Funeral Home Business: Starting a funeral home can be easy with the right information.
Learn what’s involved in opening a funeral home.
From startup costs and business licensing requirements to marketing tips and insider advice.
A funeral home business handles funeral services for those who have died.
Funeral home businesses provide burial, cremation and memorial services for those who have passed away.
These businesses play an important role in providing families of the deceased with much-needed closure.
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Funeral Home Business
1. Have Interest On The Business
If you are interested in helping people cope with the death of loved ones.
Friends and colleagues, the funeral home business is for you.
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Funeral Home Business
2. Know Things Involve
The average funeral home business owner meets with prospective clients.
Handles the demands of existing clients, and performs research on funeral-related equipment.
Such as caskets, steers marketing efforts and delegates work to employees.
The ideal customer is willing to spend naira on funeral services.
Funeral Home Business
3. How To Make Money In The Business
A funeral service makes money by selling caskets, cremation services, funeral services, flowers, urns, and other items/services related to death.
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Funeral Home Business
4. Know The Growth Potential
This business is poised to grow quite rapidly as the baby boomer age cohort passes through their golden years.
A considerable portion of the population is reaching its 60s and 70s,
And a funeral home business owner will benefit from this demographic trend.
Funeral Home Business
5. Get Some Skills And Experiences
A funeral home business owner who has solid people skills, an aptitude for marketing, and the ability to console those who are grieving will succeed in this industry.
The key is to get to know the community.
Develop a rapport with locals and market your funeral home business in a tasteful manner, and you will gradually acquire new clients.
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6. Get To Know The Costs Involved
A funeral home business requires equipment for embalming and cremation.
A cremation table, cremation system, hydraulic lifts, refrigerated storage, computer, printer and filing system are necessary.
Caskets must be purchased along with clothing and additional convenience items.
The business requires laborers, insurance, operating space, and a parking lot.
The viewing area will require tables and couches. A hearse is also necessary.
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in Nigeria
Funeral Home Business
7. Get More Idea About The Business
Relationships are at the foundation of this business.
Funeral home business owners who establish a flawless reputation within their local community will win the business of locals for generations.
Be sure to market your business in a respectful manner.
Always be there to console those who have lost a loved one.
If you do not provide such support, customers will speak negatively about you to others in the community.
Do not lose sight of the fact that your role as a funeral home business owner is to provide funeral services as well as emotional support in the aftermath of a death.
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8. Get Government Approval
It is important to note the federal government requires funeral homes to have specific amenities.
The embalming room must be located in the basement and secluded from the remainder of the business.
This room must have the proper ventilation of two vents on the outside wall along with drains installed in the floor with plumbing that is distinct from the central pipes.
Your casket and burial vault display section must be on the main level.
Do not forget to make your establishment handicap-accessible.
Every funeral home must have a concrete room void of windows with flame-resistant files and a flame-resistant door.
Furthermore, you must file a general price list with your state government each year to ensure fairness in prices.
Funeral Home Business
9. Promote & Market Your Business
Market to those who are located close to your business through flyers, leaflets,
Local radio/TV advertisements and social media.
Be sure to advertise in the local newspaper.
Your target clientele is the elderly.
Senior citizens are inclined to read tangible newspapers rather than online news websites.
Focus on optimizing your online content so locals can find it with ease.
This is referred to as search engine optimization (SEO).
Use keywords, especially those that are relevant to those in your community.
Such as the town/city name, the names of local streets and even the names of neighborhoods.
Though senior citizens might not use the web at a high frequency, their offspring and grandchildren do.
If you make a positive impression on a senior’s relative.
There is a good chance that an individual will pass on the information.
Gleaned from your funeral home’s website to their elderly parent or grandparent.
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Production Business in Nigeria
Funeral Home Business
10. Learn To Retain Customers
Word of mouth advertising is important to this type of business.
This means pleasing current customers is essential to growing your business across posterity.
Exceed current customers’ expectations and they will speak highly of you to friends, family and co-workers in the community.
11. Get A-Team
Build your team right away.
Every funeral home requires an array of employees to handle funeral services.
You will need a funeral home manager, a receptionist, an administrator, a marketing professional, an accountant, and general support staff.
Funeral Home Business
12. Get A License For The Business
Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a funeral home.
Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting .
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13. Get A Certificate Of Occupancy
A funeral home is generally run out of a storefront.
Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).
A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.
- If you plan to lease a location:
- It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
- Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a funeral home.
- After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.
- If you plan to purchase or build a location:
- You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
- Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your funeral home will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.
- Structuring your business as a limited liability company (LLC) ensures your personal assets are protected in the event your business is sued
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14. Get To Know The Costing
The typical funeral costs around #150,000 to #200,000.
This cost includes embalming, cosmetics, viewings, transportation expenses and professional charges.
However, it is possible to charge more if your funeral home business offers extra services.
15. Get To Know The Expenses
A funeral home must pay for its operating space, labor,
Utilities, marketing, caskets and equipment for embalming and cremation.
Embalming machines do not last forever.
A single embalming machine costs around #300,000 or more.
Add in the costs of hydraulic lifts, refrigerated storage, an embalming table, embalming fluid,
Caskets, makeup, clothing and urns and you should budget in at least #50,000 to #100,000 per year for equipment.
16. Get A Location
Consider contacting a real estate agent to find an affordable building.
To rent where you can operate your funeral home business.
Rent will likely run between #15,000 per month depending on the building’s size and location.
Budget some money per month for marketing.
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17. Get To Know The Profit
A funeral home business located in the right area with plenty.
Of senior citizens has the potential to make hundreds of thousands of naira per year.
However, it will likely take several years for the funeral home business to reach this point of profitability.
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18. Make It More Profitable
Additional charges can be applied for cremation services,
obituary announcements, graveside funerals and online memorial programs.
It is also possible to charge for providing assistance in the procurement.
Of paperwork like burial permits and death certificates.