How does it work?

Example: A family in central Texas has a death and needs to watch their budget closely. They call the nearest funeral home and learn that a direct cremation (take the body to the crematory, cremate and return the ashes to the family) will cost $3820. And that’s it; no further services, no urn, nada. They can have a small memorial service at a local church, then retain the ashes in the plastic box they were returned in, or scatter them at home later.

Total cost: $4350 (includes gratuity to minister, janitorial fee to church, and minimal flowers.)

or…

They call their local GIS consultant who can provide them with:

• The direct cremation
• A nice urn for the ashes
• A memorial service with an organist and soloist to perform
• More upscale flowers
• Followed by a catered reception for family and friends

Total cost: $2350 (and that includes a $500 fee to the consultant.)

“How?” you might ask

Because—and this example uses a real town with real prices—the price for direct cremation from funeral homes in this town range among the 15 funeral homes from a low of $710 to a high of $3820. The consultant can save the family over $3000 merely by knowing who to call because—and this is also true of this town—while there are 15 funeral homes there is only ONE crematory and it handles ALL cremations in that area!

The consultant in that area took one funeral home per day to survey, also did one cemetery per day, and asked ministers when she spoke with them about the availability of soloists, pianists, organists and even choirs for hire in their congregations. She also spoke with florists and got a discount for her clients. She was in business within 3 weeks.