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Unusual Niches: Linda Price, Tailor Made Funerals

In the second of our series on specialist VAs, I’m pleased to introduce something which truly had me gobsmacked. I was almost convinced this was a wind up and Lyndsey Diamond or Marj @ Secretary4Hire were falling about laughing, but it’s really true and is an amazing business idea, demonstrating that being specialist pays!

Your name & age?

Linda Prince aged 48

Business name?

Tailor Made Funerals

How long has business been running?

2 years.

Describe your unusual niche?

Funeral Concierge – assisting families with administration following a bereavement.

How did you get into this niche?

Former legal secretary and qualified funeral arranger – combined the two!

Is it a growth area? Where do you see the industry going in the next 5-10 years?

Definitely a growth area – a unique niche for VAs to work in.

If a VA wants further info would you be happy for them to contact you direct and if so, what’s the best contact details?
I’m offering a course to show proficiency in Funeral Concierge work. This course may be taken online or, as a small group at a local venue.

Topics learnt, at Level 1, will include taking instructions and regular liaison with the family; gathering necessary documentation such as insurance, passports, utility bills etc. and arranging for services to be amended or ceased; Thank You notices and letters; collection and onward transmission of donations received in memory of deceased and more! Level 2 will add advanced learning including – arranging Memorial Services; monuments; grave tending; financial and care resources. As part of the learning package, full mentor support will be given to students for their first five clients.

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This is a unique niche market for VAs and we feel that they will already have many of the appropriate customer service skills necessary to assist bereaved families.

Linda Prince – 07775 430 016 or tailormadefuneral@btinternet.com

7 Comments

  1. Sarah King on 31 August, 2010 at 12:10 pm

    I love this article Caroline. What an amazing idea for a niche business. Of course it makes perfect sense when you think about it to take the pressure off grieving relatives when they lose a loved one. Admin is the last thing they need in their bereavement. Hats off to Linda.

  2. Lyndsey McKendry on 31 August, 2010 at 2:01 pm

    Excellent niche as Linda has the background experience to be able to provide this service. Yep Caroline, this it was myself that found this quite amusing at first but it is an excellent niche to have.

    My step father passed away in July and I created a lovely Order of Service with pictures, poems and hymns. Was told by quite a few people at the service that it was lovely and that I should add it to my services…. well, you never know I might just do that. There was lot of faffing in the beginning but got it all centred and very professional looking.

  3. Victoria Murray on 31 August, 2010 at 9:16 pm

    Well, that certainly is an unusal niche. I thought at first it was going to be a service to help people plan their own funerals whilst fit and well so that families didn’t have the emotional hassel.

    Having had 2 friends meet very unexpected and untimely deaths, one in her late 20s and one in his early 30s and hearing about the horrendous admin/financial mess their parents had to sort out I think this a service that should be shouted about from the roof tops! Fantastic.

  4. Catherine Walter on 16 September, 2010 at 2:58 pm

    What a great niche Linda. I have worked in that industry myself for the last 4.5 years and am also a qualified, certificate-waving funeral co-ordinator, although I don’t have you background as a legal secretary also, which I should imagine is very useful from the probate point of view (amongst others).

    I still work for a funeral director part time whilst I grow my VA business so I have to be extremely careful with the conflict of interest thing, but there are many ways in which I could help families that aren’t offered by the company I work for.

    Can’t believe I didn’t even think of it myself and it’s literally right under my nose!!!

  5. badmash on 23 October, 2010 at 2:27 pm

    I just signed up to your blogs rss feed. Will you post more on this subject?

    • Caroline on 29 October, 2010 at 11:20 am

      Absolutely – we’re always on the look out for interesting or popular niches and how people work in them. I’ve had a few comments from VAs who read the articles here and used it as a springboard to enter the niche!

      Keep an eye out and we’ll have more soon!

      Thanks for the comment.
      Caroline

  6. Linda Prince - Tailor Made Funerals on 18 January, 2011 at 12:03 pm

    Thanks for the feedback to the article.

    I would remind you though that the Title Funeral Concierge (TM) is Trademarked to my Company and, as such, you cannot use that title unless youagree to and sign a Trademark Licence with my company.

    In the meantime, I am offering introductory courses from April 2011, feel free to contact me for details, these can be arranged on a 1:1 basis or for a small group.

    When you have taken and passed our two courses, you will receive entitlement to use the term Funeral Concierge (TM) in recognition of your hard work and dedication.

    I hope to hear from some of you soon.

    Regards, Linda

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