Brothers Anthony and Matt Young are the founders of Tyde, the first online funeral booking platform. They discuss hidden costs, planning in the pandemic and un-traditional funerals.
By Laurie Havelock
How did the business start?
When a member of our family died, we witnessed first-hand how difficult planning a funeral was, with unexpected costs cropping up around every corner. We’re not the only ones to have seen this – our own research found 70 per cent of adults in the UK who had organised a funeral were surprised at the cost and almost a third found the whole experience daunting.
It was a no-brainer really. If you’re planning a funeral, you’re likely going through a difficult time, so we just wanted to make the experience and process that little bit easier, and we really hope that resonates with people. We wanted to create a business that would do away with the hidden costs and inflexible working hours associated with the funeral industry.
What role did the pandemic play?
Actually, the idea came several months before the pandemic. But it has given us the opportunity to listen to people and refine the details to make sure we are delivering a service that will make a difference. There’s no question that the last year has shifted how we talk about and confront death, with the pandemic really accelerating how we now conduct most of our affairs online.
What are your plans for this year?
We’re hoping to offer even more flexibility with new products in the not-so-distant future, including pre-paid funeral plans.
We also run a recruitment business together so it’s been a busy lockdown for us, building Tyde while juggling homeschooling and the ups and downs of aviation recruitment during a global pandemic. So we’ll probably try to go on holiday!
What changes do you expect to see in the industry in the next few years?
By combining technology with transparency and affordability, we hope we can change attitudes towards funerals for the first time in decades, and more importantly, lowers costs and stress for those who have lost their loved ones. We believe that we will see even more of the industry shift online, as well as a shift towards less traditional funerals and more bespoke, meaningful events.
Funerals
Arranging a funeral with us is smooth sailing
https://www.tyde.co/
