funeral home business plan pdf

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Funeral Home Business Plan Sample

OCT.03, 2013

Starting Funeral home business plan

Are you looking for how to open funeral home? A funeral home business mortician and burial services for the deceased. The services may include funeral planning, body preparation, transportation, burial, or cremation.

Funeral homes have been in demand from always. However, these days the demand for funeral services has increased due to the sudden rise in death rate because of coronavirus.

While it’s true that the funeral home business is profitable, it’s also correct that running such a business is not easy. You will have to procure protective kits, chemicals, and a lot of other mortuary items on daily basis. Moreover, you will need to ensure that strict protocols and safety rules are being followed throughout the process.

To ensure the successful running of your business, it is essential to first create a business plan. If you don’t know the components of a comprehensive business plan, you can take help from this business plan for a funeral home startup, James Funeral Home.

Executive Summary

2.1 the business.

James Funeral Home will be a licensed and registered funeral home based in San Antonio. The business will aim at performing all the funeral rituals including bathing and enshrouding, burial, cremation, etc. Moreover, the business will also provide catering services and transportation.

2.2 Management of Funeral home

Opening a funeral home is a relatively difficult venture. The funeral process needs to be carried out with great care and attention. Therefore, there must be efficient management and supervision to ensure that all of the sensitive tasks are taken care of properly.

Before exploring how to start a funeral home business you should keep in mind that it is a tough business. Running a funeral home means you have to be on call 365 days a year. Whether it’s Christmas or your wedding anniversary, you’ll have to arrange for the presence at the funeral home. In this sample plan on how to set up a funeral business we will be listing the details of how James Funeral Home will be managed and administered.

2.3 Customers of Funeral home

In your startup business plan for a funeral home, you should identify your customers. So that you can design your services accordingly. The customers of a funeral home are usually families of the deceased. However, in some cases, alive people also plan their funerals before dying.

2.4 Business Target

Our target is to become the number one choice of people of our city whenever they need funeral services. Moreover, we aim at boosting our net profit margin to $24k per month by the end of the three years.

Company Summary

3.1 company owner.

James Ben will be the owner of James Funeral Home. James holds a BS in Mortuary Science from Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. He has also worked as an embalmer for two years.

3.2 Why the funeral home is being started

After working as an embalmer for two years, James decided to start a funeral home of his own. He entered the business world as he wanted to use his potential to the fullest. And to earn large profits while serving people on a wider scale.

3.3 How the funeral home will be started

Step1: Make Your Business Plan

James had good management skills. However, he didn’t possess the skill set required to make a crematorium business plan. He studied several funeral home business plan examples but eventually decided to hire a professional for it. The marketing analysis, sales strategy, and financial planning done by his business consultant are given in this sample funeral home business plan.

Step2: Get Identified 

The next step is to establish a physical basis for your business and define your business’ services and aims. After this, your customers will start recognizing your presence and the distinct features of yours as compared to your competitors.

Step3: Recruitments

The hiring process is actually a part of the step in which you set up your physical presence. In this phase, you have to organize tests and interviews to find the most skillful and responsible employees for your business.

Step4: A Strong Web Presence

Along with other operations of your funeral home business , it is really important to focus on web development too. Through a website, you will be able to reach a wider audience and leave a positive image of yourself before even interacting with people.

Before owning a funeral home, it is essential to decide your services. Through this practice, you can make arrangements for equipment and space accordingly. In this business plan template for funeral home, we’re listing the services that James Funeral Home will provide.

• Funeral Planning

Our primary service will be providing funeral plans. These days, many people have started to purchase funeral plans. So that their families don’t have to stress over their funeral charges after their death. In this service, we’ll also be responsible for informing all the friends/ relatives of the deceased about the death.

• Body Preparation

We will prepare the dead body to be buried or cremated. This service will include all the relevant tasks such as bathing the deceased, enshrouding, etc. The paperwork required for burial will also be completed by us.

• Burial/ Cremation

We will provide space for performing eulogies and brief prayers for the dead. Moreover, we’ll also be responsible for burying the dead body. Since in some religions, there is a ritual of cremating the deceased. Thus we’ll be offering cremation services too.

• Transportation

We’ll also transport dead bodies from one place to another in specialized refrigerated vehicles.

• Catered Meal

We’ll offer plated dinner to the mourners in a location other than our funeral home. Since funeral homes are generally prohibited to offer food in the same building, we decided to offer it in another building located nearby.

Marketing Analysis of Funeral Home

Accurate marketing analysis is the key to get prominent in the market as soon as you get launched. For doing so it is essential to know the market, direct and indirect competitors, stakeholders, and market fluctuations. An accurate market analysis will enable you

• To recognize the potential customers
• To identify the needs and expectations of your target customers
• To decide a pricing strategy for the business plan that would allow you to meet financial goals while drawing more customers than your competitors

James studied several funeral home business plans to identify potential customers and market trends. However, he ended up realizing that hiring a professional market analyst would be better for him. As that will make him achieve a greater level of accuracy.

5.1 Market Trends

Funeral homes are high in demand especially after the surge in deaths due to coronavirus. According to IBISWorld, there are more than 28k funeral homes running in the United States. Moreover, Statista predicts that the cremation rate in the U.S. would rise to 79.1 percent by 2035 – resulting in a need for more funeral homes.

Thus, it is evident that opening a funeral home will not run you into a loss. You only need to do efficient planning before starting funeral home to ensure success for your business.

5.2 Marketing Segmentation

The detailed marketing segmentation of our target audience is as follows:

5.2.1 Families of Deceased

Our primary customers will be the families of late. We expect them to avail of our body preparation, burial, and catering services. In San Antonio, the population is quite large and so the death rate. Therefore, we expect to get a considerable number of customers.

Our business values are based on customer care. We totally empathize with the families of the deceased. And therefore, to help the grievers in their misery we are offering body preparation and burial services at relatively lower prices.

5.2.2 Funeral Planners

Our second group of target customers will comprise alive people who purchase funeral planners before they die. These days, many adults and seniors have started to buy funeral plans so that their families and friends do not have to arrange money for their funerals.

5.2.3 Old Homes for Elder Orphans

The third category of our target customers will include the organizations that shelter elder orphans. Elder orphans are the senior people who do not have any friends or family to look after them. The funeral charges of such people are often paid by shelter homes. Thus, we expect them to contact us for our services too.

5.3 Business Target

Setting financial and customers’ related goals before starting a business is a good practice. It allows the business owners to direct the energy and resources towards the company’s goals.

And it is important because how much do funeral home owners make is entirely dependent on how well they could manage their assets.

Our business targets are:

• To earn a profit margin of $24k per month by the end of the third year
• To maintain a CSAT score of above 85%

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5.4 Product Pricing

The prices of our funeral plans and catered foods are a little higher as compared to our competitors. However, our other services could be availed at lower rates than those of our competitors.

Marketing Strategy

Sales strategy is another component that can decide the future of your business. This part enables you to reach out to your target customers and increase your sales on a monthly and yearly basis.

In this marketing plan for funeral home, we’re providing the sales strategy of James Funeral Home.

6.1 Competitive Analysis

James studied several funeral business ideas to find out the areas where his competitors were lacking. After that analysis, he decided to come up with the following competitive aspects:

• James Funeral Home will have a user-friendly app so that people can connect to it remotely and conveniently.
• Secondly, it’s the only funeral home in the whole city that is providing catering meals to the mourners in a separate location.
• Third, it has extremely responsible employees who’ll always adhere to SOPs and strict protocols.

6.2 Sales Strategy

• We’ll promote our startup through Google Local ads and local magazines
• We’ll offer a 50% discount to the first 100 purchasers of our funeral plans
• We’ll offer a 30% discount on our transport and catered meal services for the first two months of our launch

6.3 Sales Monthly

6.4 Sales Yearly

6.5 Sales Forecast

Personnel plan

Before starting a funeral parlor business you should make a list of employees you will need along with their job descriptions.

7.1 Company Staff

James will be the CEO himself. However, he’ll hire the following staff

• 2 Supervisors to help manage the operations
• 1 Accountant to maintain financial records
• 1 Front Desk Officer
• 8 Morticians to perform funerals
• 3 Cooks to prepare food
• 2 Waiters to serve food
• 8 Cleaners to maintain the facilities
• 3 General Assistants for routine tasks and paperwork
• 1 Sales Executive to promote the company
• 1 Web developer/ App Developer to manage the company’s website and app
• 2 Drivers to transport dead bodies

7.2 Average Salary of Employees

Financial plan.

Financial planning for a funeral home business is a little complicated. Firstly, because you’ll need to buy and discard certain materials and protective kits off and on. And secondly due to the complexity involved in setting prices of funeral plans. When you sell a funeral plan to a person you don’t know the inflation rate that will prevail at the time of their death. The period may be shorter or longer – resulting in unpredictable losses or profits.

However, there are still many areas through which you can control the financial trajectory of your business. In this build a funeral home business plan, we’re providing the financial plan developed for James Funeral Home. So that you can have an idea of the cash flows, gross margins, and business ratios for this business.

8.1 Important Assumptions

8.2 brake-even analysis.

8.3 Projected Profit and Loss

8.3.1 profit monthly.

8.3.2 Profit Yearly

8.3.3 Gross Margin Monthly

8.3.4 Gross Margin Yearly

8.4 Projected Cash Flow

8.5 Projected Balance Sheet

8.6 business ratios.

Download Funeral Home Business Plan Sample in pdf

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Funeral Home Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Funeral Home Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their funeral home companies. We have the experience, resources, and knowledge to help you create a great business plan.

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write a funeral home business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What Is a Funeral Home Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your funeral home business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a Funeral Home

If you’re looking to start a funeral home business or grow your existing funeral home company, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your funeral home business to improve your chances of success. Your funeral home business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Funding Sources for Funeral Home Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a funeral home business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and angel investors. When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for funeral home companies.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for a funeral home business.

If you want to start a funeral home business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. The guide below details the necessary information for how to write each essential component of your funeral home business plan.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of funeral home business you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a funeral home business that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of funeral home businesses?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan.

• Give a brief overview of the funeral home industry.
• Discuss the type of funeral home business you are operating.
• Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers.
• Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team.
• Offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Overview

In your company overview, you will detail the type of funeral home business you are operating.

For example, you might specialize in one of the following types of funeral home businesses:

• Traditional or full-service funeral home : Includes the preparation of the body, selection of casket, funeral service details, and full implementation of the funeral and committal service. A full-service funeral home plans and presents every detail of the funeral and burying processes.
• Independent funeral home: This type of funeral home works as a stand-alone business, offering full funeral services or any portion of those services.
• Funeral home and cemetery: A traditional funeral home that is on-site at a cemetery and works in tandem with the cemetery to provide all needed services.
• Funeral home and crematory: A traditional funeral home that contains a crematorium on-site and works in conjunction with the funeral home.

In addition to explaining the type of funeral home business you will operate, the company overview needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of gravesites sold, the number of families served,, reaching X number of pre-need funeral packages sold, etc.
• Your legal business Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the funeral home industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the funeral home industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies market trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your funeral home business plan:

• How big is the funeral home industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your funeral home business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your funeral home business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: individuals, families, and religious organizations.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of funeral home business you operate. Clearly, individuals would respond to different marketing promotions than religious organizations, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential customers you seek to serve.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other funeral home businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. This includes private memorial service providers, “scattering of the ashes” ceremony providers, and “celebration of life” event planners. You need to mention direct competition, as well.

For each direct competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as

• What types of clients and families do they serve?
• What type of funeral home business are they?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide options for the requests of the families?
• Will you offer funeral services that your competition doesn’t?
• Will you provide floral arrangements as part of your service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a funeral home business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of funeral home company that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you provide funeral services with either a cemetery burial or a crematory service and memorial service?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your plan, you are presenting the products and/or services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the site of your funeral home company. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your funeral home and cemetery business located near a forest, lake or park setting? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your funeral home marketing plan is where you will document how you will drive potential customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertise in magazines and newsletters targeted to nurses and caregivers
• Reach out to hospice services
• Create a website utilizing large font sizes to clearly and simply describe services offered
• Engage in pre-need marketing via radio and television

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your funeral home business, including answering calls, planning and providing funeral services, invoicing and giving tours for families, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to book your Xth funeral service, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your funeral home business to a new city.

Management Team

To demonstrate your funeral home business’ potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing funeral home businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing a funeral home business or successfully running a hospice center.

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenue and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you increase your funeral services to 10 per day, and/or offer premium family gravesite memorial areas? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your funeral home business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a funeral home business:

• Cost of equipment and office supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Other start-up expenses (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, and equipment

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your funeral home ownership documentation, or a list of funeral and burial insurance plans you accept.

  Summary Writing a business plan for your funeral home business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will understand the funeral home industry, your competition, and your customers. You will develop a marketing strategy and will understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful funeral home business.

Funeral Home Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my funeral home business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily write your funeral home business plan.

How Do You Start a Funeral Home Business?

Starting a Funeral Home business is easy with these 14 steps:

• Choose the Name for Your Funeral Home Business
• Create Your Funeral Home Business Plan
• Choose the Legal Structure for Your Funeral Home Business
• Secure Startup Funding for Your Funeral Home Business (If Needed)
• Secure a Location for Your Business
• Register Your Funeral Home Business with the IRS
• Open a Business Bank Account
• Get a Business Credit Card
• Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits
• Get Business Insurance for Your Funeral Home Business
• Buy or Lease the Right Funeral Home Business Equipment
• Develop Your Funeral Home Business Marketing Materials
• Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your Funeral Home Business
• Open for Business

Learn more about how to start your own funeral home business .

Where Can I Download a Free Business Plan Template PDF?

Click here to download the pdf version of our basic business plan template.

Our free business plan template pdf allows you to see the key sections to complete in your plan and the key questions that each must answer. The business plan pdf will definitely get you started in the right direction.

We do offer a premium version of our business plan template. Click here to learn more about it. The premium version includes numerous features allowing you to quickly and easily create a professional business plan. Its most touted feature is its financial projections template which allows you to simply enter your estimated sales and growth rates, and it automatically calculates your complete five-year financial projections including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. Here’s the link to our Ultimate Business Plan Template.

  OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.

Click here to see how Growthink’s business planning advisors can create your business plan for you.

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Funeral Home Business Plan Template

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Your business is unique and will differ from any example or template you come across. So, use this example as a starting point and customize it to your needs.

2. Remember it's just an example

Our sample business plans are examples of what one business owner did. That doesn't make them perfect or require you to cram your business idea to fit the plan structure.

Use the information, financials, and formatting for inspiration. It will speed up and guide the plan writing process.

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But, if you don't plan to share your plan with anyone outside of your business—you likely don't need everything.

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Funeral Home Business Plan Template & Guidebook

Starting a funeral home can be daunting due to a variety of factors, from the sensitive nature of the business to the need for substantial financial planning. To help take the guesswork out of this important endeavor, this guidebook provides a #1 Funeral Home Business Plan Template that is tailored for success. With easy-to-follow instructions, this resource will help aspiring funeral home owners craft a plan of action that will ensure their institution succeeds.

Get worry-free services and support to launch your business starting at $0 plus state fees.

• How to Start a Profitable Funeral Home Business [11 Steps]

How to Write a Funeral Home Business Plan in 7 Steps:

1. describe the purpose of your funeral home business..

The first step to writing your business plan is to describe the purpose of your funeral home business. This includes describing why you are starting this type of business, and what problems it will solve for customers. This is a quick way to get your mind thinking about the customers’ problems. It also helps you identify what makes your business different from others in its industry.

It also helps to include a vision statement so that readers can understand what type of company you want to build.

Here is an example of a purpose mission statement for a funeral home business:

Our mission is to provide compassionate, professional and affordable funeral services to families in our community, while creating a dignified and respectful experience that honors their loved ones in a caring and meaningful way.

2. Products & Services Offered by Your Funeral Home Business.

The next step is to outline your products and services for your funeral home business. 

When you think about the products and services that you offer, it's helpful to ask yourself the following questions:

• What is my business?
• What are the products and/or services that I offer?
• Why am I offering these particular products and/or services?
• How do I differentiate myself from competitors with similar offerings?
• How will I market my products and services?

You may want to do a comparison of your business plan against those of other competitors in the area, or even with online reviews. This way, you can find out what people like about them and what they don’t like, so that you can either improve upon their offerings or avoid doing so altogether.

3. Build a Creative Marketing Stratgey.

If you don't have a marketing plan for your funeral home business, it's time to write one. Your marketing plan should be part of your business plan and be a roadmap to your goals. 

A good marketing plan for your funeral home business includes the following elements:

Target market

• Who is your target market?
• What do these customers have in common?
• How many of them are there?
• How can you best reach them with your message or product?

Customer base 

• Who are your current customers? 
• Where did they come from (i.e., referrals)?
• How can their experience with your funeral home business help make them repeat customers, consumers, visitors, subscribers, or advocates for other people in their network or industry who might also benefit from using this service, product, or brand?

Product or service description

• How does it work, what features does it have, and what are its benefits?
• Can anyone use this product or service regardless of age or gender?
• Can anyone visually see themselves using this product or service?
• How will they feel when they do so? If so, how long will the feeling last after purchasing (or trying) the product/service for the first time?

Competitive analysis

• Which companies are competing with yours today (and why)? 
• Which ones may enter into competition with yours tomorrow if they find out about it now through word-of-mouth advertising; social media networks; friends' recommendations; etc.)
• What specific advantages does each competitor offer over yours currently?

Marketing channels

• Which marketing channel do you intend to leverage to attract new customers?
• What is your estimated marketing budget needed?
• What is the projected cost to acquire a new customer?
• How many of your customers do you instead will return?

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4. Write Your Operational Plan.

Next, you'll need to build your operational plan. This section describes the type of business you'll be running, and includes the steps involved in your operations. 

In it, you should list:

• The equipment and facilities needed
• Who will be involved in the business (employees, contractors)
• Financial requirements for each step
• Milestones & KPIs
• Location of your business
• Zoning & permits required for the business

What equipment, supplies, or permits are needed to run a funeral home business?

• Funeral home building and property
• Equipment: caskets, catafalques, hearse, flower cars, etc.
• Office supplies: desks, chairs, computers, printers, and other office needs
• Pre-need funeral contracts
• Funeral service contracts
• Permits: business license, death certificate filing permit, embalming license, etc.

5. Management & Organization of Your Funeral Home Business.

The second part of your funeral home business plan is to develop a management and organization section.

This section will cover all of the following:

• How many employees you need in order to run your funeral home business. This should include the roles they will play (for example, one person may be responsible for managing administrative duties while another might be in charge of customer service).
• The structure of your management team. The higher-ups like yourself should be able to delegate tasks through lower-level managers who are directly responsible for their given department (inventory and sales, etc.).
• How you’re going to make sure that everyone on board is doing their job well. You’ll want check-ins with employees regularly so they have time to ask questions or voice concerns if needed; this also gives you time to offer support where necessary while staying informed on how things are going within individual departments too!

6. Funeral Home Business Startup Expenses & Captial Needed.

This section should be broken down by month and year. If you are still in the planning stage of your business, it may be helpful to estimate how much money will be needed each month until you reach profitability.

Typically, expenses for your business can be broken into a few basic categories:

Startup Costs

Startup costs are typically the first expenses you will incur when beginning an enterprise. These include legal fees, accounting expenses, and other costs associated with getting your business off the ground. The amount of money needed to start a funeral home business varies based on many different variables, but below are a few different types of startup costs for a funeral home business.

Running & Operating Costs

Running costs refer to ongoing expenses related directly with operating your business over time like electricity bills or salaries paid out each month. These types of expenses will vary greatly depending on multiple variables such as location, team size, utility costs, etc.

Marketing & Sales Expenses

You should include any costs associated with marketing and sales, such as advertising and promotions, website design or maintenance. Also, consider any additional expenses that may be incurred if you decide to launch a new product or service line. For example, if your funeral home business has an existing website that needs an upgrade in order to sell more products or services, then this should be listed here.

7. Financial Plan & Projections

A financial plan is an important part of any business plan, as it outlines how the business will generate revenue and profit, and how it will use that profit to grow and sustain itself. To devise a financial plan for your funeral home business, you will need to consider a number of factors, including your start-up costs, operating costs, projected revenue, and expenses. 

Here are some steps you can follow to devise a financial plan for your funeral home business plan:

• Determine your start-up costs: This will include the cost of purchasing or leasing the space where you will operate your business, as well as the cost of buying or leasing any equipment or supplies that you need to start the business.
• Estimate your operating costs: Operating costs will include utilities, such as electricity, gas, and water, as well as labor costs for employees, if any, and the cost of purchasing any materials or supplies that you will need to run your business.
• Project your revenue: To project your revenue, you will need to consider the number of customers you expect to have and the average amount they will spend on each visit. You can use this information to estimate how much money you will make from selling your products or services.
• Estimate your expenses: In addition to your operating costs, you will need to consider other expenses, such as insurance, marketing, and maintenance. You will also need to set aside money for taxes and other fees.
• Create a budget: Once you have estimated your start-up costs, operating costs, revenue, and expenses, you can use this information to create a budget for your business. This will help you to see how much money you will need to start the business, and how much profit you can expect to make.
• Develop a plan for using your profit: Finally, you will need to decide how you will use your profit to grow and sustain your business. This might include investing in new equipment, expanding the business, or saving for a rainy day.

Frequently Asked Questions About Funeral Home Business Plans:

Why do you need a business plan for a funeral home business.

A business plan is an essential document for a funeral home business because it outlines the goals of the business, how those goals will be achieved, and how they will be funded. The plan also includes important information such as market analysis and marketing strategies, strategies for managing finances and resources, risk management plans, and strategies for dealing with competition. Having a comprehensive business plan in place provides clarity for both the owners and potential investors, enabling them to make informed decisions about their investments.

Who should you ask for help with your funeral home business plan?

It is recommended to consult with a professional financial advisor or accountant well-versed in the funeral home industry who can help you create a comprehensive business plan specific to your needs. Additionally, local small business specialists, advisors, and mentors may be able to provide valuable guidance.

Can you write a funeral home business plan yourself?

Yes, it is possible to write a funeral home business plan. A funeral home business plan should include detailed sections about the business' goals, financial projections, service offerings, marketing strategy, operating procedures and personnel plans. It is also important to include research into the local market conditions and competitive landscape, which will inform key elements of the plan. Taking the time to complete each section accurately and thoroughly can help ensure success for your funeral home business.

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I'm Nick, co-founder of newfoundr.com, dedicated to helping aspiring entrepreneurs succeed. As a small business owner with over five years of experience, I have garnered valuable knowledge and insights across a diverse range of industries. My passion for entrepreneurship drives me to share my expertise with aspiring entrepreneurs, empowering them to turn their business dreams into reality.

Through meticulous research and firsthand experience, I uncover the essential steps, software, tools, and costs associated with launching and maintaining a successful business. By demystifying the complexities of entrepreneurship, I provide the guidance and support needed for others to embark on their journey with confidence.

From assessing market viability and formulating business plans to selecting the right technology and navigating the financial landscape, I am dedicated to helping fellow entrepreneurs overcome challenges and unlock their full potential. As a steadfast advocate for small business success, my mission is to pave the way for a new generation of innovative and driven entrepreneurs who are ready to make their mark on the world.

How to write a business plan for a funeral home?

Writing a business plan for a funeral home can be an intimidating task, especially for those just starting.

This in-depth guide is designed to help entrepreneurs like you understand how to create a comprehensive business plan so that you can approach the exercise with method and confidence.

We'll cover: why writing a funeral home business plan is so important - both when starting up, and when running and growing the business - what information you need to include in your plan, how it should be structured, and what tools you can use to get the job done efficiently.

Let's get started!

In this guide:

Why write a business plan for a funeral home?

• What information is needed to create a business plan for a funeral home?
• What goes in the financial forecast for a funeral home?
• What goes in the written part of a funeral home business plan?
• What tool can I use to write my funeral home business plan?

Understanding the document's scope and goals will help you easily grasp its structure and content. Before diving into the specifics of the plan, let's take a moment to explore the key reasons why having a funeral home business plan is so crucial.

To have a clear roadmap to grow the business

It's rarely business as usual for small businesses. The economy follows cycles where years of growth are followed by recessions, and the business environment is always changing with new technologies, new regulations, new competitors, and new consumer behaviours appearing all the time...

In this context, running a business without a clear roadmap is like driving blindfolded: it's dangerous at best. That's why writing a business plan for a funeral home is essential to create successful and sustainable businesses.

To write an effective business plan, you will need to take stock of where you are (if you are already in business) and where you want the business to go in the next three to five years.

Once you know where you want your funeral home to be, you'll have to identify:

• what resources (human, equipment, and capital) are needed to get there,
• at what pace the business needs to progress to get there in time,
• and what risks you'll face along the way.

Going through this process regularly is beneficial, both for startups and existing companies, as it helps make informed decisions about how best to allocate resources to ensure the long-term success of the business.

To maintain visibility on future cash flows

Businesses can go for years without making a profit, but they go bust as soon as they run out of cash. That's why "cash is king", and maintaining visibility on your funeral home's future cash flows is critical.

How do I do that? That's simple: you need an up-to-date financial forecast.

The good news is that your funeral home business plan already contains a financial forecast (more on that later in this guide), so all you have to do is to keep it up-to-date.

To do this, you need to regularly compare the actual financial performance of your business to what was planned in your financial forecast, and adjust the forecast based on the current trajectory of your business.

Monitoring your funeral home's financial health will enable you to identify potential financial problems (such as an unexpected cash shortfall) early and to put in place corrective measures. It will also allow you to detect and capitalize on potential growth opportunities (higher demand from a given segment of customers for example).

To secure financing

A detailed business plan becomes a crucial tool when seeking financing from banks or investors for your funeral home.

Investing and lending to small businesses are very risky activities given how fragile they are. Therefore, financiers have to take extra precautions before putting their capital at risk.

At a minimum, financiers will want to ensure that you have a clear roadmap and a solid understanding of your future cash flows (like we just explained above). But they will also want to ensure that your business plan fits the risk/reward profile they seek.

This will off-course vary from bank to bank and investor to investor, but as a rule of thumb. Banks will want to see a conservative financial management style (low risk), and they will use the information in your business plan to assess your borrowing capacity — the level of debt they think your business can comfortably handle — and your ability to repay the loan. This evaluation will determine whether they'll provide credit to your funeral home and the terms of the agreement.

Whereas investors will carefully analyze your business plan to gauge the potential return on their investment. Their focus lies on evidence indicating your funeral home's potential for high growth, profitability, and consistent cash flow generation over time.

Now that you recognize the importance of creating a business plan for your funeral home, let's explore what information is required to create a compelling plan.

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Information needed to create a business plan for a funeral home

Drafting a funeral home business plan requires research so that you can project sales, investments and cost accurately in your financial forecast, and convince the reader that there is a viable commercial opportunity to be seized.

Below, we'll focus on three critical pieces of information you should gather before starting to write your plan.

Carrying out market research for a funeral home

As you consider writing your business plan for a funeral home, conducting market research becomes a vital step to ensure accurate and realistic financial projections.

Market research provides valuable insights into your target customer base, competitors, pricing strategies, and other key factors that can significantly impact the commercial success of your business.

Through this research, you may uncover trends that could influence your funeral home.

You may find that more people are choosing cremation over burial for their loved ones; this could be due to affordability or environmental concerns. Additionally, you might discover that people are increasingly interested in hosting unique, personalized ceremonies for their deceased family members; they may involve music, readings, or other activities that reflect the life of the deceased.

Such market trends play a significant role in forecasting revenue, as they offer valuable data about potential customers' spending habits and preferences.

By incorporating these findings into your financial projections, you can present investors with more accurate information, helping them make informed decisions about investing in your funeral home.

Developing the sales and marketing plan for a funeral home

Budgeting sales and marketing expenses is essential before creating a funeral home business plan.

A comprehensive sales and marketing plan should provide an accurate projection of what actions need to be implemented to acquire and retain customers, how many people are needed to carry out these initiatives, and how much needs to be spent on promotions, advertising, and other aspects.

This helps ensure that the right amount of resources is allocated to these activities in order to hit the sales and growth objectives forecasted in your business plan.

The staffing and capital expenditure requirements of a funeral home

Whether you are starting or expanding a funeral home, it is important to have a clear plan for recruitment and capital expenditures (investment in equipment and real estate) in order to ensure the success of the business.

Both the recruitment and investment plans need to be coherent with the timing and level of growth planned in your forecast, and require appropriate funding.

A funeral home might incur staffing costs such as salaries for funeral directors, embalmers, and administrative staff. In addition, they may need to hire additional help for large funeral services or special events. They could also incur costs for equipment such as caskets, hearses, embalming supplies, and other necessary tools.

In order to create a realistic financial forecast, you will also need to consider the other operating expenses associated with running the business on a day-to-day basis (insurance, bookkeeping, etc.). 

Once you have all the necessary information to create a business plan for your funeral home, it is time to start creating your financial forecast.

What goes into your funeral home's financial forecast?

The financial forecast of your funeral home's business plan will enable you to assess the growth, profitability, funding requirements, and cash generation potential of your business in the coming years.

The four key outputs of a financial forecast for a funeral home are:

• The profit and loss (P&L) statement ,
• The projected balance sheet ,
• The cash flow forecast ,
• And the sources and uses table .

Let's look at each of these in a bit more detail.

The projected P&L statement

Your funeral home forecasted P&L statement enables the reader of your business plan to get an idea of how much revenue and profits your business is expected to make in the near future.

Ideally, your reader will want to see:

• Growth above the inflation level
• Expanding profit margins
• Positive net profit throughout the plan

Expectations for an established funeral home will of course be different than for a startup. Existing businesses which have reached their cruising altitude might have slower growth and higher margins than ventures just being started.

The projected balance sheet of your funeral home

The balance sheet for a funeral home is a financial document that provides a snapshot of your business’s financial health at a given point in time.

It shows three main components: assets, liabilities and equity:

• Assets: are resources owned by the business, such as cash, equipment, and accounts receivable (money owed by clients).
• Liabilities: are debts owed to creditors and other entities, such as accounts payable (money owed to suppliers) and loans.
• Equity: includes the sums invested by the shareholders or business owners and the cumulative profits and losses of the business to date (called retained earnings). It is a proxy for the value of the owner's stake in the business.

Examining the balance sheet is important for lenders, investors, or other stakeholders who are interested in assessing your funeral home's liquidity and solvency:

• Liquidity: assesses whether or not your business has sufficient cash and short-term assets to honour its liabilities due over the next 12 months. It is a short-term focus.
• Solvency: assesses whether or not your business has the capacity to repay its debt over the medium-term.

Looking at the balance sheet can also provide insights into your funeral home's investment and financing policies.

In particular, stakeholders can compare the value of equity to the value of the outstanding financial debt to assess how the business is funded and what level of financial risk has been taken by the owners (financial debt is riskier because it has to be repaid, while equity doesn't need to be repaid).

The cash flow forecast

A projected cash flow statement for a funeral home is used to show how much cash the business is generating or consuming.

The cash flow forecast is usually organized by nature to show three key metrics:

• The operating cash flow: do the core business activities generate or consume cash?
• The investing cash flow: how much is the business investing in long-term assets (this is usually compared to the level of fixed assets on the balance sheet to assess whether the business is regularly maintaining and renewing its equipment)?
• The financing cash flow: is the business raising new financing or repaying financiers (debt repayment, dividends)?

As we discussed earlier, cash is king and keeping an eye on future cash flows an imperative for running a successful business. Therefore, you can expect the reader of your funeral home business plan to pay close attention to your cash flow forecast.

Also, note that it is customary to provide both yearly and monthly cash flow forecasts in a business plan - so that the reader can analyze seasonal variation and ensure the funeral home is appropriately funded.

The initial financing plan

The sources and uses table or initial financing plan is a key component of your business plan when starting a funeral home.

It shows where the capital needed to set up the business will come from (sources) and how it will be spent (uses).

This table helps size the investment required to set up the funeral home, and understand how risks will be distributed between the business owners, and the financiers.

The sources and uses table also highlights what the starting cash position will be. This is key for startups as the business needs to have sufficient funding to sustain operations until the break-even point is reached.

Now that you have a clear understanding of what will go into the financial forecast of your funeral home business plan, let's have a look at the written part of the plan.

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The written part of a funeral home business plan

The written part of a funeral home business plan plays a key role: it lays out the plan of action you intend to execute to seize the commercial opportunity you've identified on the market and provides the context needed for the reader to decide if they believe your plan to be achievable and your financial forecast to be realistic.

The written part of a funeral home business plan is composed of 7 main sections:

• The executive summary
• The presentation of the company
• The products and services
• The market analysis
• The strategy
• The operations
• The financial plan

Let's go through the content of each section in more detail!

1. The executive summary

In your funeral home's business plan, the first section is the executive summary — a captivating overview of your plan that aims to pique the reader's interest and leave them eager to learn more about your business.

When crafting the executive summary, start with an introduction to your business, including its name, concept, location, how long it has been running, and what sets it apart. Briefly mention the products and services you plan to offer and your target customer profile.

Following that, provide an overview of the addressable market for your funeral home, current trends, and potential growth opportunities.

Next, include a summary of key financial figures like projected revenues, profits, and cash flows.

Finally, in the "ask" section, detail any funding requirements you may have.

2. The presentation of the company

As you build your funeral home business plan, the second section deserves attention as it delves into the structure and ownership, location, and management team of your company.

In the structure and ownership part, you'll provide valuable insights into the legal structure of the business, the identities of the owners, and their respective investments and ownership stakes. This level of transparency is vital, particularly if you're seeking financing, as it clarifies which legal entity will receive the funds and who holds the reins of the business.

Moving to the location part, you'll offer a comprehensive view of the company's premises and articulate why this specific location is strategic for the business, emphasizing factors like catchment area, accessibility, and nearby amenities.

When describing the location of your funeral home to a third party financier, you could emphasize its potential to draw a large customer base due to its convenient access from the surrounding area or aging population. You may highlight the fact that the location is in a densely populated area, with ample parking and access to public transportation.

Lastly, you should introduce your esteemed management team. Provide a thorough explanation of each member's role, background, and extensive experience.

It's equally important to highlight any past successes the management team has achieved and underscore the duration they've been working together. This information will instil trust in potential lenders or investors, showcasing the strength and expertise of your leadership team and their ability to deliver the business plan.

3. The products and services section

The products and services section of your business plan should include a detailed description of the offerings that your company provides to its customers. 

For example, your funeral home might offer services such as funeral planning, pre-arranged funerals, and memorial services. Funeral planning ensures that a family's final wishes are met, pre-arranged funerals allow individuals to plan ahead and make their wishes known, and memorial services are a way to honor the deceased and remember their life.

When drafting this section, you should be precise about the categories of products or services you sell, the types of customers you are targeting and how customers can buy them.

4. The market analysis

When you present your market analysis in your funeral home business plan, it's crucial to include detailed information about customers' demographics and segmentation, target market, competition, barriers to entry, and any relevant regulations.

The main objective of this section is to help the reader understand the size and attractiveness of the market while demonstrating your solid understanding of the industry.

Begin with the demographics and segmentation subsection, providing an overview of the addressable market for your funeral home, the key trends in the marketplace, and introducing different customer segments along with their preferences in terms of purchasing habits and budgets.

Next, focus on your target market, zooming in on the specific customer segments your funeral home aims to serve and explaining how your products and services fulfil their distinct needs.

For example, your target market might include young families who are recently bereaved. This segment may be interested in comprehensive funeral services that provide support during a difficult time. They may also be interested in memorial services that can be customized to honor the deceased in a meaningful way.

Then proceed to the competition subsection, where you introduce your main competitors and highlight what sets you apart from them.

Finally, conclude your market analysis with an overview of the key regulations applicable to your funeral home.

5. The strategy section

When crafting the strategy section of your business plan for your funeral home, it's important to cover several key aspects, including your competitive edge, pricing strategy, sales & marketing plan, milestones, and risks and mitigants.

In the competitive edge subsection, clearly explain what sets your company apart from competitors. This is particularly critical if you're a startup, as you'll be trying to establish your presence in the marketplace among entrenched players.

The pricing strategy subsection should demonstrate how you aim to maintain profitability while offering competitive prices to your customers.

For the sales & marketing plan, outline how you plan to reach and acquire new customers, as well as retain existing ones through loyalty programs or special offers.

In the milestones subsection, detail what your company has achieved thus far and outline your primary objectives for the coming years by including specific dates for expected progress. This ensures everyone involved has clear expectations.

Lastly, in the risks and mitigants subsection, list the main risks that could potentially impact the execution of your plan. Explain the measures you've taken to minimize these risks. This is vital for investors or lenders to feel confident in supporting your venture - try to proactively address any objection they might have.

Your funeral home faces numerous risks every day. You could face risks that may be related to customer satisfaction, such as a customer not being happy with the services they received. You could also face risks related to the financial security of the business, such as not having enough funds to cover a large funeral service. These are only two examples of risks your funeral home may face.

6. The operations section

The operations of your funeral home must be presented in detail in your business plan.

The first thing you should cover in this section is your staffing team, the main roles, and the overall recruitment plan to support the growth expected in your business plan. You should also outline the qualifications and experience necessary to fulfil each role, and how you intend to recruit (using job boards, referrals, or headhunters).

You should then state the operating hours of your funeral home - so that the reader can check the adequacy of your staffing levels - and any plans for varying opening times during peak season. Additionally, the plan should include details on how you will handle customer queries outside of normal operating hours.

The next part of this section should focus on the key assets and IP required to operate your business. If you depend on any licenses or trademarks, physical structures (equipment or property) or lease agreements, these should all go in there.

You could have access to key assets such as vehicles for transporting the deceased, and facilities for holding memorial services. Additionally, you might have intellectual property related to funeral home processes and services, such as a customized system for creating memorial services and coordinating funeral planning.

Finally, you should include a list of suppliers that you plan to work with and a breakdown of their services and main commercial terms (price, payment terms, contract duration, etc.). Investors are always keen to know if there is a particular reason why you have chosen to work with a specific supplier (higher-quality products or past relationships for example).

7. The presentation of the financial plan

The financial plan section is where we will include the financial forecast we talked about earlier in this guide.

Now that you have a clear idea of the content of a funeral home business plan, let's look at some of the tools you can use to create yours.

What tool should I use to write my funeral home's business plan?

In this section, we will be reviewing the two main solutions for creating a funeral home business plan:

• Using specialized online business plan software,
• Outsourcing the plan to the business plan writer.

Using an online business plan software for your funeral home's business plan

Using online business planning software is the most efficient and modern way to write a funeral home business plan.

There are several advantages to using specialized software:

• You can easily create your financial forecast by letting the software take care of the financial calculations for you without errors
• You are guided through the writing process by detailed instructions and examples for each part of the plan
• You can access a library of dozens of complete business plan samples and templates for inspiration
• You get a professional business plan, formatted and ready to be sent to your bank or investors
• You can easily track your actual financial performance against your financial forecast
• You can create scenarios to stress test your forecast's main assumptions
• You can easily update your forecast as time goes by to maintain visibility on future cash flows
• You have a friendly support team on standby to assist you when you are stuck

If you're interested in using this type of solution, you can try The Business Plan Shop for free by signing up here .

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Hiring a business plan writer to write your funeral home's business plan

Outsourcing your funeral home business plan to a business plan writer can also be a viable option.

Business plan writers are experienced in writing business plans and adept at creating financial forecasts without errors. Furthermore, hiring a consultant can save you time and allow you to focus on the day-to-day operations of your business.

However, hiring business plan writers is expensive as you are paying for the software used by the consultant, plus their time, and their profit margin of course.

From experience, you need to budget at least £1.5k ($2.0k) excluding tax for a complete business plan, more if you need to make changes after the initial version (which happens frequently after the initial meetings with lenders or investors).

You also need to be careful when seeking investment. Investors want their money to be used to grow the business, not spent on consulting fees. Therefore, the amount you spend on business plan writing services (and other consulting services such as legal services) needs to be negligible relative to the amount raised.

The other drawback is that you usually don't own the business plan itself: you just get the output, while the actual document is saved in the consultant's business plan software - which makes it difficult to maintain the document up to date without hiring the consultant on a retainer.

For these reasons, outsourcing the funeral home business plan to a business plan writer should be considered carefully, weighing both the advantages and disadvantages of hiring outside help.

Ultimately, it may be the right decision for some businesses, while others may find it beneficial to write their business plan using online software.

Why not create your funeral home's business plan using Word or Excel?

Using Microsoft Excel and Word (or their Google, Apple, or open-source equivalents) to write a funeral home business plan is a terrible idea.

For starters, creating an accurate and error-free financial forecast on Excel (or any spreadsheet) is very technical and requires both a strong grasp of accounting principles and solid skills in financial modelling.

As a result, it is unlikely anyone will trust your numbers unless - like us at The Business Plan Shop - you hold a degree in finance and accounting and have significant financial modelling experience in your past.

The second reason is that it is inefficient. Building forecasts on spreadsheets was the only option in the 1990s and early 2000s, nowadays technology has advanced and software can do it much faster and much more accurately.

And with the rise of AI, software is also becoming smarter at helping us detect mistakes in our forecasts and helping us analyse the numbers to make better decisions.

Also, using software makes it easy to compare actuals vs. forecasts and maintain our forecasts up to date to maintain visibility on future cash flows - as we discussed earlier in this guide - whereas this is a pain to do with a spreadsheet.

That's for the forecast, but what about the written part of my funeral home business plan?

This part is less error-prone, but here also software brings tremendous gains in productivity:

• Word processors don't include instructions and examples for each part of your business plan
• Word processors don't update your numbers automatically when they change in your forecast
• Word processors don't handle the formatting for you

Overall, while Word or Excel may be viable options for creating a funeral home business plan for some entrepreneurs, it is by far not the best or most efficient solution.

• Using business plan software is a modern and cost-effective way of writing and maintaining business plans.
• A business plan is not a one-shot exercise as maintaining it current is the only way to keep visibility on your future cash flows.
• A business plan has 2 main parts: a financial forecast outlining the funding requirements of your funeral home and the expected growth, profits and cash flows for the next 3 to 5 years; and a written part which gives the reader the information needed to decide if they believe the forecast is achievable.

We hope that this in-depth guide met your expectations and that you now have a clear understanding of how to write your funeral home business plan. Do not hesitate to contact our friendly team if you have questions additional questions we haven't addressed here.

Also on The Business Plan Shop

• How to write a business plan to secure a bank loan?
• Key steps to write a business plan?
• Top mistakes to avoid in your business plan

Do you know entrepreneurs interested in starting or growing a funeral home? Share this article with them!

Founder & CEO at The Business Plan Shop Ltd

Guillaume Le Brouster is a seasoned entrepreneur and financier.

Guillaume has been an entrepreneur for more than a decade and has first-hand experience of starting, running, and growing a successful business.

Prior to being a business owner, Guillaume worked in investment banking and private equity, where he spent most of his time creating complex financial forecasts, writing business plans, and analysing financial statements to make financing and investment decisions.

Guillaume holds a Master's Degree in Finance from ESCP Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Business & Management from Paris Dauphine University.

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Business Plan Template for Funeral Home Business

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Starting a funeral home business is no easy task, but with the right planning and strategy, it can be a rewarding and successful venture. ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Funeral Home Business provides entrepreneurs with a comprehensive roadmap to outline their vision and secure the necessary funding.

With this template, you'll be able to:

• Create detailed financial projections, including revenue forecasts and expense budgets, to attract potential investors.
• Conduct a thorough market analysis to understand the competitive landscape and identify unique opportunities for your funeral home business.
• Develop effective competitive strategies to differentiate your services and stand out in the market.
• Outline operational details, such as staffing, facilities, and service offerings, to ensure a smooth and efficient operation.

Don't let the complexities of starting a funeral home business overwhelm you. Use ClickUp's Business Plan Template to lay the foundation for your success and secure the funding you need.

Business Plan Template for Funeral Home Business Benefits

Attracting investors and securing funding for your funeral home business is crucial, and a business plan template can help you do just that by:

• Providing a clear roadmap for your business, outlining your financial projections, market analysis, competitive strategies, and operational details
• Demonstrating to potential investors that you have a solid understanding of the funeral home industry and its market dynamics
• Helping you identify and mitigate potential risks and challenges that may arise in your business
• Allowing you to showcase your unique value proposition and differentiate yourself from competitors in the market.

Main Elements of Funeral Home Business Business Plan Template

When starting a funeral home business, it's crucial to have a comprehensive business plan in place. ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Funeral Home Business provides the essential elements you need to create a solid plan:

• Custom Statuses: Track the progress of your business plan with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do, ensuring that every aspect of your plan is accounted for and managed effectively.
• Custom Fields: Utilize custom fields such as Reference, Approved, and Section to add specific details to your business plan template, making it tailored to your funeral home business needs and allowing for easy organization and filtering of information.
• Custom Views: Access different views like Topics, Status, Timeline, Business Plan, and Getting Started Guide to gain a comprehensive overview of your business plan, track the status of each section, create a timeline for implementation, and refer to a step-by-step guide to assist you along the way.

With ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Funeral Home Business, you can confidently present your ideas to investors and secure funding for your funeral home venture.

How To Use Business Plan Template for Funeral Home Business

If you're starting a funeral home business and need to create a comprehensive business plan, follow these six steps using the Business Plan Template in ClickUp:

1. Executive Summary

Begin your business plan with an executive summary that provides an overview of your funeral home business. Include key details such as your mission statement, business goals, target market, and competitive advantage. This section should give readers a clear understanding of your business and its potential.

Use the Docs feature in ClickUp to easily write and format your executive summary.

2. Company Description

Next, provide a detailed description of your funeral home business. Explain the services you'll offer, your pricing structure, and any unique features that set your funeral home apart from competitors. Additionally, outline your business structure, ownership, and legal requirements.

Create custom fields in ClickUp to keep track of important information about your company, such as registration numbers and licenses.

3. Market Analysis

Conduct a thorough market analysis to understand the funeral home industry and your target market. Identify the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your ideal customers, as well as the size and growth potential of the funeral industry in your area.

Use the Table view in ClickUp to organize market research data, such as market size, competition analysis, and customer profiles.

4. Marketing and Sales Strategy

Develop a marketing and sales strategy to attract customers and promote your funeral home business. Outline your pricing strategy, advertising and promotional activities, and any partnerships or collaborations you plan to pursue. Additionally, define your sales process and customer acquisition channels.

Create tasks in ClickUp to assign specific marketing and sales activities to team members and track their progress.

5. Operations and Management

Detail the operational aspects of your funeral home business, including your facility, equipment, staffing requirements, and day-to-day processes. Explain how you'll manage operations, maintain quality standards, and ensure customer satisfaction. Additionally, provide an organizational chart that highlights key roles and responsibilities.

Use the Gantt chart feature in ClickUp to create a visual timeline for setting up your facility, hiring staff, and launching your funeral home business.

6. Financial Projections

Finally, include financial projections in your business plan to demonstrate the potential profitability and sustainability of your funeral home business. This should include a sales forecast, projected expenses, cash flow statement, and break-even analysis. Additionally, outline your funding requirements and any financial arrangements you've made.

Use the Dashboards feature in ClickUp to track and analyze your financial data, including revenue, expenses, and profitability.

By following these six steps and utilizing the Business Plan Template in ClickUp, you can create a comprehensive and well-structured business plan for your funeral home business.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Funeral Home Business

Entrepreneurs looking to start a funeral home business can use the ClickUp Business Plan Template to create a comprehensive plan that covers all aspects of their business.

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create a solid business plan:

• Use the Topics View to organize your plan into different sections such as financial projections, market analysis, competitive strategies, and operational details
• The Status View will help you track the progress of each section, whether it's complete, in progress, needs revision, or still to do
• The Timeline View will provide a visual representation of your business plan's milestones and deadlines
• The Business Plan View will give you a comprehensive overview of your entire plan in one place
• The Getting Started Guide View will provide step-by-step instructions on how to use the template effectively
• Customize the template by adding custom fields such as Reference, Approved, and Section to provide additional information and track important details
• Update statuses and custom fields as you work on each section to keep team members informed of progress
• Monitor and analyze your business plan to ensure it meets your goals and attracts investors.
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Starting Funeral Home Business Plan (PDF)

Death is a natural part of life, and as such, funeral homes are a necessity for families and communities. While it may seem daunting to enter into such a sensitive industry, starting a funeral home business can be a fulfilling and profitable business venture. People dying necessitate the need for funeral services. It may sound morbid to say that a funeral home business is a profitable venture. However, it is a matter of necessity and inevitability. A funeral home, also known as a funeral parlour, is an establishment where the dead are prepared for burial or cremation. The funeral services industry is a stable and growing market, with an increasing demand for services as the population ages. A funeral home business can offer a unique opportunity to serve families during one of the most difficult times in their lives and to provide a meaningful and personalized experience. This article will outline how to start a funeral parlour business, and the funeral home business plan (PDF, Word & Excel).

Market Research

It’s important for you to carry out market research before you venture into the funeral home business. You must seek to familiarize yourself with how the funeral parlour industry works first. Then you research into existing funeral home businesses in your target area. You have to find the type of services and products that they offer. Find out their customer segments and how big their market share or reach is. Study their business and pricing models.

Market research will help you identify market gaps, including underserved or unserved locations, as well as weaknesses of the existing funeral parlours. The information and insights you gather from your market research will help you build a successful funeral home business. Your target market, services to offer, and marketing strategies will be determined by the information you get from the market research. Therefore, it is imperative that you take the time to conduct thorough research before starting a funeral home business.

Location And Premises

There are several factors you should take into consideration when selecting a location for your funeral home business. Consider the demographics of the area. The ideal location for a funeral parlour is in an area that has a significant population of old adults, as aged people may require funeral services in the near future. Also consider the income levels of the people in the area, an area with a higher income demographic is more likely to utilise premium funeral services. The funeral home should be located in an easily accessible area with enough space for parking. It should be close to major highways and public transportation – this ensures that families can easily access the funeral parlour.

The premises for a funeral home play an important role in ensuring the success of the business. The funeral parlour premises should provide a comfortable, safe, and peaceful environment for families to grieve and pay their respects to their loved ones. You will need a building to operate from. Typically you will need a building with multiple rooms. Rooms needed for a funeral home include a reception, preparation room, mortuary room and offices. The funeral home business plan should include the costs of purchasing or leasing the premises.

Vehicles And Equipment

A funeral home requires a variety of  vehicles and specialized equipment to provide professional services to its clients. Vehicles are an essential requirement for funeral parlours, as they enable the transportation of the deceased, family members, and funeral staff. Hearses are the most commonly used vehicles by funeral homes, their primary purpose is to transport caskets containing the deceased. Some funeral parlours can also have limousines and buses for transporting mourners. Other equipment required by funeral parlours include mortuary refrigerators, embalming tables, embalming equipment, mortuary stretchers & trolleys, scissor lifts, furniture etc. The funeral parlour business plan should include the costs of acquiring the vehicles and equipment.

Products And Services

A funeral home provides a range of services to assist families in arranging and conducting funeral services for their loved ones. Some of the common services offered by funeral parlours include embalming and preparation of the deceased, casket and urn selection, coordination of funeral and burial services, provision of transportation, and assistance with legal paperwork such as death certificates and insurance claims. In addition to facilitating the traditional burial services, funeral parlours can also offer cremation services. Funeral homes can also provide other extra services such as grief counselling.

While funeral parlours primarily offer services, they can also sell products to facilitate the funeral arrangements. One of the primary products offered by funeral homes are coffins and caskets, which can come in a variety of materials and styles to suit different preferences and budgets. Other products offered by funeral homes include urns for cremation, stationary  such as memorial programs and thank-you cards, floral arrangements, and memorial tribute videos. Your funeral parlour business plan should clearly outline the products and services that your business will offer.

Management And Staff

A funeral home requires a team of dedicated employees so as to provide high quality services to families during their time of need. The employees required by a funeral parlour business include funeral directors/undertakers, funeral assistants, embalmers, drivers as well as administrative staff. Large funeral homes can also employ grief counselors or social workers to offer emotional support and guidance to families. The employees of a funeral parlour must possess a range of qualities to ensure that they can provide the necessary support and assistance to grieving families. Compassion is perhaps the most essential quality, as it is vital that the staff empathise with families and offer them comfort and understanding. In addition to being compassionate, employees should be professional, respectful, and attentive to detail. Good communication skills are also necessary to ensure that funeral arrangements are executed smoothly and that families feel supported throughout the whole process. Thus it is important for all your employees to undergo training to ensure that they provide high quality services to clients. The salaries of all your staff should be included in the funeral home business plan.

The market for funeral services is always there as people are always dying every day. However you need to understand your local market and trends. For example, in some countries cremation is now mostly more preferable than traditional burials. While the demand for funeral services is relatively constant, the market for funeral homes is also impacted by factors such as the local population, demographics, and cultural traditions. As such, funeral homes must be responsive to the unique needs of their local market and be able to offer personalized and culturally appropriate services to their clients. Word of mouth is one of the most important marketing methods for funeral parlours, thus it is important to provide high quality services so as to encourage positive word of mouth referrals. Funeral homes that offer compassionate and professional services, and go above and beyond to meet the needs of their clients, are more likely to receive positive recommendations from satisfied customers. The funeral parlour business plan should also include other marketing strategies that you can use for your funeral home business.

Pre-Written Funeral Home Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel): Comprehensive Version, Short Funding/Bank Loan Version and Automated Financial Statements

For an in-depth analysis of the funeral home business, we encourage you to purchase our well-researched and comprehensive funeral home business plan. We introduced the business plans after discovering that many were venturing into the funeral parlour business without enough knowledge and understanding of how to run the business, lack of understanding of the financial side of the business, lack of understanding of : the industry, the risks involved , costs and profitability of the business; which often leads to disastrous losses.

The StartupBiz Global funeral parlour business plan will make it easier for you to launch and run your funeral home business successfully, fully knowing what you are going into, and what’s needed to succeed in the business. This is a complete business plan for a funeral home business. It will be easier to plan and budget as you will be aware of all the costs involved in setting up and running the funeral parlour business.

Uses of the Funeral Parlour Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)

The funeral home business plan can be used for many purposes including:

• Raising capital from investors/friends/relatives
• Applying for a bank loan
• Start-up guide to launch your funeral parlor business
• As a funeral home business proposal
• Assessing profitability of the funeral parlour business
• Finding a business partner
• Assessing the initial start-up costs so that you know how much to save
• Manual for current business owners to help in business and strategy formulation

Contents of the Funeral Home Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)

The business plan for a funeral home includes, but not limited to:

• Marketing Strategy
• Financial Statements (monthly cash flow projections, income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, break even analysis, payback period analysis, start-up costs, financial graphs, revenue and expenses, Bank Loan Amortization)
• Industry Analysis
• Market Analysis
• Risk Analysis
• SWOT & PEST Analysis
• Operational Requirements
• Operational Strategy
• Why some people in the funeral home business fail, so that you can avoid their mistakes
• Ways to raise capital to start your funeral parlour business

The funeral home business plan package consists of 4 files

• Funeral Home Business Plan – PDF file (Comprehensive Version – 89 Pages)
• Funeral Home Business Plan – Editable Word File (Comprehensive Version – 89 Pages)
• Funeral Home Business Plan Funding/Bank Loan Version- Editable Word File (Short version for applying for a loan/funding – 48 pages)
• Funeral Home Business Plan Automated Financial Statements – (Editable Excel File)

The business plan can be used in any country and can be easily edited. The financial statements are automated. This implies that you can change eg the costs, salaries etc, and all the other financial statements will automatically adjust to reflect the change. 

Click below to download the Contents Page of the Funeral Home Business Plan (PDF)

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The business plan which I purchased from your website saved me TIME and MONEY! The layout of the business plan was excellent. The financial statements were detailed and easy for me to edit. I will come back to purchase another business plan soon.

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I was extremely lucky to come across StartupBiz Global. Their business plan exceeded my expectations, and most importantly I was able to secure a loan from my bank. Thank you guys, now my dreams are coming true!

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StartupBiz Global provided a very professional and comprehensive business plan which I used for my business. The business plan was easy to edit, and I was able to get the funding which I wanted. I highly recommend their business plans.

Testimonial 6

I purchased a business plan from you, and I’m glad to inform you that I was able to get my loan, and I’m starting my poultry farming business on the 1 st of July. This was made possible because of your business plan. Thank you very much, you made my dream come true.

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Many thanks for your incredibly efficient service and thorough business plan. I am very impressed with the business plan. Before I bought the business plan, I tried to do my own business plan – it was such a nightmare and it turned out badly, also not to mention the stress it caused me. I wish I knew about your website earlier!

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Just wanted to say I am very happy with the business plan and I will gladly recommend your products, thank you very much and have a great day.

Get the Funeral Home Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)

Click Buy Now  below to purchase using Paypal, Credit Card, or Debit Card. After you have purchased, you will immediately see the download link for the business plan package on the screen. You will also immediately get an email with the business plan download link. The Pre-written business plan package (PDF, Word, and Excel) costs $30 only!

If you want to purchase multiple business plans at once then click here: Business Plans Store.

The business plan package is a zipped compressed file containing the PDF, Word and Excel documents. To open the package after downloading it, just right click, and select Extract All. If you have any problems in downloading and opening the files, email us on [email protected] and we will assist you.

We wish you the best in your funeral home business! Check out our collection of business plans  , and more business ideas .

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Funeral Home Business Plan Template [Updated 2024]

Funeral Home Business Plan Template

If you want to start a Funeral Home or expand your current Funeral Home business, you need a business plan.

The following Funeral Home business plan template gives you the key elements for starting a funeral home business plan.

You can download our business plan template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.

Below are links to each of the key sections of your Funeral Home business plan:

Funeral Home Business Plan Home I. Executive Summary II. Company Overview III. Industry Analysis IV. Customer Analysis V. Competitive Analysis VI. Marketing Plan VII. Operations Plan VIII. Management Team IX. Financial Plan

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Hope Life Funeral Services is located in Burgersfort in the valley of the Spekboom River at the edge of the Bushveld complex in the Greater Tubutse municipality, near the border from Mpumalanga to Limpopo, based corporation that will provide casket/cremation receptacle sales, funeral services, cremation services, community support(CSI) and pre-funeral care services customers in its targeted market. The Hope Life has formed as a funeral cover to solve funeral problem in all homes in Burgersfort and other South African areas. It solely owned by Ramaite Seroka, Mothapo Mary, Muofhe Mulalo, Lewele Mapule, Mushaya Ndamulelo Phillip, Kwapa Joas and Kopa Clearance.

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A Guide to Strategic Planning for Your Funeral Home Business

One of the greatest business challenges many funeral home owners and managers face is finding the right balance between managing day-to-day operations and planning for future success. It may sometimes feel like you spend most of your time on things that need your attention immediately and far too little time considering how to position your business for long-term success. In this complete guide, discover the benefits of strategic planning for your firm and how you can create your own strategic planning cycle that will help guide your funeral home business' future success.

Benefits of Strategic Planning for Funeral Homes

In funeral service, schedules can change minute-by-minute, and the families you serve expect you to be 100% focused in their time of need. Though it can prove challenging, the benefits of a consistent approach to strategic planning are numerous:

1. The chance to investigate and explore options.

You can proactively investigate your business environment, challenges and opportunities in a less time-sensitive setting. An absence of planning will force you to make rushed, less informed decisions when confronted with both opportunities and threats.

2. Improved control over the future of your funeral business.

You design and plan your future as opposed to simply letting it happen.

3. A clear purpose and direction.

Your team members are more unified and understand what is expected of them and how they can contribute.

4. Better business decisions. 

A clear vision for the future can lead you toward the actions that can help you reach your goals. Perhaps more importantly, a clear vision can help steer you away from those actions that will not help you achieve those goals.

5. Well-allocated resources.

Strategic management of your human and financial resources is key to your success. A solid plan for your future allows you to put your resources to work most effectively to help you achieve your goals.

Strategic Planning Tips for Funeral Homes

It’s relatively easy to see the value of strategic planning, but it can be difficult to start and maintain a discipline of planning. Here are just a few tips to help you get started:

Make time for it.

Set aside the time and protect it. Unexpected events are the hallmark of funeral service, but it’s vital that you plan for uninterrupted participation in your sessions. Consider your backup options and conduct the session at a time that is unlikely to be interrupted.

Invite the right people.

Include the leaders of your organization and make sure participants represent a range of perspectives and responsibilities in your organization. It doesn’t have to be a large group, but the group’s perspective should be broad and well-informed in terms of all aspects of your business.

Prepare well.

There are many tools and resources you can use to design your session and create an effective plan. Make sure you have key business information readily available. Create an agenda and follow it.

Don’t “skip” the hard questions.

It’s important that you be honest with yourself and confront the hard questions about your business. For instance, many funeral home owners say it’s their service to families that helps them stand apart from competitors. Attempt to answer questions like, “How does our service set us apart?” “What do we do that is different than our competitors ?” “How would our clients distinguish between the service that we provide and that of our competitor?” If you can’t answer those questions, it’s highly unlikely your clients will be able to.

Document and track.

The insights, decisions and initiatives that result from your planning should be documented and shared with the planning group and your team. This also creates the plan your team will use to move forward in the execution and tracking phase of your planning cycle.

How to Create A Strategic Planning Cycle for Your Funeral Home

Creating an effective strategic planning cycle for your firm takes time and attention, but the process is key for your firm’s long-term success. At Homesteaders, we employ a strategic planning cycle with four basic elements: an environmental scan, strategic framework development and review, business planning and initiative development and initiative execution. As you can see from the image below, our planning process is truly a cycle of activities that builds on the previous cycle and lays the groundwork for future work.

Environmental Scan

The environmental scan phase of your strategic planning can include a variety of investigative activities. The purpose of this phase is to help you and your team better know and understand the world in which you do business, both internal and external. As a strategic planning facilitator, I prefer gathering a mix of qualitative and quantitative information to inform the planning cycle.

Funeral home owners will likely be interested in quantitative data such as how many deaths occur in your primary and secondary service areas and any information you can gather about how those numbers are trending up, trending down or staying stable. You may also consider how many of those deaths are going to your competitors compared to how many are being served by your funeral home, the average income in your service area and the average costs related to funeral service.

The qualitative data you might gather would include feedback from your family service surveys and any other information you might have about the end-of-life and death care preferences in your community. It may also be helpful to understand how actively your competitors are marketing, any new services they are offering and how the community is responding to those activities.

Another element of your environmental scan might be a   SWOT analysis   to help you identify your firm’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This type of analysis can help set the stage for building your strategic framework.

Strategic Framework Development and/or Review

Key to your ability to build and execute a business strategy is identifying exactly where your focus is. As a funeral home, you might decide to be the best full-service funeral home in your community, or you could choose to focus on more affordable or discounted funeral service options. You might choose to be the best provider of services to newcomers to your community or offer services specific to key ethnic groups. These decisions should be guided by the findings of your environmental scan and SWOT analysis.

A couple of things to remember when developing your strategic framework:

• Draft your framework carefully and test it with a variety of what-ifs. This is the element of your planning which should stay relatively stable over time. Shifts in your environmental situation might cause you to tweak or adapt your framework, but wholesale changes should only happen in response to significant adjustments in your situation or competitive environment.
• Your framework is designed to help you decide what to do and what NOT to do. If an initiative or activity doesn’t help you achieve your purpose, you should probably avoid devoting resources to it, no matter how compelling the opportunity might seem.

Business Planning and Initiative Development

This phase of your planning cycle will involve identifying and prioritizing the initiatives that will help achieve your goals for your business. It’s very important that you focus on assigning adequate resources and attention to the business planning and prioritizing your efforts. Attempting to do too many initiatives is nearly as detrimental to your business as doing nothing because the result is often the same—nothing gets done!

Initiative Execution

As noted above, the execution phase needs to be properly prioritized to successfully meet your goals. Once you complete a project, you can move on to the next one. Key to this phase is designing a process that identifies timelines and resource allocation (including budget) as well as responsible parties. It’s also important to set up a process for tracking the outcome of your initiatives in order to better understand what works for your firm and what you might do differently the next time.

The elements of strategic planning largely remain the same regardless of how detailed or simple the planning process you identify for your business. The best approach is to begin with a process that is doable for your organization. You can certainly add elements to your process as time goes by and you get more comfortable with accomplishing the planning cycle. 

The most important step? Getting started! 

Ready to evaluate your firm's strategic plan? Contact your Homesteaders account executive for assistance. 

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How to write a business plan for your funeral home business.

Starting a funeral home business is a good idea because it provides a necessary service to families in their time of need, and can be a profitable business venture with a steady customer base.

Don't start without having built a business plan though.

A business plan is essential before beginning a new project, such as a funeral home business. It should provide a roadmap for the project, outlining the goals, strategies, and resources needed to complete the project. A business plan also helps to identify potential risks and challenges, enabling the business owner to plan and prepare accordingly.

In short, a thorough business plan will help make sure your funeral home business is profitable .

What are the essential parts of a business plan for a funeral home business? What's the ideal arrangement for the structure? Which metrics should be part of the financial analysis? What are some steps I can follow to quickly create a business plan?

Stay engaged with this article as it covers all these questions and offers answers.

Additionally, it's worth noting that you have the option to avoid starting your business plan from scratch.

You can download our detailed business plan for a funeral home business and tailor it to suit your requirements.

Mapping out a business plan for a funeral home business

Will a business plan be beneficial for your funeral home business.

Yes, you should create a business plan to help guide your funeral home business.

Drafting a viable business plan will help to:

• get familiar with the funeral home market
• stay on top of trends and integrate them into your project
• establish what makes a funeral home business successful
• understand how families pick a funeral home business
• create a solid value proposition for your mortuary services
• evaluate competitive strategies
• uncover distinctive strengths for your funeral home business
• find a business model that will generate positive cash flows
• formulate and implement a sustainable long-term action plan
• identify and manage risks specific to a funeral home business, including regulatory compliance, bereaved family support, and cultural sensitivity

Our team has drafted a business plan for a funeral home business that is designed to make it easier for you to achieve all the elements listed.

How to structure a business plan for a funeral home business?

A business plan contains facts, figures, and indicators. It is important to have an orderly format for smooth reading and comprehension.

When we built and designed our business plan for a funeral home business , we made sure to structure it propertly.

Here are the 5 sections (Opportunity, Project, Market Research, Strategy and Finances).

1. Market Opportunity

The section number one is called "Market Opportunity".

Access relevant data and metrics for the funeral home business, assisting you in analyzing the opportunities and challenges within the funeral services industry.

We strive to keep this section constantly refreshed with the latest data.

2. Project Presentation

In the "Project" section, describe your funeral home business, including the compassionate services provided, customizable arrangements, serene facilities, and emphasize the unique value proposition for families during difficult times.

Remember to introduce yourself at the end of this section.

Detail your background in funeral services, your compassion for supporting grieving families, and your dedication to providing dignified and respectful funeral arrangements.

We have written descriptions for you in this section, you can tailor so it perfectly fits your business idea.

3. Market Research

Then, there is the "Market Research" section.

This section describes the target audience for your funeral home business.

It includes a comprehensive analysis of competitors in the funeral industry and emphasizes your home's unique funeral services and competitive advantages.

A tailored SWOT analysis is provided as well.

4. Strategy

The "Strategy" section encompasses a complete growth plan, delineating the necessary steps and initiatives to make your funeral home business exceptionally profitable.

Moreover, you'll find a marketing strategy, a risk management approach, and a Business Model Canvas specifically designed for a funeral home business in this section.

5. Finances

Finally, you'll arrive at the "Finances" section, which displays the financial metrics and calculations for your project.

How to elaborate an Executive Summary for a funeral home business?

The Executive Summary functions as a short introduction to the business plan of your funeral home business.

Keep it concise and within 2 pages. Highlight only the necessary details.

When you present your business plan to investors, this is the first impression they will have. It needs to catch their attention and make them eager to read the rest of the plan.

In the Executive Summary of your funeral home business, answer the following questions: what services does your funeral home business provide? who is your target market? are there other funeral homes in the area? what funding do you need?

How to do the market analysis for a funeral home business?

The market study of your funeral home business helps you understand external factors such as client demands for funeral services, competition within the funeral industry, and emerging trends in end-of-life ceremonies.

By conducting a comprehensive market analysis, a funeral home business can understand client funeral needs, provide compassionate and respectful funeral services, optimize pricing strategies, and execute targeted marketing campaigns, ultimately leading to a larger client base, increased service contracts, and a prominent position in the funeral services industry.

You'll discover the following in the "Market Research" section of our business plan for a funeral home business :

• figures, data, and statistics related to the funeral home business, including average funeral costs, cremation rates, and industry trends
• a list of potential audiences for a funeral home business
• the competitor analysis
• the possible competitive advantages for a funeral home business

The key points of the business plan for a funeral home business

What's the business model of a funeral home business, business model of a funeral home business.

A funeral home business's model centers around providing funeral services, including memorial services, cremations, burials, or grief support for families. Revenue is generated through service fees, casket or urn sales, or offering additional memorial products or services.

The business model focuses on providing compassionate and personalized care, coordinating logistics and arrangements, maintaining suitable facilities, effective marketing to target funeral planners or families, and building strong relationships with clergy or celebrants.

Success depends on sensitivity and empathy, delivering professional services, managing regulatory compliance, maintaining a supportive environment for grieving families, and providing a comprehensive range of funeral-related offerings.

Business model ≠ Business plan

Remember, "business plan" and "business model" are not the same thing.

A business model defines how a company creates, delivers, and monetizes its offerings.

In a business plan, you use a tool called the Business Model Canvas to outline how your business works.

Rest assured, we provide a Business Model Canvas in our business plan for a funeral home business .

How do you identify the market segments of a funeral home business?

Market segmentation for your funeral home business involves dividing your potential customers into different groups based on their funeral and memorial service needs, preferences, and cultural traditions.

These categories may include factors such as traditional funerals, cremation services, memorial events, or customers seeking specific funeral arrangements (e.g., eco-friendly options, personalized tributes).

By segmenting your market, you can offer a range of funeral services and options that cater to each segment's specific requirements. For example, you might provide traditional funeral services with visitations and burials for customers following cultural or religious traditions, offer cremation services and personalized memorial events for families seeking alternative options, specialize in eco-friendly funeral arrangements for environmentally conscious individuals, or provide assistance with planning and organizing unique and personalized tributes to honor the life of a loved one.

Market segmentation allows you to effectively target your marketing efforts, communicate your understanding of different funeral needs and traditions, and provide compassionate and supportive services that meet the unique needs of each customer segment.

In the business plan for a funeral home business , you will get a detailed market segmentation, helping you understand your target audiences and their needs.

How to conduct a competitor analysis for a funeral home business?

Without surprise, you won't be the only funeral home business in your area. There will be other establishments providing funeral and memorial services to families in need.

Conducting a comprehensive competitor analysis is a vital step in developing a solid business plan. This involves identifying and evaluating your competitors' strengths and weaknesses.

Recognize their weaknesses (such as inadequate funeral planning services, poor grieving support, or lack of transparency in pricing).

Why should you focus on these elements? Well, these weaknesses can hinder the success of funeral home businesses. By addressing these aspects, you can provide compassionate and supportive funeral services, offer personalized and respectful funeral arrangements, and deliver excellent customer care and grief support, positioning your funeral home business as a trusted and preferred choice for honoring and commemorating loved ones.

It's what we call competitive advantages—strengthening them helps your business stand out from the rest.

Here are some examples of competitive advantages for a funeral parlor: compassionate and respectful staff, customizable funeral arrangements, attention to detail.

How to draft a SWOT analysis for a funeral parlor?

A SWOT analysis helps identify potential strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to better inform strategic decisions when starting a funeral home business.

As you can guess, there is indeed a completed and editable SWOT matrix in our business plan for a funeral home business

The strengths for a funeral home business

When we use the "S" in SWOT, we're referring to Strengths, which are the project's internal assets or areas of expertise.

For a funeral home business, strengths could include personalized services, a well-trained staff, a peaceful atmosphere, and a variety of services.

The weaknesses for a funeral home business

W represents Weaknesses, highlighting the areas or aspects of the project that require refinement.

For a funeral home business: inadequate staffing, lack of marketing, limited service offerings, and insufficient budgeting.

The opportunities for a funeral home business

The letter "O" in SWOT signifies Opportunities, representing the positive external factors or situations that can contribute to the project's success.

In the case of a funeral home business, potential opportunities could include providing additional services such as grief counseling, offering pre-planning services, offering online memorials, and providing virtual funeral services.

The threats for a funeral home business

The letter "T" in SWOT signifies Threats, highlighting the potential obstacles or harmful factors that the project needs to consider.

How to develop a marketing plan for a funeral parlor?

A marketing strategy is vital in a business plan as it outlines how a business will draw in customers and generate revenue.

A funeral parlor can provide compassionate and dignified funeral services by developing an effective marketing approach that emphasizes their expertise in handling arrangements and supporting grieving families.

Individuals won't plan their funeral at your funeral parlor without proper promotion; emphasizing your compassionate approach, personalized services, and attention to detail is crucial.

Are you utilizing marketing tactics to promote your funeral parlor services? Consider offering compassionate support resources on your website or social media, collaborating with local hospices or religious organizations for cross-referrals, and attending community events or health fairs to educate the public about funeral planning.

No worries if you don't have many ideas for the marketing strategy of your project.

How to build a 3-year financial plan for a funeral parlor?

A solid business plan must include financial data to provide an accurate assessment of the business's potential success.

As you outline your business plan, you should include revenue projections for your funeral home business.

By presenting a revenue forecast that is relevant and credible in your business plan, you establish a strong foundation for bank or investor confidence.

Our financial plan for a funeral home business is designed to be user-friendly, incorporating automatic verifications that assist in identifying and correcting any assumptions. This ensures you can build credible projections with confidence.

It goes without saying that you should create a preliminary budget for launching your funeral home business. Pay attention to every expense and don't leave any out (our financial plan includes a complete list for your convenience).

The break-even analysis is central in the financial plan as it will tell you whether your funeral home business will generate profits or not.

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How To Write a Winning Crematorium Business Plan + Template

Creating a business plan is essential for any business, but it can be especially helpful for crematoriums who want to improve their strategy or raise funding.

A well-crafted business plan not only outlines the vision for your company but also documents a step-by-step roadmap of how you will accomplish it. To create an effective business plan, you must first understand the components essential to its success.

This article provides an overview of the key elements that every crematorium owner should include in their business plan.

Download the Ultimate Business Plan Template

What is a crematorium business plan.

A crematorium business plan is a formal written document describing your company’s business strategy and feasibility. It documents the reasons you will succeed and your areas of competitive advantage, and it includes information about your team members. Your business plan is a key document that will convince investors and lenders (if needed) that you are positioned to become a successful venture.

Why Write a Crematorium Business Plan?

A crematorium business plan is required for banks and investors. The document is a clear and concise guide to your business idea and the steps you will take to make it profitable.

Entrepreneurs can also use this as a roadmap when starting their new company or venture, especially if they are inexperienced in starting a business.

Writing an Effective Crematorium Business Plan

The following are the key components of a successful crematorium business plan:

Executive Summary

The executive summary of a crematorium business plan is a one- to two-page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan.

• Start with a one-line description of your crematorium
• Provide a summary of the key points in each section of your business plan, which includes information about your company’s management team, industry analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecast, among others.

Company Description

This section should include a brief history of your company. Include a short description of how your company started and provide a timeline of milestones your company has achieved.

If you are just starting your crematorium , you may not have a long company history. Instead, you can include information about your professional experience in this industry and how and why you conceived your new venture. If you have worked for a similar company before or have been involved in an entrepreneurial venture before starting your crematorium company, mention this.

You will also include information about your chosen crematorium business model and how, if applicable, it is different from other companies in your industry.

Industry Analysis

The industry or market analysis is an essential component of a crematorium business plan. Conduct thorough market research to determine industry trends and document the size of your market. 

Questions to answer include:

• What part of the crematorium industry are you targeting?
• How big is the market?
• What trends are happening in the industry right now (and if applicable, how do these trends support the success of your company)?

You should also include sources for the information you provide, such as published research reports and expert opinions.

Customer Analysis

This section should include a list of your target audience(s) with demographic and psychographic profiles (e.g., age, gender, income level, profession, job titles, interests). You will need to provide a profile of each customer segment separately, including their needs and wants.

For example, a crematorium’s customers may include:

• People who are planning their funerals
• Family members who are arranging funerals for loved ones
• Funeral homes that contract out cremation services

You should also describe how you plan to reach your target customers. What marketing channels will you use? How will you make them aware of your company and its services?

You can include information about how your customers make the decision to buy from you as well as what keeps them buying from you.

Develop a strategy for targeting those customers who are most likely to buy from you, as well as those that might be influenced to buy your products or crematorium services with the right marketing.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive analysis helps you determine how your product or service will be different from competitors, and what your unique selling proposition (USP) might be that will set you apart in this industry.

For each competitor, list their strengths and weaknesses. Next, determine your areas of competitive differentiation and/or advantage; that is, in what ways are you different from and ideally better than your competitors.

Marketing Plan

This part of the business plan is where you determine and document your marketing plan. . Your plan should be clearly laid out, including the following 4 Ps.

• Product/Service : Detail your product/service offerings here. Document their features and benefits.
• Price : Document your pricing strategy here. In addition to stating the prices for your products/services, mention how your pricing compares to your competition.
• Place : Where will your customers find you? What channels of distribution (e.g., partnerships) will you use to reach them if applicable?
• Promotion : How will you reach your target customers? For example, you may use social media, write blog posts, create an email marketing campaign, use pay-per-click advertising, launch a direct mail campaign. Or you may promote your crematorium business via a more traditional approach, such as print advertising or attending trade shows.

Operations Plan

This part of your crematorium business plan should include the following information:

• How will you deliver your product/service to customers? For example, will you do it in person or over the phone only?
• What infrastructure, equipment, and resources are needed to operate successfully? How can you meet those requirements within budget constraints?

The operations plan is where you also need to include your company’s business policies. You will want to establish policies related to everything from customer service to pricing, to the overall brand image you are trying to present.

Finally, and most importantly, in your Operations Plan, you will lay out the milestones your company hopes to achieve within the next five years. Create a chart that shows the key milestone(s) you hope to achieve each quarter for the next four quarters, and then each year for the following four years. Examples of milestones for a crematorium include reaching $X in sales. Other examples include expanding to a second location or launching a new product line.

Management Team

List your team members here including their names and titles, as well as their expertise and experience relevant to your specific crematorium industry. Include brief biography sketches for each team member.

Particularly if you are seeking funding, the goal of this section is to convince investors and lenders that your team has the expertise and experience to execute on your plan. If you are missing key team members, document the roles and responsibilities you plan to hire for in the future.

Financial Plan

Here you will include a summary of your complete and detailed financial plan (your full financial projections go in the Appendix). 

This includes the following three financial statements:

Income Statement

Your income statement should include:

• Revenue : how much revenue you generate.
• Cost of Goods Sold : These are your direct costs associated with generating revenue. This includes labor costs, as well as the cost of any equipment and supplies used to deliver the product/service offering.
• Net Income (or loss) : Once expenses and revenue are totaled and deducted from each other, this is the net income or loss.

Sample Income Statement for a Startup Crematorium Business

Balance sheet.

Include a balance sheet that shows your assets, liabilities, and equity. Your balance sheet should include:

• Assets : All of the things you own (including cash).
• Liabilities : This is what you owe against your company’s assets, such as accounts payable or loans.
• Equity : The worth of your business after all liabilities and assets are totaled and deducted from each other.

Sample Balance Sheet for a Startup Crematorium

Cash flow statement.

Include a cash flow statement showing how much cash comes in, how much cash goes out and a net cash flow for each year. The cash flow statement should include:

• Cash Flow From Operations
• Cash Flow From Investments
• Cash Flow From Financing

Below is a sample of a projected cash flow statement for a startup crematorium business.

Sample Cash Flow Statement for a Startup Crematorium Business

You will also want to include an appendix section which will include:

• Your complete financial projections
• A complete list of your company’s business policies and procedures related to the rest of the business plan (marketing, operations, etc.)
• Any other documentation which supports what you included in the body of your business plan.

Writing a good business plan gives you the advantage of being fully prepared to launch and/or grow your crematorium . It not only outlines your business vision but also provides a step-by-step process of how you are going to accomplish it.

A well-written business plan is a valuable tool for any crematorium business. It can help you obtain funding and attract investors. It can also serve as a roadmap for how you want to grow your business. Use the tips and templates in this article to get started on writing your own crematorium business plan today.  

Finish Your Crematorium Business Plan in 1 Day!

How to Start a Funeral Home Business in 11 Steps

Death is one of the only certainties in life..

For those who are looking for a business venture, it makes sense to consider the funeral home industry. It’s a good choice for someone with a strong business acumen who is at peace with their own mortality.

Running a funeral home could be a lucrative business in the right market. Nearly everyone will use one or more of the products a funeral home offers, so there is a lot of opportunity for growth.

Here are some tips on how to get started:

Step 1: Write your Business Plan

After coming up with the idea, the next step in starting your funeral home business should be to write a business plan. Not only will a bank require you to have a business plan, but multiple studies have shown that a business plan helps increase the odds of starting a successful business.

Step 2: Form a Business Entity

A business entity refers to how a business is legally organized to operate. There are four primary business entities to choose from, which include the sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and Limited Liability Company (LLC). Each type of entity has its own pros and cons, such as liability exposure, costs, and administrative requirements. Seek out an accountant or business formation attorney to help walk you through the best choice for your needs.

Step 3: Name the Business

Finding the perfect business name for a funeral home business can be challenging. Not only does the name have to resonate with your customers, but it also has to be available to use.

Step 4: Select your Location

The rent for a funeral home can be significant because of the size of the building needed. In addition to rent, most buildings will require significant renovations to make them suitable. Because of these renovations and the unique design that a funeral home requires, many funeral home owners purchase their buildings rather than renting them. Finding an existing funeral home for sale or rent may be the best option, saving on renovation time and costs and allowing the business to open sooner.

Step 5: Apply for Business Licenses and Permits

States require different licensing requirements for embalmers and funeral directors. There is oversight from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as funeral homes are regulated under the Funeral Rule, which protects customers from non-transparent bundling of products and services being sold. Many states also have regulations on pre-need planning services, which results in funeral homes being audited.

Local health departments and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will need to certify the funeral home is up to code and cleared to operate.

In addition to professional licensing, there are general business registrations at the local, state, and federal level that a funeral home might need, such as a sales tax permit, Employer Identification Number, and Occupancy Permit, among others.

Step 6: Find Financing

Coming up with a good business idea and having the skills to run it are one thing, but getting the funding to start a funeral home is another. In general, banks like to loan money to funeral homes as demand is steady. That said, getting the funding to start a funeral home can be difficult. In order to get a loan, the borrower(s) will need to have good credit and be able to personally invest 15-25% towards the total start-up costs.

Step 7: Open a Business Bank Account

Keeping your business and personal finances in separate business bank and credit card accounts makes it easier to track the business’s income and expenses.

Step 8: Get your Marketing Plan in Place

Funeral homes rely on ongoing marketing to bring in new clients. Some common marketing activities include social media marketing, print advertising, and even TV and radio ads. Marketing costs will vary depending on the type of activity being performed.

Step 9: Get Insurance

A funeral home will require several types of insurance policies to be fully covered:

General liability insurance protects the business if a customer is ever injured while on the property. This type of policy can cover costs like legal fees and expenses.

Commercial property insurance will reimburse the business for insured equipment, property, and inventory lost or damaged in an event like a fire.

Commercial automobile insurance protects the business against expenses that can occur if a business vehicle is involved in an accident.

Insurance policy costs vary depending on many factors like the value of the business’ equipment, the business’ location, and the number of employees on staff. For the most accurate idea of what insurance will cost, request quotes from multiple providers. When comparing the quotes, pay attention to details like policy coverage limits and exclusions, premiums, and deductibles.

Step 10: Hiring Employees

Funeral homes need even a small staff to operate well, and many staff positions are specialized, requiring particular education and skills. According to ZipRecruiter, the following are average annual salaries for common funeral home staff positions:

• Funeral home manager – $66,666
• li Funeral director – $50,228
• Embalmer – $42,909
• Funeral home driver – $38,710
• Mortuary assistant – $35,997
• Funeral assistant – $27,701

In addition to budgeting for salaries, a funeral home’s budget also needs to account for expenses like worker’s comp insurance, paid time off, and health insurance contributions.

Step 11: Set up an Accounting System

Setting up an accounting system for your funeral home is critical to the long-term success of your business. Staying on top of taxes not only keeps the business out of trouble with the government, but the numbers can be used to track and monitor trends and cash flow in the business and maximize profits.

As with any new venture, it’s important to thoroughly research your location and your target market to understand the services that will be most in-demand. Prepare your business plan, seek out other professionals who already operate successful funeral home businesses, lean on guidance from professionals like business formation lawyers, accountants, and others. The stronger you build your foundation, the greater chance for your success.

Since our inception, Osiris Software has been helping funeral homes, cemetery and crematory businesses prosper through innovative solutions and world class customer service.

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to submit an obituary

To place an obituary, please include the information from the obituary checklist below in an email to [email protected] . There is no option to place them through our website. Feel free to contact our obituary desk at 651-228-5263 with any questions.

General Information:

• Your full name,
• Address (City, State, Zip Code),
• Phone number,
• And an alternate phone number (if any)

Obituary Specification:

• Name of Deceased,
• Obituary Text,
• A photo in a JPEG or PDF file is preferable, TIF and other files are accepted, we will contact you if there are any issues with the photo.
• Ad Run dates
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• If a photo is used, it must be used for both days for the discount to apply, contact us for more information.

Verification of Death:

In order to publish obituaries a name and phone number of funeral home/cremation society is required. We must contact the funeral home/cremation society handling the arrangements during their business hours to verify the death. If the body of the deceased has been donated to the University of Minnesota Anatomy Bequest Program, or a similar program, their phone number is required for verification.

Please allow enough time to contact them especially during their limited weekend hours.

A death certificate is also acceptable for this purpose but only one of these two options are necessary.

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We are not allowed to reference other media sources with a guestbook or an obituary placed elsewhere when placing an obituary in print and online. We may place a website for a funeral home or a family email for contact instead; contact us with any questions regarding this matter.

Obituary Process:

Once your submission is completed, we will fax or email a proof for review prior to publication in the newspaper. This proof includes price and days the notice is scheduled to appear.

Please review the proof carefully. We must be notified of errors or changes before the notice appears in the Pioneer Press based on each day’s deadlines.

After publication, we will not be responsible for errors that may occur after final proofing.

Payment Procedure:

Pre-payment is required for all obituary notices prior to publication by the deadline specified below in our deadline schedule. Please call 651-228-5263 with your payment information after you have received the proof and approved its contents.

Credit Card: Payment accepted by phone only due to PCI (Payment Card Industry) regulations

EFT: Check by phone. Please provide your routing number and account number.

• The minimum charge is $162 for the first 10 lines.
• Every line after the first 10 is $12.20.
• If the ad is under 10 lines it will be charged the minimum rate of $162.
• On a second run date, the lines are $8.20 per line, starting w/ the first line.
• For example: if first run date was 20 lines the cost would be $164.
• Each photo published is $125 per day.
• For example: 2 photos in the paper on 2 days would be 4 photo charges at $500.

Please follow deadline times to ensure your obituary is published on the day requested.

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Unlike an obituary, Memoriam submissions are remembrances of a loved one who has passed. The rates for a memoriam differ from obituaries.

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Please submit your memoriam ad to [email protected] or call 651-228-5280.

Minnesota Wild | John Shipley: Wild’s once simple goaltending…

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Subscriber only, minnesota wild | john shipley: wild’s once simple goaltending plan has become complicated, with marc-andre fleury debating a return, gm bill guerin has potentially difficult decisions to make.

Bill Guerin’s offseason will be a lot less complicated if his best goaltender this season decides to retire.

It’s not that the Wild general manager is eager to lose Marc-Andre Fleury, it’s that re-signing the 20-year veteran would suddenly give the Wild a surfeit of goaltending with Fleury, Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt, who earned his first NHL victory this week with a shutout at Chicago.

If he did, that would give the Wild three goaltenders under contract for next season, two of them NHL-grade veterans and one who, after two full seasons at Iowa, seems ready for a promotion.

Some of that will depend on how Wallstedt, 21, performs in whatever starts he can make before the March 18 season finale against Seattle at Xcel Energy Center. If Fleury is available in 2024-25, the Wild need to know how NHL-ready Wallstedt really is.

His first start with Minnesota was something of a disaster, a 7-0 loss at Dallas in January that wasn’t entirely his fault. He was a lot better in his second start, a 4-0 victory at Chicago last Sunday.

“We’ll go game-to-game with this and work through it,” Hynes said in Chicago. “I don’t want to commit either way, but I would lean in the direction where he’s going to get another game, for sure.”

That could be as early as Thursday in Las Vegas. Eliminated from playoff contention by a 5-2 loss at Colorado on Tuesday, the Wild are looking ahead. On Wednesday, they called up 2021 first-round pick Liam Ohgren, presumably to make his NHL debut.

Wallstedt was 21-19-3 with a 2.76 goals-against average and .908 save percentage this season for an Iowa team that sent a lot of its veteran players to the NHL.

“I think I’m stronger mentally and know what I need to do to prepare myself — what I need to do during the game during the periods to keep my mind fresh,” he said after making 24 saves against the Blackhawks. “(There was) a lot of work I put in, and I felt it out there. I felt much more in control.”

When this season started, it was presumed that Fleury would retire after the season, wipe $3.5 million off the books and make room for Wallstedt to back up Gustavsson, who is playing the first season of a three-year, $11.25 million contract extension he earned by going 22-9-7 with a 2.10 GAA and .931 save percentage in his first full NHL season.

Wallstedt’s $925,000 NHL salary would shave about $2.75 million off the Wild’s payroll next season, a substantial savings for a team that still will be dealing with $14.7 million in dead salary cap next season, the NHL’s punishment for buying out the contracts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter in 2021.

Even if Fleury took a pay cut, it would certainly be more than $925,000.

It’s not unreasonable to expect a 21-year-old to start a third season in the AHL, but Wallstedt’s rookie contract expires after next season, making him a restricted free agent, and the team has high hopes for the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Swede.

Gustavsson hasn’t been great this season — 19-18-4 with a 2.74 GAA and .916 save percentage — but he was last year and will turn 26 in June with two more years on his deal.

Pairing Gustavsson with Wallstedt is a legitimate plan, but the Wild proved to be thin throughout the lineup this season, and Guerin must wonder whether Gustavsson could fetch a top-six forward or top-four blue liner in a trade.

The fact remains that Fleury has been better this season, and while he’ll turn 40 in November, you wouldn’t know it from just watching him play.

Since Jan. 6, Fleury is 11-5-3 with a 2.68 goals-against average, a .902 save percentage and two shutouts in 21 appearances. Since returning from a lower body injury on Jan. 13, Gustavsson is 9-9-2 with a 3.28 GAA and .894 save percentage.

It’s a quandary for Guerin if Fleury decides to play in 2024-25, especially when considering the mentorship Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup champion who has played in 169 playoff games — would offer Wallstedt.

It would be a lot easier, if perhaps not as fruitful, if Fleury decided to retire.

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