Growth & Jobs | From managing a family business to pioneering a new venture

GROWING UP in Port Maria, St Mary, Sean Wellington was no stranger to the operations of a funeral home. His family’s funeral home, operated by his grandfather, Leonard Martin, and his mother, Valerie Wellington, was situated on the same property as his home. As a teenager, he often helped out with designing funeral programmes, but he had never considered pursuing a career in the funeral industry.

After graduating from college in the United Kingdom (UK) at 19, Wellington returned to Jamaica for a six-week holiday. He had booked his ticket to go back to the UK to take up a job offer in a management consulting firm. However, his grandfather, then 89, implored him to stay and take over the family business, as most of his children lived overseas.

“He liked the impact I was having on the staff and that I was coming up with new initiatives. I decided I would give up going back to the UK and take over my grand-dad’s business full time,” Wellington related.

“My granddad was a serial entrepreneur. He was a successful realtor, hardware business-owner and a prominent figure in the business community,” he explained, while also pointing out that the funeral home was the first in the parish.

Wellington worked in his grandfather’s funeral home for 12 years until 2021, gaining invaluable experience and insight into the funeral industry. During that time, he learned the intricacies of funeral home operations, honed his management skills, and developed a deep understanding of customer relations and business management. The hands-on experience, along with the mentorship from his grandfather, now deceased, and his mother, equipped him with the knowledge and confidence to establish Wellington Funeral Home, also in Port Maria.

BIGGEST LESSON

“One of the biggest lessons I learned from him is to be willing to take calculated risks, consider all factors, pray about it, put God first, and go after it,” Wellington said.

Another crucial lesson he embraced is the importance of people skills.

“He taught me to always treat people well and look out for their best interest. When employees feel valued, they will want to do their best and help your business grow. Conversely, if they feel you don’t care, they won’t care either,” he added.

Valerie Wellington related that her son brought much expertise which helped to significantly transform the family business, and that she is proud of how he is using technology to improve the service.

“He has been able to bring the funeral industry into a ‘First-World’ standard, introducing many services, which were unheard of as a result of his exposure overseas,” she explained.

At Wellington Funeral Home, Wellington places much emphasis on compassion and care for bereaved families, while making the funeral planning process as simple as possible.

“Whatever we can do for them that they don’t need to do, we get it done. We have transparent pricing and itemised billing so that they can see exactly what they are paying for and make informed choices,” he explained.

“We do a lot of virtual meetings. Some clients have never stepped into our office. Our website allows people to select and customise a casket online. With the age of artificial intelligence, we have an obituary writer on the website, and this service isn’t limited to persons who are doing business with us,” he said, adding that the service is free of cost.

Kerry Parkins, a resident of Cox Piece, in the parish, who has used Wellington Funeral Home for the burial of three family members during the past year, related that she is impressed with the excellent service she received.

“Right throughout the grave digging and funeral, they were very supportive. They kept checking on us. Even after the funeral, they called and checked on us. It was absolutely amazing,” she said.

Sharon Smith, head of the Business Banking Division, JN Bank, states that growing up in a family business is a dynamic blend of learning, challenges, and emotional investment. It shapes character, work habits, and the entrepreneurial spirit.

“They witness firsthand the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship. Besides, the early exposure provides them with a very good knowledge of business operations, customer relations, and problem-solving, which are critical skills that can help them to manage a business.”

Smith pointed out that to effectively groom the next generation, family business operators should involve their children in various aspects of the business, provide mentorship and encourage them to pursue formal education in business management.