OFI 107: Start A Drone Business | Thomas Davis | CEO of Drone For Hire, LLC

SHOW NOTES

KEY IDEAS:

In this episode I speak with Thomas Davis about starting and growing a drone business, and incorporating precision agriculture into the business model.  There are lots of interesting points he makes in this episode.  One of the biggest points is that it is much more sophisticated than just buying an inexpensive drone like the DJI Phantom 3 Standard Quadcopter Drone with 2.7K HD Video Camera off of Amazon.  He suggests having two, high quality drones to begin with and the requirements for licensing, etc.

Thomas recommends that your first drone for professional use will be in the $5,000-$7,500 range like the New DJI Inspire 1 Pro Dual Remotes Zenmuse X5 Camera Dual Remote – Everything You Need All Inclusive Production Bundle or the DJI Inspire 1 PRO Black Edition Bundle with Zemuse X5 4K Camera + 2 Controllers, 4 Batteries + OSMO Handle Kit + Professional Case + 64GB Extreme MicroSD Card and more….

ADVICE FROM THOMAS DAVIS:

DEALING WITH FEDS: Remember that in order to operate a drone legally, you will be dealing with a lot of federal regulation.  So, be ready to be patient and push through some red tape.

PILOT’S LICENSE: Get started on your pilot’s license.  You will need your actual pilot’s license from flying an actual aircraft to be able to operate drones commercially, in a legal manner.

IDENTIFY AND KNOW YOUR MARKET: There are a lot of competitors out there, many of whom are not operating legally. So figure out what your competition is going to be, and how you will be able to out-compete them in the marketplace.

BEST BUSINESS ADVICE THAT THOMAS DAVIS HAS RECEIVED:

DON’T QUIT: Keep pushing forward.  Do not give up, and you will find success.  If you have made up your mind that this is what you want to do, no matter what the business idea, do not stop until you have achieved your goal.

PERSONAL HABIT THAT ADS TO THOMAS DAVIS’S SUCCESS:

STAY GROUNDED: Thomas strives to find balance in his life, even when he is growing a small business.  He says that his best habit is getting home to see his son every day.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

Introduction to Electrodynamics (4th Edition) – just your typical physics book.  In all seriousness, Thomas recommends reading this book to understand problem solving and to apply those lessons to business.

THOMAS DAVIS’ CONTACT INFORMATION AND SUGGESTED LINKS:

Drone-For-Hire Website: LINK

DJI Camera Drones

3DR Drone & UAV Technology

LISTEN TO US ON SATELLITE RADIO!

WE ARE CONTRIBUTORS TO “FFA TODAY” ON RURAL RADIO SIRIUS XM CHANNEL 147!  “FFA Today” airs on Rural Radio Sirius XM Channel 147 Saturdays at 7:30 AM Eastern and Sundays at 6:30 PM Eastern. Please let RURAL RADIO know that you like hearing us on their channel!  Here is how to contact them and leave feedback: Email: zacht@rfdtv.com Website:  RuralRadio147.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/RURALRADIO147