Weston Funeral Home
Mark Weston, Owner
Harrisburg, Arkansas

During his fifteen-year tenure as the director of a funeral home in Harrisburg, Mark Weston earned the trust and respect of the community. His personal touch and exceptional level of customer service were directly responsible for the success of his employer. However, he believed he could better serve his customers during their time of loss if he was the owner of his own business. He approached his lender, Bill Elliott of the Bank of Harrisburg, who in turn brought him to the SBDC for assistance in the financing process.

Weston came to the Arkansas State University SBDC with a well-written business plan in hand. Confident in his customer’s ability to successfully own and operate a funeral service, Elliott was willing to make the loan contingent upon receiving an SBA loan guaranty. Laura Miller, SBDC Business Consultant, reviewed the business plan and worked with Weston to develop the loan proposal. The lender submitted the proposal to the SBA who approved the guaranty.

Mr. Weston renovated a building on the main street in Harrisburg and opened Weston Funeral Service last March. Handling about 60% of the business in the community, Weston Funeral Home is on track to surpass revenue projections.

The Arkansas Small Business Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration through a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business and other institutions of higher education. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. It is the goal of UALR to eliminate discriminatory harassment and to promote equal opportunity regardless of race, gender, color, national origin, sexual orientation, age, religion, veteran’s status, or disability.