Entrepreneur Guidance
Starting a Mortuary Transportation Services Business
Always wanted to be your own boss and own a mortuary transportation services business? We discuss the problems that frequently cause problems to new entrepreneurs.
Thinking about opening a mortuary transportation services business? We tell you what you need to know to get started.
Industry Demand for Mortuary Transport Services
Each year, there are more than 2.5 million deaths reported in the United States. Although funerary service providers are diverse, funeral homes and their directors handle the lion's share of the industry workload, often relying on the assistance of third-party mortuary transportation businesses to deliver essential services.
Mortuary transporters fill a variety of roles designed to save time for busy funeral home directors. Using an appropriate mortuary transport vehicle, your business will perform removals (hospital/nursing home/residential), deliveries to funeral homes & cemeteries, long-range (i.e. state-to-state transports), death certificate pick-ups and possibly even hearse rentals.
Selecting a Territory for a Mortuary Transportation Startup
Coverage areas often differentiate mortuary transport services located in the same vicinity. Most of your company's services will be local, but since funeral home clients sometimes require airport pickups and long-range transports, they tend to establish relationships with transporters that have the most capacity.
So as a startup, the task of selecting a territory has both operational and promotional ramifications. The more vehicles and drivers you can staff, the more territory you can cover -- leading to increased business through messaging that bills your company as a one-stop transportation source.
Pricing
Pricing is competitive in the mortuary transportation industry. Next to scope of services, pricing is the primary selection criteria funeral homes use when choosing a service provider.
In today's market, it's common for mortuary transportation services to include a price list on their business website. Before you set your prices, take some time to conduct a competitive analysis in your territory.
Even though it may be tempting to deliberately undercut the market in an effort to quickly win clients, it's more important to price your services fairly, at a level that will allow you to provide a full range of services.
Characteristics of a Good Mortuary Transportation Services Company Business Plan
Every business plan is unique. However, the most effective business plans do address specific sound business plan elements:
- Mission Statement � Your description of your mortuary transportation services business's reason for existing.
- Goals & Objectives � A list of mile markers on your mortuary transportation services business's road to success.
- Financial, Marketing & Action Plans � Each of these plans covers a specific aspect of your mortuary transportation services business's strategy and direction.
Assess the Competition
Long before you open a mortuary transportation services business within your community, it's a good idea to see how many competitors you have. Use the link below to get a list of local competitors in your city. Simply enter your city, state and zip code to get a list of mortuary transportation services businesses in your town.
Is the established competition doing a good job? It's important to understand their strengths and weaknesses and think through how you'll stake up against those established businesses.
Learn from Others Who Are Already In This Space
After you've evaluated your local competitors, it's a smart move to have a conversation with someone who is in the business. If you think owners of nearby mortuary transportation services businesses will give you advice, think again. It'd be crazy for them to teach you the business.
However, a fellow entrepreneur who has started a mortuary transportation services business in a different city may be more than happy to give you a few tips, after they realize you reside far away from them and won't be stealing their local customers. In that case, the business owner may be more than happy to discuss the industry with you. If you are persistent, you can find a business mentor who is willing to help you out.
How would you find an owner of a mortuary transportation services business outside of your area who is willing to talk?
Here's how we would do it. Try the useful link below and key in a random city/state or zipcode.
Three Arguments for Buying a Mortuary Transportation Services Business
At Gaebler, we think it makes a lot of sense to explore a mortuary transportation services business purchase before committing to a startup.
Due diligence and other business buying requirements are essential. But there are several reasons why buying a mortuary transportation services business may still be your best bet.
- Initial Revenue. Startups struggle to bring in revenue right out of the gate while existing businesses usually have a steady stream of income.
- Operational Efficiency. When you're shopping for a mortuary transportation services business, be sure to look for ones that have all of the necessary processes and systems to ensure seamless operations from your first day of ownership.
- Capital Acquisition. Lenders, investors and other funding sources almost always prefer business purchases to startups.
Explore Franchising Options
As an entrepreneur, your chances growing your business are much greater when you join the ranks of franchisees in lieu of doing everything yourself.
Prior to starting a mortuary transportation services business, a smart move is to investigate whether franchise opportunities in your space might simplify your entering the business.
The link below gives you access to our franchise directory so you can see if there's a franchise opportunity for you. You might even find something that points you in a completely different direction.
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