Category Archives: Funeral Home

The job of a mortician is more varied than most people would believe. It’s not all about dealing with deceased individuals; in fact, for a funeral director, it’s more about interactions with the living and how they react to death. On a daily basis, a funeral director might undertake any number of tasks and it’s never the same thing every day. In fact, this is what many people cite about the positive aspects of being a funeral director: the fact that every day brings something new, which keeps in interesting.

Each day, funeral directors must plan for whatever services or arrangements are being held that day. They also deal with intakes of new clients and work with family members to make arrangements once a death has occurred. A funeral director also deals with the financial aspects of the business, working with vendors on payments and ordering equipment and supplies.

They also work with grieving families. In fact, this can often be the most difficult part of the business because people are unpredictable when they are grieving. They may lash out at the funeral director or convey a sense of confusion over what plans to make. It is the job of a funeral director to walk a grieving loved one through the process, so that ultimately, their choices reflect the person that has passed away. This is a precarious process and one that can be challenging for the funeral director. A mortician has to learn how to avoid taking it personally when a grieving person is emotional, sad, angry or rude; often, it is the shock of dealing with death and not a true reflection of the person’s personality.

Additionally, a funeral director may interact every day with other members of the industry. He may be responsible for picking up bodies from the local morgue or hospital; he may also interact with the local newspaper to write and submit an obituary. There are many other responsibilities he may undertake on a daily basis, depending on the size of the funeral home and the specific services offered. It is important to have a handle on all aspects of the industry for a funeral director to ensure that he is well-versed enough to be efficient and effective, both for his staff and for those clients serviced by the funeral home.

Setting up a funeral home is no easy task, much like getting any business off the ground. It requires a financial investment, business savvy and an innate knowledge of the funeral industry. However, perhaps even more poignant is the fact that setting up a funeral home requires knowledge of state laws and regulations; in some instances, there are several local laws and rules that govern this industry as well.

To start, you need to determine where you want to house the funeral home. Because there are zoning considerations to be undertaken and health code regulations that must be followed, it is not as though you can set it up just anywhere. If you don’t want to worry about traffic and other irritations, then a mixed use district is best, where you have a combination of business and residential structures.

You must also have passed the Funeral Service National Board Examination exam, which qualifies you to be a funeral director. If you haven’t taken this exam, then you won’t be allowed to open and operate the funeral home yourself, because you are not a licensed funeral director. You would need to invest in a home, but have someone else utilize their license to run it for you. Then, you need an attorney to help draw up necessary contracts that you would have with the population served by your funeral home. An attorney can also walk you through the laws in your locale and how they apply to what you are trying to do.

Then, you need to plan for equipment. This is where the bulk of your investment will come in, since funeral home equipment can be costly. In fact, according to the Small Business Chronicle, an embalming machine alone can run at least $3,000 and that’s for a more basic model. Depending on the size of your funeral home, you may need more than one. You may need to make an initial investment in caskets and other items related to the funeral industry.

You are also required to have general liability insurance on the funeral home, as you would starting any kind of business. In terms of licensing, other than the incorporation fee, most states simply require you to pay the fee to be licensed as a funeral director and not necessarily as a funeral home. It’s best to check with your state’s department of business regulation, though, just to be sure.