10/23/2026
What Does It Actually Take to Own and Run a Funeral Home?
Ever wonder what it actually takes to own and operate a funeral home?
I don't mean what happens during a funeral.
I mean the stuff you don't see.
The risk. The staff. The vehicles. The equipment. The regulations. The technology. Being on call when families need you. And, yes, even making sure the parking lot looks good.
Not long ago, I was invited to speak at a community event, and I decided to pull back the curtain a little on what it really takes to run Kennedy's.
I was probably more transparent than I needed to be.
But people loved it.
So I thought, why not share some of it here too?
We weren't born into this.
My wife, Jenn, and I didn't have parents in the funeral business, and we certainly weren't handed a funeral home.
Our journey to purchasing Kennedy's involved some luck. We met people who were ready to retire and, thankfully, were willing to take a chance on a young couple who didn't have much money, but had a lot of determination.
I'll always acknowledge that. We wouldn't be where we are today without meeting some fantastic people who gave us that opportunity.
But getting started wasn't easy.
In those early days, we lived off credit cards. Within a month of buying the funeral home, Jenn, who was our only stable source of income, was involved in a car accident.
We had two young children, a mortgage at home, a large commercial mortgage at work, and a business we absolutely had to make succeed.
Stressful would be an understatement.
But we kept going.
So, what's the secret?
Honestly?
Do a good job.
I know that sounds like Captain Obvious, but that's really been our philosophy.
We're never going to be perfect. We'll have our moments like everybody else. But we try incredibly hard to take good care of people.
Hire good people.
Treat families properly.
Invest back into the business.
Learn from your mistakes.
And surround yourself with a team that believes in what you're trying to build.
Today, we have a staff of 13, including Hope, our full-time funeral director, and a really great group of people who genuinely fit what we're about.
For us, it's also important that the day-to-day operation of Kennedy's remains in the hands of funeral directors.
Jenn is an owner, but she isn't a funeral director. She trusts Hope and me to manage the funeral side because, quite honestly, we eat, breathe and sleep this profession.
Now for the stuff people don't normally see.
What does it actually take to keep a funeral home running?
Quite a bit.
At any given time, we have roughly have $200,000 to $300,000 invested in vehicles.
Those vehicles lead funeral processions, bring people's loved ones into our care, transport caskets and equipment, and handle countless other jobs.
We maintain approximately 7,000 square feet of building space designed to feel more like a home than a business, including one of the largest single visitation rooms in the area and our own reception centre.
Then there's the technology.
Six computers. Three iPad Pros. A commercial printer. A large-format printer. A laser engraver. Video equipment. Professional sound equipment for indoor and outdoor services.
We've invested close to $60,000 in some of that equipment alone.
We have hundreds of chairs. We invest in quality embalming products and equipment. We maintain our building, property and grounds.
Heck, we even seal the parking lot every couple of years because we want the place to look nice.
And we continue investing in technology that hopefully makes things a little easier for families, including our new online planner that allows people to explore options and get a very accurate idea of costs before ever walking through our doors.
But here's the important part.
None of that is what makes a good funeral home.
Buildings, vehicles, computers and technology are tools.
What really matters are the people answering the phone when someone needs us. The person welcoming a family through the door. The funeral director sitting across the table and listening. The people working quietly behind the scenes making sure all the little details are taken care of.
That's our team.
And honestly, they're one of the things I'm most proud of.
Because you can buy another computer.
You can replace a vehicle.
You can't buy people who genuinely care.
And yes, even death has regulatory fees.
Funeral homes, cemeteries and crematoriums in Ontario are regulated by the Bereavement Authority of Ontario.
This is always one of the parts that gets people's attention when I talk about the behind-the-scenes side of the business.
The BAO currently charges operators a $30 Consumer Protection Fee for each death registration, cremation, interment, scattering or hydrolysis.
That means there can actually be more than one $30 BAO fee associated with the same person.
That's usually one of those...
"Wait...what?"
..moments when I explain it.
So why do it?
That's probably the easiest question of all.
Because despite the stress, the long days, the financial risk, the responsibility and being on call when families need us, we genuinely love what we do.
Since 2007, Kennedy's has grown more than we ever imagined it would.
Back then, about 11 people a year prearranged with us.
Today, it's normal for roughly four times that number of people to choose Kennedy's for their prepaid funeral arrangements.
To us, those aren't just business numbers.
They're people trusting us.
And I think that's probably the greatest responsibility that comes with owning a funeral home.
People are trusting you during some of the most difficult days their family will ever experience.
You don't take that lightly.
And there's one more thing I'm particularly proud of.
Kennedy's operates from one location, serving families throughout this region.
We're not trying to be everywhere.
We're concentrating on doing one thing and doing it well.
One building to care for.
One team to invest in.
One standard we're responsible for.
And one family ultimately accountable for it.
One Location.
One Family.
One Team.
One Focus.
That's a little peek behind the curtain at what it takes to keep this machine running.
It hasn't always been easy.
It definitely hasn't always been glamorous.
But after everything it took to get here, and everything it takes to keep it going...
I wouldn't trade it.
