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6 0 G R A P H I C S P R O J U L Y 2 0 2 2 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M and may include photos or clothes the deceased wore. Memory quilts may also be embroidered with scenes or quotes that had meaning to the deceased or bring that person to the mind for family mem- bers. Memory bears are generally stuffed animals, usually in a bear shape, as the name implies, that are made from cloth- ing the deceased wore often. Memorial stuffed animals can also be made from the available embroiderable stuffed ani- mal options, with the name of the person who has passed and their birth and death dates, and possibly a meaningful quote, embroidered on them. Most of these soft goods are designed to be items of com- fort, something people can hug and hold when feeling sad. Once you decide to enter the memo- rial market, and what products you wish to offer, the next thing to do is to find your customers, and to make some sales. Remember, this is a unique market, and comes with perhaps more emotion and possible pitfalls than some other mar- ket segments. It's entirely possible you'll be dealing with people at a sensitive and painful time in their lives, so being caring and aware is key. e memorial market can be a profitable one, but it does need to be approached with care and sensitivity. With that in mind, here are some tips on how to find customers, sell sensitively, and do that little something extra that pre- serves a memory and comforts someone who may still be grieving. TIPS FOR SALES Start with funeral homes. It sounds obvious, but many decoration companies that want to sell memorial products forget this step. Most towns have at least one funeral home, and many have more than one. Contact the owner or director and ask if you can display items in their showroom or ask if they have a directory of funeral related services to which you can be added. If you sell products online, reach TIP #1 Image courtesy Tanya Doyscher at The Visual Identity Vault Image courtesy Ryder Digital Designs Images courtesy The Rowmark Group Image courtesy Creative Gifts International Image courtesy Ryder Digital Designs Images courtesy The Rowmark Group Images courtesy The Rowmark Group