so ive been flying for about 3 years now, got my part 107 last spring and ive done a few jobs here and there for family friends and one local real estate agent who just kinda found me on facebook. made maybe $800 total which isnt much but it got me thinking maybe i could actually do this properly.

the thing is i have no idea how to set up an actual business. like do i need an LLC right away or can i just start as a sole proprietor and figure it out later. and insurance ? the real estate lady keeps asking if i have liability insurance and honestly i just said yes because i panicked but i dont actually have anything beyond the basic hobbyist stuff from my flying club which probably doesnt cover commercial work at all.

also pricing is a total mystery to me. i charged the realtor $150 for like 90 minutes of work including editing and i think i massively undersold myself but i also dont wanna scare people off. anyone gone through this process and can point me in a direction, doesnt have to be super detailed just like where did you start

ok so first thing ? stop saying you have insurance when you dont, that could genuinely blow up in your face if something goes wrong on a job. like legally and financially. get that sorted before your next shoot.

for actual coverage, Skywatch and Verifly are the big names for on-demand stuff, you basically pay per hour of flight which works well when youre starting out and not flying every day. once you're busier you'd want an annual policy through someone like SkyOp or Avion. i think mine runs around $800/year for a million in liability which sounds like a lot but its basically a requirement for any commercial client worth having.

as for the LLC question, most people i know started as sole prop just to get moving and converted later. its not the end of the world either way but an LLC does give you some protection if something goes sideways. talk to a local accountant, seriously, it's like one hour of their time and worth every penny.

and $150 for 90 min plus editing is way too low. real estate in most markets is $250-400 for a standard package depending on where you are. dont race to the bottom, it just makes things harder for everyone

im kind of in the same boat honestly so following this thread. i passed my 107 in january and have been too nervous to actually charge anyone. did you find that the real estate agent was pretty easy to work with as a first client? thats the market everyone tells me to start with but idk it seems competitive in my area already