SHOW NOTES

KEY IDEAS: 

One of the great things about this show is that I can speak to anyone in any phase of business development and it is appropriate.  We all have to start somewhere, and we are all at different places on the path.

Today’s guest, Mike Arthur, is kind of on the beginning of this path, but in other ways he is already an expert.  Let me explain. Mike loves to fly.  He has been doing so since he was 18 years old, and his entire career and hobbies are built around flying.  He even worked his way up to becoming a captain for a commercial airline and now flies passengers around the Pacific Northwest.

What does he do in his time off?  You guessed it, he flies.  He flies everything from hot air balloons to drones, and drones are what we are here to talk about today.

Mike has a lot of expertise when it comes to drones.  He builds his own, shoots video with them and understands the legalities to doing so commercially.  Mike has decided that he would like to start using his drones as an agricultural business, taking images for farmers.

In the realm of farming and agriculture, Mike is learning and getting to know the market so that he can market his service.  It was interesting speaking to him in this phase of his business development as he has a steep learning curve for a while to understand agriculture, the needs of farmers and the economics of what he wants to do.  It will be great to see how he develops this part of his business.

Mike is local to my area.  So, we were able to do the interview in person.  Later, Mike deployed one of his drones at my farm and filmed video as well as took still images.  It was great to see the concept work in person.  The map image show at the top of his post if one of the ones that he shot at our farm.

ADVICE FROM MIKE:

CERTIFIED: Get your certifications to fly drones commercially before you ever start this business. The trouble this will keep you out of is worth it!

COMPLY: After you get that certification, make sure that you are complying with all the regulations.

CHEAP: Start out at minimal cost and learn about the drones.  There is a large range of cost you could pay to get into this business.  Don’t stretch your budget out too thin in the beginning.

PERSONAL HABIT THAT HELPS MIKE SUCCEED:

Mike can talk with and relate to anyone in any profession.  This is probably due to his vast life experience of being a mechanic in the air force, becoming a flight instructor, flying cargo and making his way into the commercial airlines.

RESOURCE RECOMMENDATION:

Mike recommends a Youtube channel called Xjet for lots of great information about flying drones.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Website: LINK

Email: mike.skyidaho@gmail.com

Facebook: LINK

Where Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald Can Be Heard:

Member Of The National Association Of Farm Broadcasters