Simple Direct Funerals

In 2017 my position at Nelson Cathedral was made redundant.  After working in the church for many years I had to make some major life decisions.  I didn’t want to leave Nelson and so my options were limited.  

I visited all the local funeral homes because I had the experience of working with families during bereavements that related to their industry.  But they weren’t hiring at the time.  It was disappointing, but at the same time it started me thinking about the funeral business.

There were two things I came away with after visiting the funeral businesses.  First was the expense of having even a simplest cremation and second how complicated the funeral process seemed to be for some families.  Lots of forms to fill out and questions to answer.  At a stressful time with so many other things going through one’s mind it was so easy for costs to soar.  I wanted to provide a different service

My background had been supporting families through the funeral process.  I was often with them before, during and after the service.  I knew a little of what funeral directors did, but learning the details from the paperwork to the mechanics of moving a person took some time.  The most important thing was that I wanted to do things well and professionally.  I wanted families to feel confident and assured.

So over many months I slowly built my business model.  There were two things I kept at the fore.  Make the process simple for families AND keep the costs down.  One of the things I kept hearing was the unseen costs that kept getting higher for families.

I wanted their costs and service, everything, to be clear from the start so that families would know how much it would cost from the start – no surprises.  I wanted them to be able to focus much more on their loved one than being distracted by things that probably didn’t matter in the long term.

When I led funerals I knew that there were two things people remembered most at a time.  One was being with family and friends and two the stories they shared about the person who died.  This is what people talked about afterwards – not how great the coffin looked or the hearse or the other things.

So after many months of talking with many different people, taking plenty of small steps – like getting business cards, making a website, buying a car, getting the right coffin and all the hundreds of other little things I needed, it got to the stage where I just needed to bite the bullet and advertise and start serving my community.

Simple Direct Funerals began under the name Purely Cremations. To be honest I was terrified when I first started because it was so new to me.  I had all the responsibility.  But from the very first family I was able to do things the way they wanted.  Supporting families through a tough time.  As business grew families told me how helpful my service was for them.

Although low price is an important aspect it does not come at the expense of service, professionalism and care for all. In providing a simple funeral service it removes any pressure or need to spend more money. It helps families focus on what is truly important for them.

This was a surprising aspect, that this simple service has been incredibly meaningful to families as they have been able to focus on their loved one much more and their passing.  Often funeral companies imply that having a formal service or buying a nice coffin shows more respect and care for their loved one.  But this is not the case at all.  This is them trying to make money off families at an emotional time.

I don’t have expensive facilities or staff to pay, so I can keep costs minimal.  Our funeral service provided throughout Tasman and Nelson in many ways feels more intimate as we work hand in hand with the family throughout every step of the funeral process.

Simple Direct Funerals is local through and through. From sourcing the wood for coffins, local craftsmen making urns and numerous other local companies.  I’m pleased that virtually everything about Simple Direct Funerals is locally based.  I’m happy to have a small carbon foot print.

The final thing I learnt was that many families wanted to celebrate and remember the life of their loved one their own individual way.  So even though a cremation may happen quickly, they had time and space to organise a memorial service or get together in a way that meant something to them.

Simple Direct Funerals has been going for a few years now with over 200 funerals.  I am so pleased that the feedback I get is positive and reassuring that they way I’m doing things is what families want.

Simple Direct Funerals is here for the long term.  It will keep the pricing affordable for families who still want a meaningful service without the huge expense.  I continue to grow and learn all the time.  But the thing that remains the same from the very start is providing the best service I can to the community at a fair and competitive price.

Owen Haring – Owner