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Cemeteries of The British Virgin Islands – Continuing Education

Cemetery research trips help me learn about cemetery maintenance and grave care in different cultures around the world so I can pass that knowledge onto you.

Single stack Cemetery Plots — Moravian Cemetery U.S. Virgin Islands

Grave Care Business –
Continuing Education

I take my continuing education of grave care and cemetery maintenance seriously. As part of my work and as part of my dedication to helping develop the Grave Care Business Course, I attempt to undertake one Formal Educational Experience & one Cemetery Research Trip each year.

This continuing education helps me maintain knowledge of current trends in grave care. Since I keep my knowledge up-to-date, I can continue to share that information with you.

Cemetery Research Trips

For my Cemetery Research trips, I always try to journey outside of my immediate area. I’m located in Eastern Tennessee. Therefore, I
take trips away from this area to study cemeteries.

One year, my trip took me to the New England states to study old colonial slate gravestones. Another trip took me to the highlands of Scotland to study grotesque carvings in 16th Century burying grounds. Still, another trip took me to the lava fields of Hawaii to study cemeteries that have been affected by volcanic activities.

This year, 2017, I ventured to a part of the World I’ve never visited before. I’ve studied the Cemeteries of Bermuda, but I’ve never been
southward toward the Caribbean. Last month, I was lucky enough to be offered an opportunity to spend several days in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.

Grave Sites St. Thomas US Virgin Islands

Cemeteries of The U.S. and British Virgin Islands

One of the most fascinating cemeteries I visited is called Moravian Cemetery.

Iguana In A Cemetery

As I wandered the tight isles of double-stacked burial crypts, I discovered
I needed to be cautious of Iguanas which roam the grounds. We certainly do not have Iguanas roaming the grounds of our local cemeteries in Tennessee.

Cemetery Maintenance

I interacted with several cemetery maintenance people working in the
graveyard and learned about their methods of care in this cemetery.

Grave Care on St. Thomas — Moravian Cemetery U.S. Virgin Islands

Interesting Features of Virgin Island Cemeteries

Like in most cemeteries, sensitivity and respect must be present at all times as they are going about their work. The thing I found most fascinating about this cemetery were the hand written notes inscribed in concrete foot pads of each burial crypt. As you can imagine, these are highly personalized inscription. Therefore, utmost delicacy much be practiced when cleaning the graves and grooming the grass and the grounds of each cemetery plot.

Personalized Foot Slabs — Moravian Cemetery U.S. Virgin Islands

Foot slabs of a grave. — Moravian Cemetery U.S. Virgin Islands

Egyptian Revival Grave Crypt

During my stay in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, I found several notable examples of Egyptian Revival Grave Crypts. This is an excellent example of one of the finest Pyramid vaults I have seen. In particular, look closely at the top of the structure. You will see a wonderful Ankh placed at the top. The trees are drooping over the ankh making for cooling shade under the blazing Caribbean sunshine.

Egyptian Revival Crypt — Moravian Cemetery U.S. Virgin Islands

The Grave Care Business &
Grave Site Maintenance Business Course

I attempt to pour the knowledge I learn into the Grave Care Business Course. If you have ever thought about starting your own grave care business, I hope you consider purchasing the course
to help you get your business started and to help you grow a strong client base for your own Grave Care Business.

We are very passionate about proper maintenance and care within cemeteries. Please let us know if you have any questions. We are always happy to help.

Read about the course here:
https://GraveCareBusiness.com

Order the course directly via the website here: https://gravecarebusiness.com/order-here/

Or you can order over the phone with your credit card:
267-31-GRAVE
267-314-7283

I wish you all the best.

Sincerely:
Keith
www.GraveCareBusiness.com

Stacked grave vaults. St. Thomas Cemetery — Moravian Cemetery U.S. Virgin Islands

Cemeteries Face Budget Pressures – Good News For Grave Care Business Owners

All cemeteries are under constant budgetary issues. Starting a Grave Care Business is a win-win solution.

Shrubs need to be trimmed, grass needs to be mowed, and general plot maintenance needs to be undertaken. Cemeteries, ALL CEMETERIES, require constant upkeep. Likewise, ALL CEMETERIES face budgetary issues.

Cemeteries – low on money

While researching a cemetery in Dayton, Tennessee, I found a newspaper article with pleas from the Perpetual Care Organization (PCO). This cemetery is in dire need of funds. To continue upkeep of their cemetery, the PCO is requesting $40 annually from every family who has members interred there. The newspaper article does not mention the number of different families. However, Find-A-Grave lists over 3,000 burials. Multiply a percentage of this number by $40 and you can see for yourself there is a lot money in cemetery maintenance.

I have been a firm believer, for almost 2 decades, that the answer to this problem lies with private Grave Care Business owners. Grave care business owners take care of plot maintenance, mowing, floral decoration placement (and removal), tombstone cleaning, basic upkeep, cemetery mapping, and many other services. Business owners contact family members with lists of services and they bill those families on an “as-needed” or on a “contractual” basis.

Make money offering Grave Care Services

An independent grave care business owner alleviates the pressure on cemetery management. By shifting a portion of the workload to the business owner, cemetery management resources are freed up to take care of the larger maintenance items.

Families are relieved too. When hiring a Grave Care Business, family members can cater and request services based on their needs and desires. The work is performed to their standards. They get personalized care for their loved-one’s grave site. They are willing to pay good money for these services.

Grave Care – A Rewarding Small Business

Grave care is a rewarding business. It’s beneficial to cemetery management. It’s beneficial to families who want the best of care for their loved-one’s grave site. And, it’s beneficial to the business owner who makes good money providing these services.

You can start and operate your own grave care business with our professionally produced Grave Care Business Course. Learn more about our course by clicking the link below:

Grave Care Business Course

Grave Care – March 2017

spring cemetery — The exact moment of springtime – 2014

Springtime Grave Care – In Like A Lion

Across the country, springtime is coming to us in rapid fashion. Look at the news. There is harsh weather everywhere. Here in the southeast, there have been super-cell thunderstorms and a few tornado warnings.

High winds bring down tree limb and cause general disarray to cemetery grounds. These problems are an amazing source of opportunities for Grave Care Business owners.

Storms Damage Local Cemeteries

We’ve been out in the local cemeteries this month picking up branches, chainsawing problematic trees, and generally tidying things up. I have to admit, it’s hard work but it’s fun work. And, it’s VERY rewarding work.

Do you love cemeteries?
Do you love helping people?
Do you love making great money?
Do you love fulfilling and rewarding work?

If any of these are true, have you considered starting a Grave Care Business?

Start A Grave Care Business

You don’t have to be handy with a chainsaw. There are lots of other services you can offer your clients.

General plot maintenance.
Grave side floral decoration placement.
Tombstone cleaning.

These are just 3 of the services you can offer. We cover many other services in our professionally produced Grave Care Business Course.

Check out our main page to learn more about the Grave Care course. There is a tremendous amount of information and business tools to help you learn how to do this business. If you have any questions about the course (before or after your purchase), let me know.

Best of luck this spring….right now is a perfect time to get started.

Keith

How To Start A Grave Care Business

How To Make Money With A Grave Care Business

Are you passionate about cemeteries? Have you ever thought how neat it would be to start a Grave Care Business?
I’ve had a passion for cemeteries since childhood. It thrills me to derive an income following my love of cemeteries.
If this sounds great to you, why not take the steps to start your own business?

These 5 tips will help you on your way to starting your own Grave Care Business.

1) Assess the demand for grave care in your area.

To determine your local level of demand, take a quick look at the number of cemeteries in your area. You will find dozens (or hundreds) of cemeteries in your immediate area. You will find many types of cemeteries: private, managed care, family, churchyard, community & volunteer, and neglected & abandoned cemeteries.
They ALL require specialized care.
We will show you how to start your own Grave Care Business by providing: plot maintenance, grave flowers, grave stone cleaning, and more.

2) Check local competition for similar businesses.

Do a quick Google Search for Grave Care companies in your area. In most areas, there is little (or zero) competition. Even if there is someone else already doing grave care, there is plenty of opportunity for your company to do a better job.

3) Determine your “menu of services.”

Grave plot maintenance, flower placement, and tombstone cleaning are the ‘big 3’ grave services. We show you these services plus many other services to offer your clients. Tombstone resetting, plot landscaping, message delivery, photography & videography, cemetery mapping, and many other services will be of interest to your clients.

4) Determine your need for licenses and permits.

Rules and regulations vary from one state to the next and from one cemetery to the next. It is particularly important to pay adherence to the local laws regulating cemeteries in your community.

5) Advertise your Grave Care Business.

Marketing for this business is unlike any other business. This is very personal for your clients. Your potential clients are sensitive about this and they don’t want to feel like you are strictly advertising to make money off them. Sensitive advertising is vital to gaining and building a strong client list of satisfied clients who will trust your business and the services you provide.

Of course there is MUCH MORE to operating a Grave Care Business than just these 5 steps.

If you think this is a business you would like to start, please read through our website to learn more about us.

We have developed a professionally produced Grave Care Business Course designed to help you start and operate your own business.
Our Course Overview page shows you everything that is included in the business program.

If you have any questions, please let us know through our contact page.

How To Clean A Tombstone

Cleaning tombstones is a delicate process. Each and every stone is different and requires individual attention.

Cleaning Tombstones and Gravestones Without Causing Damage

We are often asked how to properly clean a tombstone. The most important aspect of tombstone cleaning is to DO NO DAMAGE. Gravestones can be fragile and they can contain hidden, subsurface flaws that will be exacerbated by rough handling.
This quick 5 step process will help you assess a tombstone and take gentle steps to perform a proper cleaning, if necessary.

1: Inspect the Tombstone to look for preexisting damage or the potential of future damage.

Tombstone cleaning can cause, reveal, and exacerbate damage to the tombstone. Before attempting to clean a tombstone, thoroughly inspect the entirety of the stone. Look for surface and subsurface cracks and faults that will be damaged if improperly handled. Assess the type of stone and its stability. Soft stone material and stones with tendencies to flake or crumble require much more delicate handling.
Stones that are unstable or damaged should be avoided and reported to cemetery management.
If the tombstone is unsuitable for cleaning, it is much better to leave it alone rather than to cause damage or increase existing damage.

2: Use plenty of water to wet and wash the gravestone.

Surface dirt can often be washed away with generous quantities of water. In cemeteries with available running water, use a water hose to gently rinse away surface dirt and lichen growth. “Gently” is the keyword here. Never use pressure washers on gravestones. One technique I like to use is to place my thumb over the open end of the water hose to form a gentle spray. There is a special method of wetting the stone that will greatly improve the final look once you complete your tombstone cleaning. We describe this technique in the Grave Care Business Course.

3: Use a non-ionic cleaner, if necessary.

Cemetery preservationists suggest using non-ionic cleaners to kill biological growth on gravestones. Grave markers are porous. Therefore, it’s important to use cleaners that will not damage the stone by seeping inside and causing corrosion. Harsh chemicals should never be used as they can damage stones even if the damage is not readily apparent.

4: Scrub gently with a soft bristled brush.

If scrubbing is necessary, use soft bristled brushes and plenty of water to gently scrub away surface debris. Once again, “gently” is the keyword. Harsh scrubbing is never recommended since abrasion can damage tombstone material. Additionally, the courses training video on tombstone cleaning describes methods to properly clear heavy lichen and mosses from gravestone surfaces.

5: Rinse the tombstone with generous quantities of filtered or distilled water.

As a final rinse of the tombstone to remove residual dirt or cleaner, use copious amounts of water. If your tap water is high in mineral content (as it is in some parts of the country), filtered or distilled water is preferable.

In closing, the first step is the most important. It is better to delay cleaning a stone rather than to cause irreparable damage to the stone. Take a gentle, methodical approach to your tombstone cleaning.
Here is a government resources you may find helpful:
The U.S. Government Center for Preservation

Cleaning tombstones is a delicate process. Each and every stone is different and requires individual attention.

Have you ever thought about starting your own tombstone cleaning and grave care business?

We have developed a professionally produced business course to help you start & operate your own Grave Care Business. The course teaches you how to incorporate cleaning methods into your Grave Care Business. Video lessons teach you how to clean the stones appropriately. You will also learn how to build a strong client list of customers who will pay you good money to clean tombstones, maintain their loved one’s grave plots, and pay for yearly maintenance packages and yearly floral decoration package. The course also includes pricing strategies and pricing calculators to help you learn how much to charge for your services.

The cost of the Full Grave Care Business Course is only $260.00

Read through our other blog posts and also look though the main pages of our website to learn about the Grave Care Business materials.
Order the full course directly through our website and we will ship it to you directly via USPS Priority Mail.

If you have any questions, please let us know. We are always happy to help.

Leaf Maintenance in an Autumn Cemetery

Have you ever thought about starting your own Grave Care Business?

Cemetery Leaf Maintenance

The leaves on the trees were tenacious this year. Summer’s drought and a lack of mid-autumn storms allowed leaves to remain on trees longer than expected.

However, with last week’s high winds and heavy rains, the leaves have finally let loose from their branches. Falling to the ground, leaf piles need to be cleaned up before they make huge winter messes in our local cemeteries.

This is the time of year Grave Care companies can make a lot of money performing basic plot maintenance for your customers. Whether you are work on whole-cemetery cleanup or if you are performing single jobs for individual clients, this is an important season for Grave Care Business owners.

Have you ever thought about starting your own Grave Care Business? We have developed a professionally produced Grave Care Business Course designed to teach you how to operate your own Grave Care Business offering plot maintenance, tombstone cleaning, floral decorations, and many other Grave Care related services.

Please read through our entire site to learn more about the Grave Care Business Course

Every journey begins with a single step.

If you love helping people and if you have a fascination with cemeteries, tombstones, and mausoleums, a Grave Care Business might be perfect for you.

Take the first step and the path will reveal itself.

I can still recall the moment it happened. I was sitting in a cubicle in a windowless office. My boss was in a grumpy mood. The other office workers were in grumpy moods. I didn’t want to be in a grumpy mood but I, somehow, found myself grumpy, anyway. It was lunchtime. I couldn’t wait to turn off my computer monitor and have 60 minutes to myself. On my way out of my cubicle, I reached for a book that a neighbor had given me on my college graduation a few years earlier.

What happened to the wide-eyed optimism I had when I graduated college? I was going to take the world by storm and have a great time doing it. I was going to rise quickly in the corporate world, make a fortune overnight, and be the envy of all those around me. Ahhh…the enthusiasm of youth.

It only took me a couple years working in the accounting department of a huge international corporation before my enthusiasm began to wane. Bosses were reluctant to offer promotions or pay raises. Co-workers were only after their own best interests. And, to the company’s executives, I was just another face in the crowd. Ugh…

On my way out of my cubicle for lunch, I grabbed a copy of the book I’d been meaning to read. It was a thin book that I could probably get half way through during my lunch hour. The cover page was colorful and it looked like a fun read especially to someone who just wanted to escape reality for an hour.

With the book tucked securely under my left arm, I grabbed my coat and a sandwich I had brought for lunch in a brown paper sack. Sometimes I would go to lunch with co-workers. We’d sit at a local restaurant and talk about work while we waited for our food to be delivered to our tables. Hmmm…sitting inside, talking about work, cramped into a booth full of co-workers. Not to be rude but, NO THANK YOU!

So, on this day, with a sandwich in a brown paper bag and a paperback book tucked under my arm, I fled the office environment to sit outside in the sunshine. And….that’s when I heard my bosses voice ring out: “Keith, I need you to work this weekend.” I’d already worked 50 hours that week and didn’t want to spend the entire weekend stuck inside. I always thought a college degree and a corporate job was supposed to help insulate you from spending your weekends at work. Ha, was I mistaken?

Finally, I made it though the door. The sun was shining and I just couldn’t believe how good it felt to be outside and away from the confines of work. “What if I could do this all day every day?” I though to myself. “What if I could figure out a way to work away from a stifling office environment with grumpy bosses and grumpy coworkers. What if I didn’t need an office window because I could go outside and work in the beauty of nature as often as I liked?”

I reached down beside me to pull the sandwich out of my brown paper lunch bag. With my other hand, I opened the book I had so looked forward to reading and I wondered what information I could glean from within its pages.

The title of the book was: Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow.

And…that…was…my…first…step.
It was my first step in starting my own business.

Have you ever thought about starting your own business? Have you ever wanted to own a fulfilling, rewarding, and profitable business? If you love helping people and if you have a fascination with cemeteries, tombstones, and mausoleums, a Grave Care Business might be perfect for you.

Once I quit my job, I never looked back. That was in the mid-90. Since that time many people have asked me for advice on starting their own grave care businesses. After many year running my own business, I developed a professional produced business package to help you start & operate your own Grave Care Business. The Grave Care Business Course is a huge course filled with reference materials, a business toolkit, instructional videos, estimating software, and much more.

Read through our entire website to learn about the Grave Care Business Course. If you have any questions, please let me know. We love cemeteries and we are always happy to help.

You can order the course through this website and we will make it to you directly via USPS Priority Mail.

Let this be your first step.

Keith
GraveCareBusiness.com

President Trump, Tenacity, & the Grave Care Business

Cemeteries, Forest Fires, & Tombstone Cleaning

Cemeteries suffer under a thick canopy of forest fire smoke. Tombstone cleaning needed in the coming months.

If you live anywhere near the southeast portion of the United States, you are probably aware of the current problem we are having with forest fires. These fires and the smoke they produce are having (and will continue to have) a lasting effect on cemeteries and tombstones. We predict an increased need for proper tombstone cleaning in the coming weeks and months.

The entire southeastern region of the United States has suffered through drought conditions for the entirety of this year. Because of this drought, the entire region is at increased risk of forest fires. The area in which I live is suffering through an unprecedented outbreak of wild fires. These fires are producing thick, choking smoke. Particulate matter in the atmosphere is at record levels. Visibility is near zero.

As the particulate matter in the sky settles, it will leave a film of sticky residue on all it touches. Tombstones and all grave markers will be affected by this residue. Grave care companies will likely see an increase in requests for tombstone cleaning. This is good for grave care business owners. The important aspect of this business is building a strong client base, doing the work properly, and charging the right amount of money so you can build a profitable company.

If you have ever thought about starting your own Grave Care Business, please read through our website. We have developed a professionally produced Grave Care Business Course designed to help you start and operate your own successful grave care business.

You can order the course directly through this website and we will ship it out to you via Priority USPS.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Fire Ants in a Cemetery

actions Grave Care Business operators can perform to prevent irreparable damage caused by fire ants in a cemetery.

Fire ants cause damage in southern cemeteries.

Are you a fan of old 1970’s “made-for-TV” horror movies? I remember, as a young kid, watching reruns of horror movies on late-night television. Let’s see…there was Killdozer, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, and ANTS!!!. ANTS was always one of my favorites. The main actors in the movie dug a moat and filled it with water to protect a structure from an invading army of ants but, the entomologist in the movie told them ants can build bridges across water. So, they filled the moat with gasoline and set it afire. Yes, that movie has stuck with me all these years. I love studying ants and many other insects because of this movie even though they sometimes give me the heebie-jeebies

It turns out ants really can build floating bridges. They are very industrious.

Though not as conniving as they were in that movie, ants can be very destructive. Since moving beyond the borders of the United States, fire ant populations have moved steadily northward. Anyone in the southern regions with a basic knowledge of ants will recognize the shape and size of their familiar mounds. Cemeteries are not immune to these destructive pests. Fire ant mounds are often 2 feet in diameter. In building their nests, fire ants often dig downward several feet. In the tunneling construction of their nests, they often burrow several feet below the surface. As you can surely imagine, this tunneling action destabilized the ground. When they tunnel under heavy gravestones, the stones become unsettled and can topple under their own weight.

This phenomenon of destruction is becoming increasingly common as fire ant populations spread.

So, what can be done?

Well, there are several actions Grave Care Business operators can perform to prevent irreparable damage caused by fire ants in a cemetery. Luckily, as is the case with many services provided by Grave Care Business owners, your clients will gladly pay you to perform these services.

Before you begin to offer these services, however, there are several caveats you must be aware of before attempting to deal with fire ants in your local cemeteries.

We write about the problem of fire ants in cemeteries and how to incorporate their solution in our Grave Care Business Course offered through this website. We also discuss pricing strategies so you will know how much money to charge your customers. Additionally, we offer marketing and advertising advice to help you build a strong client base so your business makes good money year-round.

Additionally (and this is very important), we discuss the potential problems you might face when attempting to eradicate fire ants from a grave plot. It’s important to deal with ants correctly so your efforts don’t turn into a horror movie. 🙂

Have you ever thought of starting your own Grave Care Business?

If you are interested in learning how to start your own Grave Care Business, please read through our entire website to learn more about our course. You can order directly through our ordering page and we will ship it out to you promptly.

If you have any questions about the course, please let us know via our “Contact Page.”

Thank you for reading.
Keith
www.GraveCareBusiness.com

Grave Care Business – Continuing Education