How to Start a Funeral Home

Familiarizing with the Funeral Home Industry

A funeral home is a venture that provides burial and funeral facilities to the dead and the bereaved’s family. A funeral home is also known as a funeral parlor or a mortuary. Funeral home primarily offers services like venues; for example, a church for the funeral and the memorial service. The funeral industry covers organizations that carry out the funeral service, preparation of the body for burial and burial. Sale and transportation of caskets and the deceased is also part of the funeral business. Burning of the dead body is not a part of the funeral dome industry; this falls in another category.

According to research, most funeral parlors are family ventures. Most of the professional morticians operate in a minute, and private family managed mortuaries. Such a family-owned business employs very few undertakers to take part in the company. An entrepreneur can easily establish a funeral home by renovating a pre-existing morgue or by starting it from the ground up, then placing in all the needed products and services. Funeral parlors carry out many ventures at once from sales of urns, preparation of bodies and all other procedures involved when a person is deceased.

Attributes required to start a funeral business

The funeral business is not commonly familiarized with unless it necessary; this venture opportunity can be quite fruitful to an individual with the appropriate attributes. An individual need to have some great personal qualities to start a funeral parlor and make it successful. Apart from great attributes, experience, skill, and expertise is also required. The enterprise is not only about handling the dead but also the living. Since one will be needed to offer advisory services and support the grieving, it is necessary to have excellent communication skills and have experience in handling people at this hard time.

An individual also needs to have the ability to approach traumatic circumstances sensitively and calmly. Clients may require different approaches depending on how they are handling the matter at hand. Being familiar with one’s culture and belief’s is an essential tool for any funeral home owner. People have different beliefs and may like the body to be handled in a particular manner. It also requires poise and comfort of functioning at different times of the day or night.

Starting a funeral home business

Starting a funeral parlor requires several qualities and experience which we have already looked at above. Apart from expertise and skills, knowledge of various faith and burial customs are mandatory. The following will be required to be the proud owner of a funeral home.

a. License

Like any other business, a permit is necessary to open up a business. In most countries opening up a funeral home needs the mortuary owner to have college education of a certain level. The American Board of Funeral Service Education requires one to have an associate degree in mortuary services. A funeral parlor license is acquired by seating for a state board exam. One has to have one-year experience in the field of work before sitting for the exam.

b. Safe and private location
A funeral home requires an ample space since several services are carried out in one facility. Space is needed for the preparation of the body, selling caskets, the chapel and view room.

c. Pricing of services
A funeral director should have a General Price List that contains all facilities and goods offered by the funeral parlor and their prices. As a funeral director, it is essential to make clients aware that they can also have custom made packages and do not necessarily have to choose a package from the provided General Price List.

d. Providing pre-arranged funerals

A mortuary owner can offer organized services if they are allowed by the state.

d. Have skilled and expertise employees

Since a funeral director provides several services, it is vital to have experienced personnel to help in doing some of them. Lack of skills in some field will also require employees.

Ultimately, a funeral home is like any other business, and for one to start such a business, inevitable regulations need to be followed. Once your business is up and running, it is suitable for one to market their venture and create awareness on the availability of the facility. Creating a market can be done through social media platforms or other online outlets. You’ll also need to make sure you have the proper funeral home insurance coverage and keep your expenses under wrap to make a profit. Reach out to Balsiger Insurance for any questions on business insurance.