How to Start a Headstone Business | TRUiC

A headstone business will make custom-made tombstones for cemetery plots. Headstones may be small and flat or large and upright. They may use anything from granite to marble to illustrate their designs, script, and artwork.

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Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? We recommend forming an LLC as it is the most affordable way to protect your personal assets. You can do this yourself or with our trusted partner for a small fee.

Northwest ($29 + State Fees)

DIY: How to Start an LLC

Start a headstone business by following these 10 steps:

1. Plan your Headstone Business
2. Form your Headstone Business into a Legal Entity
3. Register your Headstone Business for Taxes
4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
5. Set up Accounting for your Headstone Business
6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Headstone Business
7. Get Headstone Business Insurance
8. Define your Headstone Business Brand
9. Create your Headstone Business Website
10. Set up your Business System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your headstone business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don&#;t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Headstone Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state&#;s business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability

It&#;s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening a headstone business?

Headstone owners should account for the rent/mortgage of their workshop, headstone materials, and marketing costs. They&#;ll also need to prepare for standard expenses of any new business, such as registration fees, permits, and commercial insurance.

What are the ongoing expenses for a headstone business?

A headstone business will need to account for the rent/mortgage of their space, the cost of replacing equipment, and the premium for commercial insurance. Stone cutting can be a dangerous business and owners are highly encouraged to have the liability insurance to cover themselves against an injury or workers&#; compensation claim.

Who is the target market?

Any loved one who is planning to give the deceased a physical tribute. Traditionally, headstones are used for marked graves, but some people will order a headstone for the urn that holds a person&#;s ashes. These headstones are built from a solid block of stone, but have a back that can be opened where the urn can go. Owners should also strongly consider marketing their business to pet owners as well. This is a growing market that can vastly boost your numbers.

How does a headstone business make money?

Headstone companies charge per headstone based on labor, the raw cost of materials, and general business expenses. They will also typically budget a profit margin based on the size and scope of their operation.

How much can you charge customers?

Average costs for a headstone are around $2,000. A flat headstone may cost $1,000 or less, while a more elaborate upright headstone can cost up to $10,000 or more.

How much profit can a headstone business make?

Headstone businesses can make a substantial profit on their creations, especially for top talent. The funeral industry makes more than a 60% margin on all services, including tombstones.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Consider offering additional engraving services for vaults or crypts. These elaborate resting places can be made more beautiful with your etchings, especially if they&#;re meant to house several generations of a single family.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC&#;s free Small Business Startup Guide &#; a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your headstone business is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they&#;re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.

This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business&#;s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business&#;s liabilities.

In practice, this means that if your headstone business were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.

More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We&#;ve negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.

FORM YOUR LLC

Note: If you&#;re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It&#;s really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company&#;s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business&#; expenses all in one place.
• Build your company&#;s credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company&#;s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you&#;re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it&#;s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers&#; Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it&#;s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers&#; Compensation Coverage.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

&#;&#;&#;If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a headstone business

Marketing in the funeral industry can be difficult. This is not a business that people feel comfortable with, so personal recommendations and referrals will always be more effective than traditional advertisements. However, you can also create tactful ads that appear either online or on television. The ads should give gravity to the situation and explain how the right headstone can aid the grieving process, both before and after the funeral. Resist targeted ads that track people who search for general funeral services. Grieving families may interpret this as a money-grab that takes advantage of their loss.

How to keep customers coming back

Your website should be easy to find and navigate. Consider showing a video of how a design comes together. No matter what kind of advertising you do, place positive testimonials front and center. Or share a personal story that reflects how a headstone helped you cope with the loss of a loved one. You can retain customers by providing excellent customer service and creating a headstone that any family would be proud to display.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it&#;s out of their reach because they don&#;t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in , web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn&#;t delay building your website:

• All legitimate businesses have websites &#; full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
• Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
• Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don&#;t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business system

Getting a set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That&#;s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business system. We&#;ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Systems to find the best service for your small business.

Recommended Business Service: .com

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Tombstone Supplier.

.com is our top choice for small business numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it&#;s fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

People who want to give the dead a headstone that is worthy of the time a person spent on Earth. Owners should want to work with grieving friends and family who wish to commemorate their loved ones.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

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What happens during a typical day at a headstone business?

Headstone companies will spend most of their time working on orders. Staff will spend time gathering information from customers about their exact parameters and expectations. They&#;ll also need to order materials, restock supplies, and build an attractive and compassionate website.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful headstone business?

Headstone business owners are typically those familiar with the world of stone working. However, you&#;ll also need some degree of salesmanship, financial savvy, and compassion to successfully run this business. You should feel comfortable discussing the business of death while being mindful of those who aren&#;t.

What is the growth potential for a headstone business?

The world is quickly running out of burial space, so there is some risk here. It is the tradition of certain religious groups such as Muslims and Christians to bury their dead, but other people are beginning to turn to cremation. Owners should consider the demographics of their community before starting the business.

However, headstones can enjoy a larger market for those willing to think outside the box. For example, many people would still like a physical reminder of their loved ones, even if the person isn&#;t physically in the grave. You can also consider shipping your headstones overseas. Mourners in other countries may want a specific type of stone that can&#;t be found in their country, which can open up a whole new demographic.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant&#;s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We&#;ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

• Funding
• Events
• Guides
• Support

If you&#;re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a headstone business?

A new headstone business should have some way of standing out from competitors in the area. You may want to try marketing online, considering that&#;s how many people are likely to start their search. A grieving family member should have the online tools they need to make decisions from a distance. Some stone workers will offer tombstones as a part of their general business. If you&#;re able to offer these services on the side as a supplement income to your day job, this can help you get a better idea of the demand in your area without the risk.

Or you may want to distinguish yourself with the quality of your stonework. If you can etch portraits with photo-like resemblance into the stone, this may make it easier to choose you. (Most headstone businesses use lasers to improve their accuracy, but some families may still want hand-carved stone.) Owners should also find ways to source sustainable materials that were ethically mined. This helps people make informed choices without having to do additional research on their own. Think of your own values as well as those of the general community before settling on a branding strategy.

Finally, owners should be partnering with other professionals in the funeral industry. It&#;s likely that funeral homes and cremation services already have headstone companies they partner with but that doesn&#;t mean they&#;re unwilling to consider your services. The more connections you make, the more likely you are to be recommended to those in immediate need of your services.

How and when to build a team

You may not need to hire a team at first, especially if you&#;re planning to do the stonework and marketing on your own. However, you should strongly consider hiring a receptionist or additional stonecutters long before your orders surpasses the number of hours in the day. Doing so will ensure there&#;s no lag time between placement and the delivery of your services. When you hire a stonecutter, make sure they&#;re comfortable working with complicated designs and various materials.

Useful Links

Real World Examples

Rodney Melton's grandchildren holding one of the pet memorials that he makes and sells on Etsy.

Rodney Melton

Rodney Melton used to work 12-hour days at a pet care manufacturer for $31 per hour.

It was a good living, says Melton, 55, but it doesn't measure up his earnings today making and selling pet memorials.

The Alma, Arkansas, resident started his side hustle in for two reasons. His friend's dog Molly died, and he happened to own a $15,000 engraver for his stone-carving hobby. Molly's concrete headstone turned out well, and Melton decided to open an Etsy shop in March .

A few initial orders turned into a handful of positive reviews, which turned into more orders. Melton added granite carvings to his repertoire, and bought new equipment to cut down his production time. In May , he sold nearly $20,000 worth of engraved memorials. By month's end, he still had 230 orders still left to fill.

So, he quit his job and enlisted his wife to help him make pet headstones full-time. Last year, he hired his daughter and daughter-in-law, too. The store brought in $207,000 in revenue, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. About 65% of that was profit, Melton estimates.

Each member of the four-person team works roughly five hours per day, leading to a total average of 50 pet memorials per week, Melton says. And though they depend on his technical expertise, local granite sources and willingness to invest in the business, Melton swears there's nothing special about his store's success.

"Anybody can do this," he says.

A machinery-based side hustle

Melton's stone-engraving hobby relied on a computer-controlled carving tool known as a CNC router. He'd use it to carve family names or street addresses into rocks for his neighbors' yards. There's room for such lawn accessories in Alma, a town of 6,000 people that sits at the edge of the Ozark Mountains.

At first, he only could only fulfill 16 Etsy orders per month. The cement fillings sat in molds for two days before Melton could engrave and glaze them, a roughly five-hour process. His wife finished each memorial, filling the letters with epoxy glue.

Don't miss: This 59-year-old's lucrative side hustle: Earning $16,000 a month selling recycled fire pits on Etsy

The extra cash was great, he says, but he wanted to shorten his lead time. After researching online, he discovered that his process was somewhat obsolete. Three months after opening his store, he spent $7,000 from his savings on sandblasting equipment, because an expert online told him he'd "be crazy" not to, he says.

The equipment cut his production time down to 45 minutes. In the second half of the year, he brought in between $5,400 and $8,300 per month.

Local connections, major payoffs

In January , Melton decided to add granite headstones &#; a more durable, expensive and premium product &#; to his Etsy shop. The problem: Granite wasn't easy to find.

A local monument company had a nine-month-long waiting list, but told Melton they needed someone with a laser engraver to etch photographs onto granite headstones in cemeteries. Two doors down, a countertop manufacturer offered to sell him black, champagne and speckled granite scraps.

Melton bought the scraps and, sensing opportunity, invested $38,000 &#; from both his savings and the previous year's proceeds &#; in a laser engraver, further cutting down his production time.

Combined with a higher-quality product, Melton's sales soared. He brought in $23,200 that June, the month after he left his full-time job.

Around that time, he started buying discarded countertops on Facebook Marketplace, he says. The slabs were cheaper, but required more equipment: Melton bought a $3,000 granite saw to shape the stone and a $3,500 machine to chisel the edges, giving the memorials a natural look.

In total, Melton has spent about $66,500 on stone tools, he says. His store has brought in nearly $383,000 in revenue in two and a half years.

Maintaining the family business

Working with his wife, daughter and daughter-in-law helps Melton be more efficient and creative, he says. They communicate well with each other, and when a customer orders, it now only takes about nine days for them to design, make and ship their memorials, Melton says.

It also raises the stakes of his business. If the shop doesn't bring in money, his entire family is in trouble. And earnings can fluctuate dramatically, Melton says. Sometimes, his store gets buried in Etsy's search results for reasons he can't entirely explain. (An Etsy spokesperson declined to comment.)

It usually rebounds within a month or two, says Melton. But during one such slowdown, his daughter started looking for part-time jobs, in case business never picked back up.

The fluctuations worried Melton too, until he realized that the only thing he could control amid those uncertain times was the consistency of his work, he says.

"Pets are such an integral part of our lives," Melton says. "They're like family, to say the truth. To be a part of making something that helps people means a lot to me."

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