Why I Keep My Grave Tending Business Small
The other day I was asked why I don’t scale my grave tending business so I have a hundred clients in one cemetery. While the revenue would be amazing, it would mean changing the nature of my business, and that’s non-negotiable for me.
Sound crazy? Let me explain.
As a side hustle, I can only handle so many headstones per weekend by myself, even if I drag along my favorite sous chef (aka my daughter Cammie) to help lug things to and from the car and tell me when a flower needs to be shifted an inch to the right.
Yes, I could handle many more clients by shifting to a team-based model. As a long-time businesswoman and project manager, I also know how to scale to a hundred gravesites in the cemetery.
Every planting is unique and personal to the client and their loved one.
But let’s take a more reasonable example of twenty sites and just focus on the work in the cemetery. I would hire a team of four people, who would have a specific job and complete it at each gravesite: The first person would take the initial pictures and prep the garden bed, removing debris and old mulch, and edging the site. Another would follow on to prep the soil, adding fertilizer and new soil where needed, and placing the flowers. The third would plant the flowers. Finally, the last person would mulch, take pictures, and water.
Sounds great! Very efficient and organized. But not for me. What I would gain in efficiency and the ability to handle more clients would be lost with a more assembly-line approach. The personalization fades and it all becomes a bit “soulless.”
We have to remember this isn’t landscaping: It’s grave tending.
Our clients are looking to honor their loved ones. They want to keep their memory alive and ensure their resting place is well taken care of. What makes the small business model of grave tending work is the ability to have a personal connection with our clients. Stories they share about the deceased, the special requests of flowers or colors… building this connection gives our clients peace of mind because they know we have their best interests at heart.
I personally select flowers and set the design of each graveside garden, ensuring my clients’ preferences are taken into consideration, and working to bring about a different look with each planting. I spend time making sure the site looks just right—in the garden center and at the cemetery! This results in a garden bed unique to each gravesite; it allows room for artistry that is enjoyable to create and gives clients a sense that their loved one is being treated as the unique individual they were in life.
Staying intentionally small means some years I’m at my client limit and must close my list. But it means my existing clients benefit from the personal service I am able to provide.
The good news is this: as the grave tending field grows, there are more professionals to call when a new client reaches out. Because no one who wants their loved one’s resting place cared for should have to go without.