SOWPub Small Business Forums - My farmer friend is in his tobacco barn building my coffin

> Hey everyone,

> Okay, this IS a little different...

> I have a farmer friend down here in the
> boonies of KY that is pretty handy with the
> woodworking. He's thinking of building plain
> pine box coffins for folks as a side
> business...
-------------There IS a market for them. More so
than people might think. But, few things, is he going to put an interior in them? More appealing, and people will pay a bit more for that.
And being in Ky, he is in a state that is trying
to ride hurd over the independ. casket stores owners with putting new rules on the books that would make it so only licensed f.d. could be the seller of the funeral product. (Give me a break, that is sooooooo wrong, a casket might be a needed part of a funeral, but basic insight tells me that
it is just like any other item needed - outside sales of flowers, clothes, headstones, etc,etc. The only reason states (4 I think) have laws that restrict outside sales, is because the morticians have lobbied so hard to "keep" prices high without competition.
It sure won't hurt to add it to the income as a start to whatever else he is doing nowadays. He might find it to become a big share.
>putting an ongoing classified in
> the county papers around here, and
> delivering them to the funeral homes as
> needed using his pickup truck.
-----------He might need to rethink his pricing (seen below) seems really low. The wood and the labor, delivery and the added parts, if it is a really good looking casket, it is worth $600-700.
if the wood alone is $300.00
> He asked me what I thought about his plan. I
> thought ummm... well... er... I'll ask my
> buds on some of the boards! So what say you?
> Is his plan do-able? What pitfalls do I need
> to point out to him?
------Only that he should be aware of the same biz rules that every other business has to deal with. Be ligit in all he does. File with the state register dept. for the line of product (biz) he is getting in, get a sales (vendor) tax license/permit. AND learn of the FTC funeral rule
(that permits his trade)
http://www.burialitems.com/Orders.html
so no one will be able to pull the wool over his eyes.
I think he might need to be alittle bold in his field, as he will perhaps run up against really bold people who ---
The Funeral director might try to tell the family (and these are LIES!)
1) they will need to be there for the delivery.
(wrong, and just a sales tactic of the f.d. to keep this sale by making it more difficult for the customer to use his/her freedom of choice. No more than the family needs to be there for the delivery of the other things they order, flowers, etc.
2) The delivery person will need to sign off on the appearnce of the casket (again, more fluff)
3) Is that all your loved one is worth?? (This is so mean, have heard of it happening once in five yrs tho.) Guilt, haggling and other sales tactic may be used, as that sale represents a large profit item for the mortician. As he had no competition for so many years, they (some)mark up their goods 4 times or MORE.
4) The handles (sick thoughts meant to put fear in the poor person who already has been put thru so much.) IF EVER any mortican suggests such a thing, I HOPE the family changes f.d. as they sure don't know what they are talking about OR HAVE the best interests of the family at heart!!!) will fall off or the bottom will fall out.
Fact is, we sell only USA made goods, and if he is as good a craftsman as most, he wouldn't be able to offer something he didn't test, retest and stand by. Some of the units we offer are the very same ones (just at a whole lot less) as in the funeral showroom, same unit, but some jerk will maybe still try to say this about another's product. RUN!!

Tell him good luck from me, and if he needs a few heads up, email me.
> Betty B., I hope you chime in on this too!
----------Hey thanks so much, nice to see I'm remembered :-> grin, tend to get long winded on the scams others have tried to stop freedom of choice tho.
> Best wishes,
> Jim Erskine
> Homeway Press

> PS. He is one interesting farmer, I'll tell
> you. Does nice work, too. I'm going to buy
> one. ($400)
---------That low, hummm, bet that price goes up when he sees whatall is involved and his true costs. But I'd like to see one when he gets up and running! Point him my way, okay?
Then again, more people are choosing cremation due to the stiff costs that burial comes with.
And I just found a really neat item that allows the ---well, if interested, check out the custom
tree stump at the bottom of this page.
http://www.burialitems.com/urnvaults.html

A Team Masters Casket store