The Funeral Services Industry

The funeral services industry is one industry that is seemingly recession proof. In the near future, no one is going to stop dying. It is a natural part of the life cycle, and when you or a loved one does expire, there will always be funeral directors reaching out a hand to help you and your family through one of the most difficult times an individual or family will have to face. Though under one broad term, funeral services actually include many sub categories, as well as many ways the practice can be done. While some industries are facing tough times, many funeral homes are seeing a peak in business as the baby boomer generation dies off. This, along with the still living baby boomers slowly retiring and leaving their positions as morticians and prep room attendants to move on in their lives. It opens the door to a new generation of small business owners and small business employees. One problem facing the industry is the threat of monopolization. Around the world bigger companies are slowly buying out independently owned funeral homes and replacing them with an almost factory atmosphere environment. This will all be discussed in detail.

History and Background of the Funeral Industry:

The funeral industry itself only began in the twentieth century; prior to this time burials and ceremonies were held privately at the deceased homes with only family and close friends present. The deceased were often buried in their own backyard or somewhere on their property that held some significance to them (Funeral Wise, 2010). This started to change when urban areas began to pop up and then cemeteries were introduced (Funeral Wise, 2010).
The process of embalming, which is the act of removing any matter in the body that can immediately cause odour as well as preserving, disinfecting, and restoring the body to make it look as life like as possible, was not used by mass culture until around the time of the civil war (Funeral Wise, 2010). It was needed in order to