MORTUARY SCIENCE TRAINING SCHOOL BUSINESS PLAN

I. Executive Summary

Company Description

The academy's name is not provided in the brief; no origin is given. Based in a strategic U.S. market, this is a premier vocational institution dedicated to the mortuary science profession launching in 2026. We offer an Associate of Applied Science degree that combines rigorous academics with high-fidelity laboratory training. The facility contains $198,000 in modern mortuary equipment, including specialized embalming stations and restorative arts tools. One-liner: launching 2026 to deliver workforce-ready mortuary professionals.

Core activities are classroom instruction, hands-on lab training, clinical simulations, and student placement support. We operate with a lean, expert staff of 4.5 FTE initially, scaling to 9.0 FTE to support a 90% occupancy rate. Our mission is to bridge the labor gap in the funeral industry by producing highly skilled, compassionate graduates. Short-term goal: open and enroll first cohort in 2026. Long-term goal: sustain 90% occupancy and expand graduate placement into regional funeral service employers. One-liner: train and place skilled mortuary professionals to close industry labor gaps.

Problem

One-liner: The U.S. funeral industry lacks enough licensed, career-ready embalmers and directors.

An aging workforce and high burnout are shrinking the pool of licensed embalmers and funeral directors, creating persistent understaffing at funeral homes. Current academic programs often lack sufficient hands-on restorative arts practice, grief support training, modern service design, and practical legal compliance, leaving many graduates unprepared for immediate, full-scope roles.

As a result, funeral homes face longer service lead times, higher operational costs from overtime and contractors, reduced quality in restorative and grief services, and increased regulatory and liability exposure. The market lacks a vocational program that pairs intensive laboratory training with business and legal readiness to produce graduates who can step into operational roles on day one.

Solution

The U.S. funeral service sector faces a workforce shortfall and many programs lack modern, hands-on lab training, business management and grief psychology instruction. We offer an Associate of Applied Science in mortuary science that combines intensive embalming and restorative-arts laboratories, a funeral-home business curriculum, grief psychology, and funeral law, with low student-to-instructor ratios and alignment to American Board of Funeral Service Education standards for state licensure. We close the skills gap and speed graduates to competency.

Graduates enter the market ready to perform embalming and restorative procedures, manage funeral-home operations, and counsel grieving families, reducing hiring friction for funeral homes and improving service timeliness and quality. We produce license-ready professionals through hands-on training and business-focused coursework.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide the highest standard of mortuary science education through intensive hands-on training, modern facilities, and a curriculum that balances technical excellence with compassionate care and business acumen. We commit to developing the next generation of funeral service leaders who serve their communities with dignity, professionalism, and ethical judgment. We prioritize practical competence, emotional intelligence, and operational readiness so graduates enter the profession prepared to lead and to care.

Key Success Factors

These are the measurable priorities that must be met to achieve accreditation, student outcomes, and the stated financial targets.

• ABFSE accreditation secured to enable licensure and institutional credibility.
• 90% occupancy by Year 5 to reach the $2,743,000 revenue target.
• Low student-to-instructor ratios to preserve training quality and program differentiation.
• High graduate placement into high-demand roles to build reputation and recruitment momentum.
• Breakeven by Feb 2027 to sustain operations and deliver a 5.44% IRR.

Financial Summary

The academy projects Year 1 revenue of $591,000 with an initial EBITDA loss of -$193,000; performance reaches breakeven in Feb-27 (14 months) and Year 5 EBITDA of $1,247,000.

Initial capital expenditures total $198,000; minimum cash requirement is $570,000 (minimum month: Jan-27). The project target IRR is 5.44% with a five-year ROE of 3.18%.

Financial outlook: revenue growth to $2,743,000 by 2030 with payback in 30 months and profitable operations thereafter.

Funding Requirements

We need USD 961,000 in initial funding to cover capital expenditures (USD 198,000), the Year 1 EBITDA shortfall (USD 193,000), and a minimum cash reserve (USD 570,000); the project yields a 5.44% IRR.