December 21, 2020
Published by 
Dan Isard on December 21, 2020
Dan Isard on December 21, 2020Life is what happens when you’re making other plans. In September 2019, my publisher shared with me his idea for 2020’s editorial theme: “20/20 Vision.” Thus, we meticulously laid out the focus of each month’s article and left my December column – the one you’re reading right now – to arrange all of the pieces and tie the previous 11 months together. Well, guess what? It can no longer be done! For the record, in 30 years of writing articles for The Director, I have never all-capped a sentence. Moreover, I’ve worked with my publisher for at least 25 years, but he did not take the novel coronavirus into consideration. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 220,000 people and scarred the health of millions more, turned his plans and your business upside down! As a study my company […]
November 23, 2020
Published by Dan Isard on November 23, 2020
Dan Isard on November 23, 2020In this industry spotlight, we bring you key insights into low-cost funeral providers. In my 40 years in funeral service I have seen a rise in the quantity and legitimacy of low-cost funeral providers. In the 1980’s if someone was “donating their body to science or their university” they were often thought of as a nutjob. Those people that chose to use the services of Neptune Society or other low cost regional or national providers of the time were scoffed at by their friends. Family fights would often break-out when the kids found out the parents made their choice to be cremated. In the early consumer studies known as The Wirthlin Report, consumers chose a funeral home based upon price less than 5% of the time. However, since the 1980’s the rise in value seeking consumers has turned mainstream. Why? […]
November 23, 2020
Published by Dan Isard on November 23, 2020
Dan Isard on November 23, 2020The top five uninformed mistakes people make when buying or selling a funeral home. First, dear reader, understand that our relationship involves mutual responsibilities. As the author, I write. As the reader, you, er… well, you read. I promise never to lie to you in my monthly columns. You promise never to plagiarize my articles. Given our sacred relationship, I must therefore make sure you understand this month’s subtitle: “The top five uninformed mistakes…” Note it does not say, “The five uninformed mistakes,” but instead, “The top five uninformed mistakes.” In 35 years, I’ve simply seen too many mistakes to list them all in a 1,500-word article. Maybe, after I retire, I will write another book about all the errors people make. Secondly, dear reader, understand that these errors are not limited to buyers or to sellers but to both […]
October 25, 2020
Published by Dan Isard on October 25, 2020
Dan Isard on October 25, 2020In our third Industry Spotlight, we want to highlight on hospice. Two professions which are most symbiotic are hospice nursing and funeral homes. Hospice care focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient’s pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by reducing pain and suffering. Funeral directing focuses upon the emotional trauma of the survivors, who are now living without the deceased friend or family member. The funeral is the first step to deal with the rational biological needs as well as the spiritual support the survivors need. According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) in 2017, 49 million Medicare beneficiaries, a 4.5 percent increase from the prior year, were enrolled in hospice care for one day or more […]
October 25, 2020
Published by Dan Isard on October 25, 2020
Dan Isard on October 25, 2020Neither a borrower nor a lender be. – Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 3 I quoted Lord Polonius from Shakespeare’s famous play because I needed someone expressing the wrong opinion on the merits of borrowing. Sure, I could have quoted any of 200 different radio talk show hosts, but then I might appear narrow-minded or opinionated. I also could have quoted several funeral home owners, but then they might feel offended. Anyway, in this 10th installment of our 12-part 20/20 vision of rebuilding your funeral business, I will explain borrowing, give examples of when and when not to borrow and note from whom you should and should not borrow. And, of course, I will do all of this without using mathematics or being opinionated… BORROWING DURING A PANDEMIC There is only one certainty during a pandemic to a business owner: You […]