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BUSINESS PEOPLE meet: Seasons Funeral Planning Services 'Giving families peace of mind that someone has their back' Name of business: Seasons Funeral Planning Services Address: 7469 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Suite 170, Las Vegas Phone: 545-0404 Email: allison@seasonsfuneral.com Website: seasonsfuneral.com Hours of operation: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; evenings and weekends by appointment Owned by: Allison Copening, a former state senator In business since: July Describe your business. Seasons Funeral Planning Services offers the first service of its kind in Nevada. It is not a funeral home. Rather, it provides funeral preparation and planning that funeral homes don't offer. Seasons' First Step Companion program assists people in selecting the funeral home that best meets their needs and budget by providing price, service and amenity comparisons. The program is designed to remove the vulnerability many families experience and puts the control over decision-making back into the family's hands. Seasons also designs and coordinates customized funeral and memorial services and coordinates post-service receptions. In addition, Seasons is the first independent company in Nevada to offer certified celebrant services to funeral homes and the public. Celebrants are life tribute specialists and are a great alternative for families that do not want clergy to perform the ceremony. Who are your customers? The local hospice community is a primary customer, as hospices previously had few options to offer clients' families. Hospital social workers and faith-based community leaders also are referral sources. Seasons' personalized planning services were designed with the Baby Boomer generation in mind — those who desire customized service rather than a traditional, somber service and prefer to have more of a say in what happens at their service. How did you come up with the idea for your company? I have had this vision since 2000. It started primarily because I was disappointed by the way people honor their dead. I attended several funerals that were very somber. Some of them were for people who were so full of life. I thought, | 30 SEPTEMBER 2013 20130930_VI05_F.indd 5 | STEVE MARCUS celebrating life: Allison Copening, CEO of Seasons Funeral Planning Services, started her business to "do better in honoring lives well-lived." "We need to do better in honoring lives well-lived." The other reason was the pure exhaustion experienced planning a funeral. I, like many people, thought funeral homes handle everything. I learned otherwise assisting family and friends with funerals and planning and managing my brother's funeral in 2008. I am a marketing and event planner by trade, and I found the task daunting. It is very difficult to plan an event in a matter of days while experiencing despair. My experience made me want to help grieving people even more. How do you help grieving family members? First, we remove some of the vulnerability that comes with stepping inside a funeral home. Most people aren't prepared for a death and don't understand the funeral process. We help them make critical decisions before ever stepping inside the funeral home. We also can help prevent families from overspending. Seasons provides price, service and amenity comparisons among funeral homes which otherwise are not available in one place. What is your business philosophy? Our business begins with heart. I hired all of my staff based on their de- sire to help people in need and help people heal from a loss. They have enough to worry about, so we don't let things that are in our control fall through the cracks. We treat every one of our clients as if we were taking care of our own loved one. What's the most important part of your job? Giving families peace of mind that someone has their back and will be by their side during a difficult time. What is the hardest part about doing business in Las Vegas? It was difficult finding all the resources I needed to get the business started. This surprised me. I suspect there are resources out there to guide entrepreneurs, but they are difficult to find. It also was difficult getting financing, despite having been a finalist in a local business plan competition. It doesn't matter how good your idea is or how accomplished you are as an individual. You need good collateral. What is the best part about doing business in Las Vegas? I was born and raised in Las Vegas. It's my home, and I love its people. It isn't hard to form solid business alliances. The business community will be sup- portive if your motives are pure. What obstacles has your business overcome? As we grow, I anticipate that finding a good workforce who will treat this business like their own and share my philosophy will be challenging. How can Nevada improve its business climate? We need more mentors for new business owners, and established businesses need to recognize the value in helping start-ups. They could be future clients or partners. It takes a lot of money to launch a business, so if you are established, consider reducing or discounting your fees or trading services for a new business to give it a leg up. Treat new companies like they are nonprofit organizations, because at that moment, they are. What have you learned from the recession? The recession did not sway me from developing my business. I had a vision that I knew would help people, and that's the motivation I needed to open my doors. Have a no-fear attitude, work your tail off and do the right thing. Those are my keys to success. 5 9/26/13 2:16:17 PM