By Samantha Cart
For the past four months, West Virginia Executive (WVE) has been highlighting successful Mountain State
entrepreneurs who are affecting change and living out their dreams in their home state. Entrepreneurs have tremendous potential for growing West Virginia’s economy and creating quality jobs, which is why the staff at WVE wants to continue the celebration of our state’s most valuable assets.
David Bolyard Jr. is the founder of 4localobits.com; co-owner of Home Away from Home Assisted Living Center and a real estate holding company with commercial and residential rental properties in three counties; and co-owner of Mountain Funeral Group LLC, Our Family of Local Funeral Homes and Bartlett, Bolyard, Davis, Dorsey, Greathouse and Morgan funeral homes. Learn more about Bolyard and his ventures in this entrepreneur spotlight.
Tell us about your businesses. What inspired you to start your own businesses?
I started in the funeral business back in the early 90s, but then I moved to Nashville and then Washington, D.C. to work in finance. I came back to West Virginia in 2007-2008 to open my first funeral home and have grown to seven locations in three counties with a couple more coming soon. My goal from the beginning was to offer funerals, customer service and locations that would set the stage for the industry and set us apart from anyone around. My philosophy is to take care of the families and make sure everyone is treated with respect.
While loving what I do and thinking outside the box, I looked at the future of the industry because I want to help not only the families I serve but other funeral directors like me. I developed a way to provide a managed obituary notification system/database. It is free to post basic obituary information and free to search with a direct link back to the funeral home. This eliminates the duplicate guest books and scraped data on the market from money-making sites that list only a person’s name and date of death and no more information unless someone pays to see it. I did years of research and patented my idea. I held a soft launch in July 2017 and got great feedback from users. At that time, I moved the IT part of the business to West Virginia at the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and Development in Morgantown, and they are almost complete with the new and improved 4localobits.com.
What types of services do you offer?
We really work on personalization and think of ways to truly celebrate the life of someone’s loved one. We were the first in the area to offer videos, portraits, throws, candles, casket wraps with photo panel inserts and magnets on cars for sport teams, organizations or hobbies. We are still the only funeral homes in our area to offer some of those items. We also make sure all locations have lounge facilities stocked with paper supplies, drinks and ice. Many families spend the day, so we give them the option to snack or have full meals. We even plan and host full meals after services at some facilities.
The game-changer I bring to the industry is the only managed database for location-focused obituaries across the country. We post to our site a basic death announcement listing—where the person lived and information about the funeral home handling the service— at no charge. How does that change anything or make a difference? Most sites just search by key words. When you put in Washington, D.C., you get Washington State, Washington Drive or Washington Street or the first or last name Washington. That’s not very helpful in finding out someone has passed.
The next part is where the patent comes into play. We then scan the obituary for any city and state with which the deceased has a connection listed in the obituary. For $100, we post additional obituary information, including where and when they were born and died, where they went to school, where they worked, organizations to which they belonged, where any of their family lives and where they are buried. The system can search within the radius of a city, too. This eliminates the need to pay large amounts to multiple newspapers to notify out-of-town family and friends. One click will take users to the website of the funeral home that provided the obituary. There they can order flowers, post condolences or watch the memorial video or webcast of the service.
How many employees do you have?
50
What are the benefits of operating your companies in the state of West Virginia? Why did you choose to start your companies here?
There are a lot of rural areas that need jobs, and I was born and raised in the area and want to give back.
What are some of the obstacles you’ve faced as a West Virginia startup? What resources were available to help you get off the ground?
West Virginia is really focused on coal, gas and manufacturing. Some people can look outside the box and get a grasp of what technology can offer. Having access to the internet is crucial for the future of small towns. I have self-funded the majority of my businesses because most investors want a lot of traction and revenue, but once you get to that point, most of the time you don’t need them. For me, it is just being creative and thinking outside the box. Having a background in finance has helped me tremendously not only in running my businesses but in serving my customers. We can help a family settle the estate of their loved one and walk them though the steps required to get it done. When preplanning, we ask about wills, powers of attorney and living wills and help families complete all of that planning as well. I also keep going full steam ahead even if I hear no. I worked for two and a half years to patent my obituary notification system, which was something many said was not possible.
What could the state do better in terms of supporting entrepreneurs?
The regulatory authorities and other rule-makers in West Virginia’s government could be a little more flexible and have easier guidelines for startups. They also need to embrace technology industries and grab a part of the revenue and jobs they create.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I love working for myself and making a difference. It is a lot of work and a lot of hours, but I know it will pay off in the future. Plus, the amount of people I have helped is a reward even in difficult times.
What are your goals for your companies going forward?
I plan to take 4localobits across the country and around the world. That is part one of a much bigger life plan I am working on.
What advice would you give to others interested in being entrepreneurs in West Virginia?
Don’t give up and keep trying. The people in West Virginia are amazing.
To learn more about successful entrepreneurs in West Virginia, check out “Advice from the Experts” or read our other entrepreneur spotlights at www.wvexecutive.com/category/executive-exclusives/.
