Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in funeral planning but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Aurelie Biehler, Founder of Memoria, located in NYC, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Memoria is on a mission to transform the funeral industry, putting families in control by providing a platform that reduces complexity, costs, and stress. By combining technology with human support, families can organize farewells that correspond to their needs from the comfort of their homes.
Following a loss, we believe our customers should understand their options, make informed decisions, have a stress-free planning experience, and shop at the best prices.
With Memoria, customers first receive personalized and actionable guidance in the form of an interactive digital tool. We then take care of organizing the funeral from A-Z, where customers can choose to be hands-on or delegate all logistics to their Advisor. Customers can purchase everything they need by browsing through a highly curated selection of services and products and can create obituaries that guests will actually want to engage with, including features like memory sharing, service details, and direct donations to charity or the bereaved family to help cover funeral expenses.
Tell us about yourself
Today, most families have little idea what to do when their loved one passes, and most of the steps that follow are offline, confusing, and emotionally draining. Many Funeral Homes demand that business be done in person and insist families spend thousands on products they may not need. As for online options, those come in the shape of point solutions, only allowing families to deal with one aspect of the bereavement process.
I experienced those challenges firsthand when one of my relatives passed, and I was even more convinced something needed to be done when my friends abruptly lost loved ones during the pandemic. After 6+ years spent in tech, I knew there was a need for a more holistic experience, one powered by technology and human guidance.
The journey of an entrepreneur is much harder than I expected it to be – which is a blessing, or no one would ever become one in the first place (laughs). But once in a while, I pause, look back on our team's progress, and I'm proud. There is still so much to accomplish but knowing we're helping families in the toughest moment of their lives keeps me going.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think quitting your job and taking that leap of faith is already an accomplishment in itself. But aside from that, keeping at it every day is what I'm most proud of. Growing a business is being present every day as you try to convince partners, employees, customers, and investors to believe in your mission.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Personally, as a solo founder, I found it extremely hard to be completely alone in the beginning. In the early days, there was no team to turn to for a meeting or a manager to phone for some guidance. And sometimes you just don't have that miracle friend or colleague who has complimentary skills and shares the same vision – so you have to get out there by yourself.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Build a small MVP and test it with strangers. This was actually so hard for me to do in the early months as I thought the product was never good enough to just put out there. I was also so focused on the long-term vision, which in my case requires a partnership that takes months to sign, that I wasn't collecting any data. Months went by, and I had no customer references. That's the worse you can do.
- If you are a solo founder, get yourself into a co-working space, fellowship, incubator, etc. – anything where you're not alone.
- Ignore Linkedin. Ignore TechCrunch. Focus on your business, and the flashy announcements will come.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.memoria.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/askmemoria/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/memoria-for-bereavement/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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