so ive been flying for about two years now mostly just for fun, got my part 107 last spring and since then a few people have asked me to do real estate shots and one guy wanted aerial footage for his landscaping company website. i did both of them basically for free just to build a portfolio but now im thinking maybe i should actually try to make this into something.

the thing is i have no idea how to set it up properly. like do i need an LLC or can i just operate as a sole proprietor to start? and insurance ? ive heard you need liability coverage but i dont know what amount is standard or which companies are even good for this. i looked at Skywatch and theres another one i forget the name of but i got overwhelmed and closed the tab.

also pricing. i genuinely have no clue what to charge. the real estate stuff seems to go anywhere from like $150 to $500 per shoot depending on who you ask and i dont know how to position myself when im still pretty new. any advice from people who have actually done this would be really appreciated, even just pointing me in the right direction would help

been running a small aerial photography business for about three years now so maybe i can help a bit. for the legal structure question ? most people starting out just go sole proprietor first to keep things simple, but honestly forming an LLC isnt that complicated and it does give you some liability protection which matters more than people think once you start taking on actual paying clients. in my state it was like $50 to file and i did it all online in an afternoon.

for insurance i use Skywatch and its been fine. the on-demand coverage is handy when youre just starting and dont have steady work yet, but once you get more consistent gigs a monthly or annual policy works out cheaper. hull coverage for the drone itself is separate from liability and a lot of newer guys forget that. most commercial clients are going to want to see at least $1M general liability before they even talk to you, some want $2M, so factor that in.

on pricing ? real estate in most mid-size markets goes for $200-350 for a basic photo package, more if youre doing video or twilight shoots. dont undersell yourself trying to compete with the bottom feeders, clients who only care about price are usually the worst to work with anyway. build a clean portfolio site, get a few solid reviews, and just start asking what the job is worth to the client rather than what feels comfortable to you

im kind of in the same boat as you actually so following this thread. one thing i did figure out is that SCORE (its a free small business mentoring thing) has people who can help with the business setup side even if they dont know drones specifically. helped me understand the LLC vs sole prop thing a bit better at least. the drone-specific stuff youre still gonna have to piece together from forums like this lol