There are many reasons why people seek cremation services when a loved one passes away. For instance, cremation requires fewer resources, and it also allows family and friends to honor their loved one’s wishes. Given the popularity of cremation services, it makes sense that you’re planning on opening a crematorium business.
But before you set the wheels in motion, you need to know the costs involved. There are many costs involved when opening your crematorium business, chief among them the cost of renting a building for a small business. Here are more costs you need to factor into the equation.
Business Formation Costs
Fortunately, you don’t have to jump through too many hoops to start operating a crematorium. Generally, you’re not required to have any certification. However, you’ll still need to know how to operate the standard equipment needed to run a crematorium. So, you’ll need to complete training for that.
Also, keep in mind that even though you may not need to have any special certification, you can still pursue various forms of certifications that make your business more legit and increase credibility with your clients. Besides certification and training, you’ll also need to obtain the legal documents necessary for the formation of your business.
If you want to stay on the right side of the law while running your business, you need a business license. This is also called a Dead Body Handler’s license since not everyone is allowed by the law to cremate people. You also need a taxpayer’s ID or tax identification number as well as a Certificate of Incorporation.
On top of that, you need a Certificate of Occupancy and an operating agreement for LLCs to ensure that the premises you’re using have fulfilled all legal formalities and restrictions. Other business formation costs include the cost of coming up with a business plan and employee book. The costs can add up to several thousand dollars though this depends on the state you live in and whether or not you’re hiring professionals to help you with the process.
Costs of Buying Business Assets
Business assets represent one of the highest costs of opening a crematorium. By business assets, we mean equipment and any other investment that helps you generate profit in the operation of your company. Typically, when opening a crematorium, you’ll need to purchase incinerators or crematory furnaces. The cost of these machines will vary based on size.
You’ll also need to purchase different types of furnaces if you’re going to be offering cremation for both people and pets. Although you’ll also need other machines or equipment, crematory furnaces tend to be an essential component of your business. So, you should expect to splurge on high-quality machines.
Crematoriums also need refrigerated chambers for the storage of human bodies before they can be cremated. Aside from the cremation side of things, your offices also need furniture, supplies, and equipment. The most basic office equipment includes computers and printers.
Your cremation business will also need vehicles for transporting human bodies, as well as vehicles that can be used for various business purposes. The good news is you can lease most of these assets, which helps to reduce your upfront costs. Similarly, you can take out a business loan, which helps to spread out the costs over many months.
Insurance Costs
It’s crucial to invest in an insurance policy for your crematorium business right from the start. It’s not only crucial, but it’s also a legal requirement. This protects your business should something go wrong unexpectedly. If you’re in the market for a business insurance policy, you should take the time to research the different types of policies at your disposal.
For starters, there’s public liability insurance, which protects your business in the event that members of the public suffer as a result of your business’s operations. This type of policy can be helpful to your crematorium business which will have to interact with clients regularly on company premises.
There’s also professional indemnity insurance which protects your business against the costs of lawsuits filed by clients who are negatively affected by the services or advice you have provided. Another type of insurance is employers liability insurance.
As the name suggests, it protects your workforce from financial losses that arise after job-related illness and injury. This type of policy can help you save money down the line if you’re planning to hire people who will be performing physical tasks on behalf of your business.
You can also consider product liability insurance, Key Man insurance, and other types of policies that apply to your business. Again, remember that insurance costs are a necessary expense that will help keep your business afloat in the face of the unexpected.
Building Rentals
Renting a building for a small business is another major consideration to make as you get ready to open your new company. The cost depends on the size of the crematorium you plan to open. Generally, you want real-estate space that accommodates all the basic equipment you need to get started.
For instance, is there enough space for standard-sized furnaces, refrigerated areas, and other basic equipment? Another consideration to make when renting a building for a small business is whether it can also accommodate your staff so they can work comfortably in the available space.
In addition, renting a building for a small business can come with additional costs that are not included in the monthly rentals. You have to budget for various utility bills, such as heating and cooling, water, and electricity. Be sure that you budget for other related costs that may apply.
Hiring Staff
Besides the cost of renting a building for a small business, another major cost is staffing. Hiring the right cremation professionals is crucial to the long-term running of your business, so you’ll need to take your time looking for the right workforce. For starters, you’ll need front office personnel that provides answering services and is the first point of contact when clients get in touch seeking your services.
Generally, crematoriums also need to hire drivers, marketing people, managers and supervisors, furnace operators, general hands, and cleaners. Employees tend to be one of the highest costs to any business, including crematorium businesses. Wages for each employee will vary based on their role and duties, but it’s important to keep compensation competitive in order to attract top talent.
Setting Up Accounting
When you start your crematorium business, you need to set up accounting so that you can accurately track your business’s financial matters. This is crucial to understanding whether your business is heading in the right direction for a better business bottom line.
When budgeting for accounting costs, you need to factor in overhead costs as well as the costs of bookkeeping services if you’re outsourcing some of the accounting tasks. Alternatively, you can hire an in-house team dedicated to recording business expenses and managing your financial books overall. If you’re wondering how much accounting will cost your business, the truth is there’s no one answer.
It depends on a wide range of factors, such as the frequency you use accounting and bookkeeping services. You may also need to bring in other financial professionals on board, such as accountants, CPAs, and payroll personnel. Therefore, your accounting costs will increase as you require more services and perform more financial tasks.
Building Repairs and Improvements
The cost of renting a building for a small business is only the beginning when it comes to getting your company premises up to speed. You’ll also need to renovate the entire place according to the needs of your crematorium business. You want people to have the right impression when they visit, so it may be necessary to hire a stucco painting service.
You may find that some major repairs are required. For instance, if there’s something wrong with the building’s water lines, then you’ll need to hire reputable plumbing services. The building also needs to be well ventilated and warm, so you may need to talk to a heating oil manufacturer and contact HVAC professionals to perform repairs and regular maintenance work, such as cleaning ducts.
In addition, consider engaging a commercial metal fabrication service to help you tailor your equipment and machines to your business. From the outset, you should be aware that major building repairs and improvements can be costly, so you should create a flexible budget that helps you achieve the vision you have for your business. Make sure that you shop around for contractors to find one that offers affordable but quality services you can trust.
Advertising and Marketing
Advertising and marketing should be part of your business startup costs because they help your business to quickly expand and increase profits. Otherwise, how else will you be able to attract more clients to support your business? This explains why businesses are heavily encouraged to invest in marketing and advertising before opening.
The process involves printing out and distributing promotional brochures, flyers, banners, and business cards. You can outsource the work or hire professionals to help you with brand awareness. You’ll also need to make sure your brand remains consistent through the design of your logo and in the way you manage your online presence.
When done right, advertising and marketing will make you more appealing to your target market. For instance, most people prefer crematoriums that have empathy and show genuine concern. Remember, you’ll be dealing with grieving clients that appreciate dealing with someone that cares. So details like the colors you use, images, content, font, and even logo size can all help you sell your services to the people who need them. As for the costs of advertising and marketing, it all depends on your marketing budget.
Here’s a pro tip: If you’re investing a lot of funds in marketing and advertising, you should have KPIs in place to monitor the effectiveness of the strategies you’re using. That way, you don’t waste money on tactics that don’t work. You should expect a significant ROI, whether you’re listing your business in the yellow pages or advertising via TV, radio stations, traditional billboards, newspapers, or online adverts.
So How Much Does It Cost to Start a Crematorium Business?
As you can see, there are many costs you have to factor in when starting a crematorium business, besides the cost of renting a building for a small business. But at the end of the day, you may want a round figure, so you have a bigger picture of how much it costs to start a crematorium business.
Well, on average, you’ll need anything from $100,000 to $250,000 to get your business up and running. The truth is, it could be more or less depending on the size of the business, your location, plus other factors. For instance, the cost of renting a building for a small business depends on how big the building is and where it’s located.
So, how much you’re going to need to budget depends on the unique needs of your business. However, if you still need a ballpark figure, the costs generally range between $100,000 and $250,000. In a nutshell, the cost of starting a crematorium business encompasses the cost of renting a building for a small business, plus furnace, staffing, vehicles, certification and licensing, and marketing. These are just the startup costs – there are also ongoing expenses you have to factor in, such as payroll and taxes.
Conclusion
If you’re starting a crematorium business, then it’s imperative that you know and calculate the costs involved. You should at least know the cost of renting a building for a small business. Otherwise, you would be flying blind if you’re not aware of the long-term costs of buying a business.
The good news is we have done most of the homework for you, so you should factor in the costs above and any other costs that may be unique to your business or location. We wish you the best of luck with your business!