions.

It's never a sensible plan to leave a well-paying job and take a gamble on a completely new industry. You need to take the time, gather knowledge and acquire the skills you need to be competent in your particular field and also to spend time flying your chosen platform. ProDrone Academy can help you with this as we run courses on everything from sales and marketing for drone operators to mapping, surveying, and photogrammetry training.

If you want to know more about our training please or want to pick our brains about changing career feel free to give us a call on 01353 780766 or email ian@prodroneacademy.co.uk I changed career after 23 years and never looked back. You can read my story in our ebook “How to Succeed as a Commercial Drone Operator” < Click the link!