so ive been flying for about two years now, got my part 107 last spring and honestly just been doing hobby stuff and a few favors for friends. shot some footage for a buddy's wedding and he keeps telling me i should be charging people for this stuff. and like maybe he's right? i dont really know how to even begin turning this into something real though.

i have a mavic 3 pro and a mini 4 pro as a backup, and i feel pretty confident with my flying. my editing is decent i think. but the business side of it feels like a black hole. do i just make an instagram and hope people find me? do i reach out to real estate agents or something? i've seen people mention dronebase and similar platforms but i have no idea if those are actually worth it or just a race to the bottom on pricing.

anyone gone through this and can tell me honestly what the first few months looked like? not looking for the dream version, just the real version

honest answer? the first few months are slow and kind of humbling. i started freelancing seriously about three years ago and the first thing that actually got me consistent work was just cold emailing local real estate agencies. not all of them respond obviously, but you only need one or two to say yes and suddenly you have something to build on. the instagram stuff helps eventually but it takes a while to get traction unless you already have a following from somewhere.

dronebase and platforms like it — i use them occasionally for fill work but you're not gonna build a career on them. the margins are thin and you're kind of at their mercy on pricing. better to lock in direct clients where you set the rates. also don't undersell yourself early on thinking it'll get you in the door, it usually just sets a bad precedent and attracts clients who will always want it cheaper.

get a solid contract template sorted before you do anything paid. that saved me a headache or two early on when clients started asking for stuff that definitely wasn't in scope.

im kind of in the same boat as you actually so following this thread. i did do one paid shoot for a small construction company and it went well but i have no idea how to find more of that kind of work consistently. feels like everyone says 'just network' but that's easier said than done when you dont really know anyone in the industries that use drone footage lol