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[frank kayser]

well done Scott, but stepping up like you did...and yes, the funeral biz, is a biz.. I say this from a couple angles...first, back in my college days (late 1970s)  I actually worked at the local funeral home to help pay my way through school..so believe me when I say, while the greatest care and respect is foremost, they are a business.

Second, for almost 2 decades I owned a backline shop (music gear rental side)..and got many calls to provide a keyboard and small amp..sometimes that turned into a keyboard and small PA...basically the same rental scheme as a small outdoor garden wedding.
it's the market I've been considering adding basic streaming for..2 camera setup but with audio that folks back home can actually hear.

right now, I'm fortunate to still have my day job (totally unrelated industry), it just bugs me that I've got a warehouse full of gear that's parked, so I continue to give thought to what services are of value out there.
I have made at least the $300/sunday morning service stuff doing simple house audio. Hadn't really planned on that, but an area church had made the decision to upgrade and the engineer they hired wasn't going to be available for a month due to other obligations..their inhouse guy was lost on the new digital board..so they pulled me in..easy money...and if I didn't have my dayjob, I'd be all the more grateful for every single day that I could pull that kind of gig.
Hope you can ramp up the funeral business..it is such a crucial  service to everyone when their time comes...so it needs to be done right and the workman is worthy of his pay.

I did an outdoor church service Sunday.  First live anything for the church since March.  Strange jobs for strange times.

[Ed Taylor]

I did an outdoor church service Sunday.  First live anything for the church since March.  Strange jobs for strange times.

yeah I had been asked to quote an outdoor setup for a church couple months back..very budget minded, but still enough sticks to provide coverage to seats on the grass and to a small in-car crowd (bout 30)..but evening being VERY gracious on pricing($800 instead of the $1200 I would have charged) .. it was too much for them..they wound up tossing a pair of cheap speakers on stands, 8 channel mixer, and after the first sunday their crowd was pretty much gone...felt bad for them, but understood their budget decision.
but I was looking at rising early each sunday, rolling the trailer 30 minutes up the road, setup, 3 hours live for soundcheck, rehearse, service , then teardown and back home..that's worth something.
instead, spent last month driving into town, walking into a building, turning house gear on, grabbing my coffee cup and pushing the scene recall button for $300.

scheduled to do more of the same on October..then the wife made me promise to NOT tie up all my weekends...so i guess I'm grounded (grin)

[Stephen Swaffer]

For years I did my best to cover funerals at our church because I felt it was important that they be done right. Granted, I know most of the people involved-but for me funerals are the "gig" I find a bit more stressful-even than weddings. Weddings you get a rehearsal-funerals (while usually simpler) you don't-and yet it there is only one chance to do it right.

As for the work to do an outdoor setup-most people have no comprehension of the effort it takes to do an outdoor/remote service.  They see the same setup as at church, so what's the big deal?

[Tim McCulloch]

For years I did my best to cover funerals at our church because I felt it was important that they be done right. Granted, I know most of the people involved-but for me funerals are the "gig" I find a bit more stressful-even than weddings. Weddings you get a rehearsal-funerals (while usually simpler) you don't-and yet it there is only one chance to do it right.

As for the work to do an outdoor setup-most people have no comprehension of the effort it takes to do an outdoor/remote service.  They see the same setup as at church, so what's the big deal?

^^^  This.

It's ironic... those same reflective boundary surfaces we found to be such an annoyance were actually our friends, now that we're outside and no longer benefiting from those same reflections.

[Brian Jojade]

For funeral gigs, you would be much better to get in with a funeral director.  You would be amazed at the money they can command for a funeral service.  Have them tack it on to the bill to the customer and mark it up.  Eliminates the sales work you need to do, and shields you from having to discuss cost at the time of need.

It's amazing how much easier it is to add on something to a large sale vs selling the item separately and outright.

[ProSoundWeb Community]