Tag Archives: Connecticut

Disruptive Drone Franchise Opportunity

Aquiline Drones (AD) has now combined the fast-paced drone industry with the demand for external property care services and developed a revolutionary drone franchise business model.  Specifically, the Hartford, Connecticut based drone manufacturer offers budding entrepreneurs and those with existing property maintenance companies the power of drone technology to fulfill various exterior cleaning and improvement services safely, quickly and cost-effectively. 

https://youtu.be/4jF9GvBCUys

“Franchising has contributed greatly to the overall North American economy since 1731 and has proven to be a lucrative avenue for those who seek both work freedom and financial stability,” said Barry Alexander, Founder and CEO of Aquiline Drones. “There are thousands of franchises across hundreds of industries, but none like ours in the drone sector, so it’s perfect timing for those wanting to grow their business from the ground floor up.” 

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Franchises offer the independence of small business ownership supported by the benefits of extensive business networks. 

In fact, according to Dr. Franchise’s website, there are more than 792,000 franchising companies in the United States with a projected $826.6 billion usd/ $1.07 trillion cad in revenues for 2022. 

In Canada, a report from franchise101.net indicates that there are about 1,250 franchise companies operating 76,000 franchises.

According to a recent survey by Franchise Business Review, the average annual income of an American franchise owner is approximately $80,000 usd/ $104,000 cad ( According to glassdoor.ca the average income of a Canadian franchise owner is approximately $40,480 cad) ; however, this number varies based on the motivation of the owner, and the particular business industry.  “Clearly, the sky is the limit and with a drone franchise given the rapidly evolving and lucrative drone services market, a new franchisee can literally dominate an entire region in a very short period,” adds Alexander.  “In fact, we are already seeing substantial interest since we announced this unique and creative franchise model with customers already purchasing our equipment.”

Besides its high earning potential, other advantages of AD’s drone franchise include: direct training, easy-to-secure financing, lower investment costs, piggybacking off an established corporate brand, proven management and work practices, and ongoing support – all creating a higher rate of success than other start-up companies in the same business category. 

Similarly, AD’s drone services franchise will offer the prospective franchisee in-depth training through its well-established Flight to the Future (F2F) commercial drone pilot training program. 

The franchisee receives in-person flight training for many commercial applications, including total exterior property care, through the program. 

In addition, AD’s proprietary Drone-On-Demand (DoD) mobile app, downloadable on Google Play Store (Apple iOS in July), will match customer service requests nationwide with drone service providers within proximity to the requested jobs. 

Flexible financing and insurance options are currently being organized through AD and its subsidiary, Aquiline Drones Indemnity Corporation for new franchisees and established businesses alike. 

Individuals can purchase various commercial, American-made drone models through AD’s manufacturing department depending on their desired business scale and goals.

“There is a distinct fascination with drone technology supporting ordinary and dangerous business operations,” adds Alexander. 

“We founded our company on the underlying mission that drones should enhance, preserve and save human lives, and certainly many of those in the outdoor property care industry put themselves at risk every day.”

Specific exterior maintenance services supported by AD’s unique franchise model include:

  • Roof washing and gutter cleaning
  • Solar panel washing
  • Roof and home inspections
  • Ice melting and removal with steam
  • Window washing for both residential and commercial structures
  • Spraying and fumigating pesticides for ticks, mosquitoes, wasp nests, etc.
  • Seeding and fertilizing lawns, farms and golf courses
  • Sterilization of stadiums, streets, and other outdoor facilities

Alexander also highlights that specific drone use cases can create direct cost-savings for the consumer. 

For example, solar energy has been taking the world by storm and homeowners have been using it to save money on their electricity bills, add value to their property, and sometimes make a little money from the utility company. According to Sunbadger.com, 16.4 million American homes currently use solar panels as their primary electricity source and regular cleaning ensures that they are working more efficiently, hence allowing for maximum tax credits, rebates and other federal and state incentives. 

According to the Canadian Renewable Energy Association, Canada has more than 43,000 solar (PV) energy installations on residential, commercial and industrial rooftops, providing power directly to those homes and businesses.

“Cleaning solar panels with a drone is much safer than traditional methods and could viably save a homeowner money by increasing its efficiency by 15-25%, a welcomed bonus with today’s economic inflation,” said Alexander.

AD is offering its innovative franchise system as a 3-tiered business opportunity:

  1. All-inclusive package – drone pilot training, business registration as an LLC, drone and associated hardware (hoses and pumps for low and high-pressure spray washing), ratio-ed territory exclusivity, job leads through the AD DoD, marketing, branding and support services.
  2. Standard Package – for those already managing exterior maintenance or spray washing companies – drone pilot training, drone hardware, specs for equipment and pumps, access to the AD DoD job or mission requests, support services.
  3. F2F Graduates – for those already certified through AD’s Flight to the Future program , some discounting will apply.  Other items include hoses and pumps for low and high-pressure spraying, ratio-ed territory exclusivity, job leads through the AD DoD, company marketing, branding and support services.

Other benefits of the AD franchise model as compared to a traditional franchise company include, a modest start-up cost without needing an expensive, fixed building lease since all drone missions take place outdoors, single proprietor ownership vs. needing multiple employees up front, affordable drone insurance offered by AD’s insurance subsidiary instead of requiring pricy market liability insurance, flexible and accessible AD lines of credit for the initial investment vs. having to incur market loans.

“Whether one is seeking a career change in a burgeoning industry or a company looking to expand its book of business, the AD drone franchise represents a viable revenue stream and scalable fee structure for both new entrants and experienced business owners alike.” For the Silo, Alisa Picerno.

Surviving Hurricane Sandy

Pedestrians come to the aid of a motorist stuck on a flooded-out road along the shoreline area of Milford, Connecticut ahead of Hurricane Sandy October 29, 2012. The storm began battering the U.S. East Coast on Monday with fierce winds and driving rain, as the monster storm shut down transportation, shuttered businesses and sent thousands scrambling for higher ground. photo: REUTERS/Michelle McLoughlin

Dear Silo- I live in Jackson, N.J., about 10 miles inland, and did not get the devastating storm surge from Hurricane Sandy. And yet, I have never experienced such a catastrophic weather event.

High winds brought down thousands of trees, taking out power lines and crashing into homes. The destruction here is something I never imagined I would see.

images courtesy: NASA imaging

The Mantoloking Bridge, where the sea came into the bay, is where I crab all summer. It’s now crumpled in the water, surrounded by flooded homes. It’s heartbreaking to see images of the place you love destroyed.

Since most homes did not have power or internet immediately after the storm, we did not get to see the images of ravaged iconic Jersey Shore towns like Seaside Heights, Point Pleasant, Manasquan, Mantoloking, Atlantic City and Asbury Park. Local residents are shocked at the extent of the devastation revealed in newspaper photos. Entire shore towns are gone; there is nothing left.

People are starting to lose it by the day; they’ve never gone so long without power. People in New York are eating from Dumpsters. The lines for gas, if you can find it, are miles long. A few more days like this and I worry civilization will start to break down.

Thankfully, my family is OK. I’m nutty about preparation, so we have everything we need. It is so important to be prepared for disaster.

Since I had a generator and plenty of fuel, the loss of power was tolerable. I was able to run my refrigerator and freezer, charge my cell phone and iPad, light my house and watch DVDs on the flat screen. The biggest complaint from those without generators has been boredom.

My 4G iPad was a lifesaver. I was able to tune into local radio stations and keep up with the news; view pictures and videos of the
devastation; and play games to pass the time.

Water is worth its weight in gold during a crisis, you can never have too much. Canned food, candles, flashlights and batteries are other must-have prep items.

It is very difficult to get gasoline as many stations have no power or have not had any gas delivered. There are mile-long lines at the stations that do have power and gas. The traffic around them is incredible — it’s a wild scene!

Why did so many people have so little gas that they would line up for hours to fill their tank? Because they did not prepare for the major disaster that had been forecast for the greater part of a week. My three cars are all full because I filled up BEFORE the storm.

The Jersey Shore will come back, but it will take a very long time. I feel a profound sadness seeing the beautiful shore destroyed and witnessing the suffering of those who have lost everything.

Please use this tragedy to prepare your family for disaster natural or man made. The best investment you can make is a generator. Buy one BEFORE a crisis hits.  Louis Scatigna