When you think about starting your own drone business, the words "entrepreneur" and "self-employed" might sound similar. After all, both mean you're in charge of your work and your future, right? But as you dig deeper, you'll find that these roles have important differences. Understanding these differences can help you decide how to grow your business and make it successful in the long run.

In this blog post, we'll break down what it means to be self-employed versus being an entrepreneur, especially for drone business owners. By the end, you'll know where you stand and how you can take your business to the next level.

What Does Being Self-Employed Look Like?

Many drone business owners start by being self-employed. This means you’re involved in every part of your business, from flying drones to handling customer service. Here’s what the self-employed life usually looks like:

1. Doing Everything Yourself
As a self-employed drone operator, you handle everything. Whether it’s finding new clients, shooting video footage, or maintaining your drones, you do it all. While it’s great to have control, this can quickly become overwhelming as your business grows.

2. Trading Time for Money
Your income depends on how many hours you work. If you don’t work, you don’t get paid. This can work well in the beginning, but it limits how much you can grow because there are only so many hours in a day.

3. Limited Growth Potential
Since you’re doing everything yourself, there’s only so much your business can grow. You might find yourself stuck at a certain point where you can’t take on more work or new projects because you don’t have the time.

4. Focus on Short-Term Gains
Being self-employed often means focusing on getting things done today. Long-term planning might take a back seat because you’re busy with the day-to-day tasks that keep your business running.

5. Reacting to Problems
Without a team to help, you spend most of your time fixing problems as they come up. This reactive approach can make it hard to plan for the future or grow your business.

What Does Being an Entrepreneur Look Like?

Moving from self-employed to an entrepreneur involves a shift in how you think about and run your business. Entrepreneurs focus on the bigger picture, building systems and teams that allow their business to grow beyond what they can do alone. Here’s what being an entrepreneur looks like:

1. Building Systems and Teams
As an entrepreneur, your goal is to set up systems that keep your business running smoothly without you having to do everything. This includes creating processes (like Standard Operating Procedures, or SOPs) and hiring people who are good at specific tasks. By doing this, your business can grow even when you’re not directly involved in every detail.

2. Scalable Income
Unlike being self-employed, where your income is tied to how much you work, being an entrepreneur means your income can grow without you working more hours. With the right systems and team, your business can handle more clients and projects, increasing your income without burning you out.

3. Focus on Long-Term Vision
Entrepreneurs spend more time thinking about the future. With a team in place, you can focus on where you want your business to go, such as expanding into new markets or offering new services. This long-term focus is key to growing a successful and sustainable business.

4. Delegating Tasks
One of the biggest differences between being self-employed and being an entrepreneur is learning to delegate. You hire experts to handle tasks that aren’t your main strengths, allowing you to focus on what you do best. For example, if you’re great at flying drones but not so good at marketing, you might hire a marketing expert to help you grow your business.

5. Proactive Problem Solving
Entrepreneurs anticipate problems before they happen. With systems in place, you can identify potential issues early and deal with them before they become bigger problems. This proactive approach helps your business stay on track and grow more easily.

Why the Transition Matters

The shift from being self-employed to becoming an entrepreneur is important if you want your drone business to grow and succeed over time. Being self-employed can work for a small operation, but if you want to take on bigger projects, attract high-paying clients, and build a lasting business, you need to think like an entrepreneur.

Building and Using Systems
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a drone entrepreneur is the value of having systems in place. This means creating clear processes (SOPs), finding talented people, and training them to do their jobs well. These systems free you from the daily grind, so you can focus on growing your business and finding new opportunities.

Taking Action
If you’re currently self-employed and want to move towards being an entrepreneur, start by looking at how you run your business now. What tasks take up most of your time? How can you create systems or hire help to make these tasks easier? Start building SOPs for repetitive tasks and consider bringing on skilled professionals to help you out.

Remember, both paths—self-employed and entrepreneur—can lead to success. It all depends on what you want for your business. Some people enjoy the hands-on work of being self-employed, while others dream of building something bigger.

Conclusion

Understanding the difference between being self-employed and being an entrepreneur is about more than just words. It’s about how you think, plan, and grow your drone business. Whether you stay self-employed or move towards becoming an entrepreneur, the key is to choose the path that matches your goals.

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Since I started in the drone industry nearly a decade ago, I've worked with drone entrepreneurs in over 26 countries, focusing on amplifying their marketing strategy, capturing more leads, and optimizing their sales funnels. If you’re looking to elevate your brand visibility, generate more qualified leads, or close sales more effectively, let's chat. Schedule a chat with me here, and we’ll talk through some strategies specifically for your company's growth.