Man’s Love of Cemeteries Evolved into a Rewarding Grave Care Business
By Home Business Magazine
Faced with her husband’s overgrown gravesite, an elderly lady asked a lawn care company to mow the grass on her husband’s grave plot. The lucky lawn care company, owned by Keith Harper, pocketed a handful of money for only a few minutes work and came away with a great business idea.
Out of this one request, a new Grave Care Business was formed. Keith started his business right out of college to keep from having to work in a windowless office. “I’ve always loved nature, and I couldn’t imagine working in a cubicle for the next 40 years,” he said. Having never heard of grave care, he researched the concept and began to gain a fondness for cemeteries.
“I’ve always been intrigued with cemeteries and it thrilled me to be able to make money at the same time I was beautifying a sacred area,” Keith said. “There is a certain solitude you get from working in the beautiful surroundings of a cemetery, and customers are grateful that there is someone knowledgeable and willing to perform proper upkeep beyond what cemetery management companies provide.”
Keith says that there is a great need for more in-depth services such as: full plot maintenance; floral decoration services; and proper tombstone cleaning.
Additionally, a large number of cemeteries around the country are non-managed or solely managed by volunteers who have a very difficult time fully maintaining the premises. The potential for clients for grave care services is virtually unlimited.
As his love of cemeteries grew, so did his understanding of the requests made by prospective clients. He began visiting other cemeteries to learn new maintenance techniques. “Last year I traveled cross-country on a ‘Cemeteries Across America’ tour. I tried to discover some of the most unique cemeteries in America. From Maine to Hawaii, I visited a great number of cemeteries and learned cultural practices of cemetery care.”
With a wealth of experience, Keith now helps entrepreneurs who want to start their own Grave Care Businesses through his website: www.GraveCareBusiness.com. Keith says there are over 150,000 cemeteries in the United States, and there is plenty of opportunity for anyone who loves cemeteries and wants to make money beautifying sacred spaces. Visit www.GraveCareBusiness.com. Keith also writes a blog about his cemetery research: www.TheCemeteryDetective.com. HBM
