March 24, 2026
Published by 
Chris Cruger on March 24, 2026
Chris Cruger on March 24, 2026Interdisciplinary collaboration is a competitive advantage in the funeral service and cemetery professions. In the January 2026 issue of The Director, I, arguing that personalization would define success in 2026 and beyond, challenged you to stand out. I urged you to move past sameness and create experiences that feel authentic, intentional and human. Well, in this month’s column, I will address how to accomplish this. Personalization does not happen in isolation. It cannot be owned by one department, one leader or one role. The most meaningful, differentiated experiences are created when people with different expertise, perspectives and responsibilities work together toward a shared goal. This is where interdisciplinary collaboration comes in. In today’s funeral service and cemetery professions, the complexity of business has outpaced the siloed way in which many organizations still operate. Operations, sales, marketing, preneed, finance, leadership, etc., […]
March 24, 2026
Published by 
Jarod Bernat on March 24, 2026
Jarod Bernat on March 24, 2026Succession planning in the funeral profession is never just a transaction, it’s a deeply personal process tied to family legacy, community trust, and identity. For one generation, the business represents a lifetime of work; for the next, it represents opportunity, responsibility, and often a different vision for the future. The difference between a smooth transition and a strained one often comes down to expectations. When assumptions go unspoken, conflict follows. When expectations are clear, succession becomes a strength not a strain. Passion alone isn’t enough to lead a modern funeral home. Ownership today requires financial acumen, operational discipline, leadership, compliance, and adaptability. Successors need time, exposure, and often experience outside the family business to build those skills. Without true readiness, the risk isn’t just operational, it’s the legacy itself. At the same time, family dynamics should not dictate business structure. […]
March 24, 2026
Published by 
Axel Jean-Francois on March 24, 2026
Axel Jean-Francois on March 24, 2026“Robert Crane” never set out to build a funeral home empire. He started in the preneed business selling pre-arranged funeral contracts across a handful of Midwestern states in the late 1980s. It was honest work. It paid. And over time, it put him in rooms with the kind of people who would matter later: independent funeral home owners in small towns across the region. He was good with people. The owners liked him. He remembered their kids’ names, showed up to their community events, and never oversold. When one of those owners passed away unexpectedly in 1997, his widow called Robert before she called an attorney. He bought the funeral home that month. Then it happened again. And again. An owner retiring with no succession plan. A family that didn’t want the business. A handshake at a dinner that turned […]
March 24, 2026
Published by 
Matt Blackwell on March 24, 2026
Matt Blackwell on March 24, 2026When a funeral home owner starts thinking seriously about a sale, there’s a question that doesn’t get enough attention early in the process: who actually buys these businesses, and how are they different from one another? It’s not a small distinction. The type of buyer sitting across the table from you will shape the offer you receive, the terms attached to it, and what your business looks like on the other side of closing. Broadly speaking, buyers in funeral and cemetery consolidation fall into four categories. National Consolidators These are the names most sellers already know. Publicly traded companies with national footprints, institutional capital, and decades of acquisition experience. They know what they’re looking for: consistent call volume, clean financials, and markets that fit their existing regional presence. When a business checks those boxes, they compete aggressively on price and […]
March 24, 2026
Published by 
Welton Hong on March 24, 2026
Welton Hong on March 24, 2026When families search for funeral services, they almost always turn to Google. For funeral home owners, appearing near the top of local search results isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s essential. Yet many businesses chase quick fixes: obsessively tweaking Google Business Profiles, shuffling title tags, or chasing every new citation in hopes of a fleeting boost. The truth is, real visibility comes from consistency and patience, not frantic adjustments. Local search isn’t just about being number one for every keyword. It’s about being visible where it matters, maintaining a strong presence even when Google changes its algorithm, and creating signals that show your business is trustworthy, active, and relevant. Some days you might see your funeral home appear at the top of Maps but slightly lower organically, or vice versa. That’s normal. What separates long-lasting businesses from the rest is […]