a local construction company reached out wanting monthly progress shots of a site they're building, said they'd pay me which is great but now im realizing I have no contract, no real business setup, nothing. I just kind of said yes and now the shoot is in two weeks. I have my 107 and I know how to fly obviously but the business side of this I just haven't figured out yet. do I absolutely need a contract for something like this or can we just do it on a handshake for the first one and sort stuff out after. also they asked if I have insurance and I kind of said yes but I only have that Verifly thing which I think technically is yes? not sure if thats enough for a corporate client. anyone been in this situation

contracts matter way more than people think and I learned this the hard way with a client who just... stopped responding after I delivered everything and I had zero recourse. for something recurring like monthly construction shots you definitely want something in writing even if its just a simple one page agreement with the scope, payment terms, and who owns the footage. there are free drone service contract templates floating around on google, just grab one and customize it. on the insurance question ? Verifly is technically valid coverage but some corporate clients want to see a certificate of insurance with them listed as additional insured, which you usually cant do through on-demand apps. might be worth getting a quick annual policy before this starts, sky watch does monthly billing now so it doesnt have to be a huge commitment right away

yeah dont do the handshake thing with a company, even if they seem chill about it. individuals maybe but companies have accounts payable departments and those people have never heard of you and dont care about the conversation you had with the project manager. get something in writing before you show up, even just an email thread where they confirm the scope and price is better than nothing. also congrats though that sounds like a solid ongoing gig if they're building something big