After years of serving as a college psychologist, Porterdale resident and Conyers native Molly Canfield established Georgia Gravecare, which gives upkeep and floral decorations for gravesites. Canfield mentioned she sees a particular correlation between her previous job and her new one.
“Being in a serving to occupation appeared to translate nicely to that,” mentioned Canfield, who opened Georgia Gravecare in August. “It’s all on the foundation of it’s serving to folks. That’s one thing I be ok with. The serving to finish is one thing I’ve been drawn to.
“And I’ve actually loved it to this point. I like assembly new folks, and I feel we have to do greater than we’re doing to protect locations like cemeteries. We’re not doing sufficient, and that’s a disgrace as a result of there’s loads of historical past in these locations.”
Canfield, who retired eight years in the past after a protracted profession in DeKalb and Gwinnett counties, mentioned her mom initially gave her the thought to begin the enterprise, which she mentioned mixes her pursuits in working outside and in learning historical past.
“Principally, it’s a historical past factor,” mentioned Canfield. “I’m within the historical past of cemeteries and being outside, and with the ability to do one thing for a household that perhaps can’t do that themselves any longer.”
The companies Georgia Gravecare gives are normal grooming upkeep (which incorporates gravestone cleansing) and floral decorations. Purchasers have quite a lot of service schedules to select from, from every year to as soon as a month. Canfield additionally gives earlier than and after photos on the conclusion of each go to.
Canfield mentioned she would have began the enterprise sooner however her acknowledged lack of expertise in working an enterprise held her again.
“I resisted for the longest time as a result of I didn’t know something about working a enterprise,” she mentioned. “I had no enterprise programs. After I retired and determined I didn’t wish to return into the colleges, and I don’t know something about enterprise, however I taught myself – you actually can study loads on YouTube. I mainly taught myself sufficient small enterprise to get it rolling.”
And Canfield mentioned that whereas she’s tending to a couple graves nowadays, she’s extra now in getting her title out to let others know of the service she gives, which she mentioned is just not comprised of a crowd of opponents.
“I feel I’ve obtained the market cornered,” she quipped. “No one that I do know of round right here does this… As I defined to my mother, you don’t seek for one thing like this on the web except what it’s – it doesn’t promote itself, actually. So I’ve been going round to funeral houses, crematories, writing to assisted dwelling locations and knocking on doorways of church buildings.”
And even supposing the thing of the work could make some folks uncomfortable, Canfield mentioned she hasn’t heard a adverse phrase after making her pitch.
“Anytime I point out what I do, I get a optimistic response,” she mentioned. “I haven’t had anyone inform me something adverse. And I like folks. I like serving to folks…. I prefer to assume folks can take a look at me and know I’m being sincere and straight-up with them, which is the reality. Any form of hesitation folks may need with regard to their household plot I’ve nonetheless gotten good suggestions, even individuals who assume they will’t afford it or aren’t able to do one thing like that proper now.”
Canfield added that watching YouTube movies gave her confidence to enter enterprise for herself, however reconnecting together with her religion additionally performed a key function in her choice.
“After pushing it away for thus a few years, I began going again to church in 2017, and since then I’ve determined to take advantage of what I’ve obtained,” mentioned Canfield, who attends Calvary Baptist Church in Conyers. “And with the ability to get proper in my head and my conduct gave me the braveness to show myself how to do that, even when it’s laborious and I don’t perceive this.
“(Going to church) gave me the spine to get it performed. If in case you have a robust religion, it’s important to have a robust religion in your self. They go hand in hand.”
