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The best ideas often come from the realisation there’s a better way of doing the things you can’t do without – and the idea behind Greenwood Drones was no exception.

The business’s founder, 21 year-old Harvey Greenwood, saw there was an opportunity to use drones, rather than scaffolding or cherry-pickers, to survey roofs for his father’s roofing company – and Greenwood Drones was born.

But the drone element is actually just one platform for the company’s underlying expertise of still and moving imagery, as Harvey explained in our recent interview.

Creative from the start

A self-confessed struggler at school (although to his immense credit, he achieved both GCSEs and A-Levels), Harvey nonetheless shone in more creative fields - theatre in particular.

He was also talented in visual disciplines, including media. Gifted his first camera aged six, he later shot and edited short films, developing his understanding of the power of pictures, and how they could influence audiences.

And the pragmatic business of surveying roofs was an excellent springboard to a broader visual offering, so Harvey duly got down to the business of gaining his Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) drone licence, and getting his services up and running (or flying!)

Diversifying services, guiding clients

A few years on, and this qualified, knowledgeable, experienced drone pilot now combines his flying and visual skills to offer everything from roof surveys, to image capture for 3D property mapping, fly-throughs, overhead footage, and stills photography, for cinematographic and promotional video.

He can also edit the images to produce a polished final deliverable - as he says, “It’s the full, end-to-end service, or any part of it you require.”

Asked what his unique selling point is, he laughs “Youth!”, but it’s a valid point; he certainly has energy, enthusiasm, and optimism on his side.

But he also has passion for his work, and it comes through strongly in his interaction with clients and prospects.

“I recently asked a client why he choose us,” he recounts, “and he made the point that although we weren’t the lowest-priced option out there, he valued how readily we volunteered knowledge and advice, and how proactively we engaged with him.”

“That comes from the fact that I’m being paid to do what I’ve always loved doing – and I’m so fortunate to be in that position.”

 Exploiting the drone’s strengths

For Harvey, the visual possibilities of drone footage serve practical purposes, but they also play strongly into his sense of theatricality and drama – something clients can benefit from immensely in their promotional video.

“We sponsor MK Lightning, the local ice hockey team,” he explains. “It’s a really fast-moving sport, but the drone is quick enough to move with it, so we can create these thrilling videos where the viewer is right there, in the midst of the action.”

“And it works for fly-throughs, too, where you want to show the interior of a building, but adding cinematographic urgency through speed.”

Drone footage is an alluring proposition for businesses of many kinds, but Harvey’s skill set also embraces hand-held photography and filming, so as he says, “There isn’t a business we can’t help get the result they want.”

As a result, Greenwood Drones has gone from local startup to a successful national operation, with clients across the UK.

Connected through the Chamber

Greenwood Drones’ Chamber membership connects it to hundreds of direct prospects, but also, as Harvey observes, “to media companies and videographers, where we add value to the services they deliver to their end-clients.”

And as we write, Harvey’s gearing up to submit his SME Bedfordshire Business Awards entry – a publicity opportunity he says is “well worth the effort!”

For more information on how to join Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, visit www.chamber-business.com, or call our friendly team on 01582 522448.