WITHthe death of man is a natural process that will exist until the great minds of mankind invent the “magic pill” that grants eternal life.
And no matter how regrettable it may sound, until this time the services of a funeral agency will be in demand, so the question of how to open a funeral business is quite relevant for most beginning businessmen.
How did the funeral homes
The history of funeral services stretches from a very long time, the beginning can be considered the time when people first began to bury. Gradually, more and more new traditions appeared, some of which people are still following. But it should be noted that burial services have long been provided by several people who are in no way connected with each other.
Some supplied wreaths and flowers, others provided the funeral procession with appropriate music, while others made coffins. But at one stage, people realized that it was easier to unite and provide a range of services. Since then, the ideas of funeral business began to arise in the heads of enterprising people.
Burial difficulties
One of the lowest segments of this market is a funeral with a minimum range of services. If you take into account the amount of the average bill of such funerals, it will be approximately 13-16 thousand rubles, depending on the region. These are the so-called social funerals, which are usually run by the state. It is safe to say that this type of funeral will not give the business a normal development.
Yes, it will be possible to stay afloat, but earning good amounts will not work. That is why, when preparing a business plan for a funeral business, you should think about how you can establish your own production of monuments or coffins, and preferably both. This will increase profits, as there is no need to interact with other companies.
The first steps
So, you decided to open your own business in the field of funeral services. But how to organize a funeral business? The first thing to do is draw up a business plan for the future organization. It should contain all the necessary information about the services that you plan to provide your customers. Indeed, not only your income, but also your reputation will directly depend on their quality and quantity. Here is the main range of services that can be included in the funeral business plan:
Production and sale of wreaths.- Making coffins.
- Production of monuments.
- Providing funeral procession with transport.
- Providing people for digging a grave.
- Providing an orchestra.
But you need to understand that there is always the opportunity to expand the range of services, therefore, even if you are not planning to manufacture wreaths and coffins at the initial stage, the business plan of the funeral business should reflect the availability of the opportunity to start performing these works.
Also, over time, it is quite possible to organize your own morgue, in which, among other things, you can carry out services to prepare the dead for burial. Thus, the range of services provided by the ritual bureau is quite extensive. Before you fully understand how to open a funeral home, carefully study the market of funeral services in your city and draw the necessary conclusions.
Company opening
So, where to start a funeral business? The first thing to do is find the right room. One of the most important indicators to pay attention to is location.
Your bureau should be located in such a way that you can quickly get anywhere in the city.
The room itself should have a rather large size, since it will house not only an office, but also rooms for demonstrating coffins and wreaths. You should think about a possible development. You need a room in which you can place the morgue.
In addition, attention should be paid to the availability of space for transport. If you plan to independently provide your customers with hearse, as well as vehicles for delivering the procession to the cemetery, this item is extremely necessary for you.
Employee selection
The entire staff of the funeral home must be not only highly qualified specialists, but also good psychologists, since working with clients mourning a deceased relative requires extreme tact when communicating. In addition, staff must be able to sell services and products manufactured by your office. In order to communicate and accompany clients, the so-called funeral agents began to use special popularity in this area of activity.
Considering that not so long ago a special school was opened in the capital of our country, which prepares this staff, it will not be difficult to find a well-trained employee. In addition, you will need sellers, consultants, an accountant. Depending on the range of services the business plan of the funeral business will reveal, drivers, manufacturers of coffins and wreaths, as well as morgue workers, may be needed.
How to advertise and promote your business
The business plan of the funeral agency must necessarily contain information about how you are going to offer your services to clients. The peculiarity of this type of business is that bright and memorable advertising will not work here. The best way out would be a discreet article in a newspaper.
You can also place ads on special stands. But in fact, the largest influx of clientele is provided by unofficial methods, which include oral agreement with employees of the municipality or the morgue. It is they who are most often addressed with the question of through whom it is possible to organize a good funeral, and if they advise your agency specifically, this will positively affect profits.
As mentioned above, the increase in profits is directly dependent on the range of services that the agency offers. That is, entrepreneurs who already own a funeral home, always strive to expand their range. Undoubtedly, this can hardly be called a simple solution, since it significantly increases costs due to the following factors:
- Purchase of necessary materials.
- Hiring new specialists.
- Purchase of equipment.
- Additional advertising.
Despite the expenses this decision will entail, it will provide an opportunity to attract more customers and, accordingly, increase your profit, which should also contain the business plan of the funeral agency.
Features of the production of coffins
The coffin has always been one of the most basic attributes of any funeral, but recently not wooden coffins, but those made from reproducible products such as sheep’s wool have been especially popular.
This innovation is particularly popular in Europe, since it is there that most people care about the environment. Another advantage of wool over classic wood is price. Production will require much less cost.
However, in the territory of the former USSR, classic wooden coffins are still popular, the production of which will only require a carpentry workshop, as well as an experienced worker using ordinary furniture tools.
Metal coffins are much more difficult to manufacture, because this requires a special press on which the main parts are cut. After receiving the components, a stamp is used to shape them. Only after this the parts are welded, the so-called bed is added, and the coffin becomes finished.
Production of monuments
The production of monuments is one of the most popular services that modern funeral agencies provide. However, not everyone is ready to engage in their manufacture. Most only offer ready-made options. The main problem is that there is a lot of competition in this branch of the funeral business, so it is not always cost-effective to put monuments into production. That is why not every business plan of a funeral agency contains information about this field of activity.
Necessary equipment
What is the most important thing for a ritual bureau? Of course, the promotion of your product. That is why in the hall for the demonstration of coffins and monuments it is necessary to install special stands for the exhibition. To save space, it is advisable to use stands for two or more exhibits.
In the event that it was decided to produce coffins on their own, you need to purchase ordinary carpentry equipment, which is used in the manufacture of furniture. To make wreaths you will need the following:
- Machine tools for winding.
- Center machines.
- Machines for preparing and breaking a ruff.
- Rings of different diameters (for waving petals).
- Two-core and single-core knives.
- Awl, tweezers and scissors.
- Soft rubber pillows.
- Ironing.
Of the features, it is necessary to highlight the mandatory availability of special vehicles, such as hearse, as well as buses, necessary for the delivery of the funeral procession to the cemetery.
Registration of a funeral business
In order to properly register your agency, you need to register with the tax office as an LLC. This can be done both independently and using the services of professional lawyers. If you decide to do just that, then in no case should you forget that the cost of their work should be included in the business plan.
