I reserve the right to do more
– without increasing costs 

One of the best things about being your own boss is being able to make decisions without needing to ask or justify it to others.  Because the buck stops with me, I can do what I like.

This is no better illustrated than when I can offer more to families without worrying about increasing their costs.  SDF has always been about setting a price and then doing whatever was needed for the family.  Although money is an important consideration, it is not the focus.

In many cases, a family simply doesn’t want any extra fuss or bother.  Providing an efficient low stress process was appreciated.  Then there is a family who may need more support and this is no problem.

There was a family who wanted to come everyday to see their loved one and then before I left for the cremation they wanted to have some time here before we.  They knew what our facilities are like and for them it didn’t matter.  They appreciated our flexibility and also not adding anything more to their original cost.

It’s Not About Making More Money

Some people love talking about money and how much they can make and how busy they are.  I get the impression of a hamster running in a wheel.

I really don’t enjoy the money side of business. My reward is in helping families. Now I will be the first to say that I don’t always get it right. I’m not perfect, nor do I pretend to be. But I admit my mistakes and always look for ways to improve. So although there is a focus on low-cost, affordable service, my greater focus is always on my service.

Sometimes this improvement has been because the feedback I got from a family was about an aspect they didn’t like.  And I truly appreciate this feedback because it gives me the opportunity to make changes.  Continuing to change, develop and improve – even with the Simple Direct process – is essential.

You probably don’t notice how much more funeral homes now focus on affordable, simple, respectful funerals.  I did a Google search the other day and I’m certain their ads were not like this a few years ago.  In fact, they rarely if ever advertised prices, because then they could make it what they wanted.  I’m going to take some of the credit for this change.  Especially when they steal a lot of my terminology and ideas.

Initially when SDF started, it was our pricing that created the biggest stir.  However, what I think lasts much longer with our families is the service and interaction.  Affordable funerals is so much more than simply having the lowest prices.