July 13, 2018
Published by 
Dan Isard on July 13, 2018
Dan Isard on July 13, 2018We’ve all heard about it, some of us have one, and a movie was made to shed light on how it can be accomplished: A Bucket List. A loose definition of a bucket list is coming to terms with who we are as a person, what we have or have not accomplished in life, and the desire to complete a list of things we want to see or do before death. Personally, at this point in my life I don’t have a long list. Returning to Cuba for a week of cigars with local libations and attending a Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania are two that remain. As we in the funeral profession know all too well, many people have a bucket list that never came to fruition. Death is not a scheduled event (except for a conviction […]
June 29, 2018
Published by Dan Isard on June 29, 2018
Dan Isard on June 29, 2018The profession has failed to continue to embrace the purpose of the basic non-declinable services fee. Dear Dan, In the 30 years of being in my family business, I have seen the inside of my competitor’s funeral home three times. They have a bronze plaque inscribed with a quote about the quality of a funeral. I am not sure who said this, but my father thinks it’s a quote from a former longtime executive director of NFDA. We don’t use the same casket company or I would ask the salesman to go over and take a picture of it. And I don’t want to ask my competitor about it because it might make him feel superior to me. I was wondering what you might know of this quote and the person who said it. Dumbfounded in Delaware Dear Dumbfounded, […]
June 21, 2018
Published by Dan Isard on June 21, 2018
Dan Isard on June 21, 2018Dear Dan, I manage a 100-year-old 80-acre cemetery. I employ about 30 people. My father retired about 10 years ago, and I admit I am doing things much the way he did. I also admit that the world is evolving, and I suspect my human resource knowledge is weak. Dad always treated our sales team as advance and outside salespeople, and they are all on commission only. They get a 1099. Our landscapers work for us full time, but he treated them as “contractors” and gave them each a 1099. Our office staff consists of three people, full-time employees we classify as exempt. There are not many times a year when they work overtime—around the holidays and when we have special on-site promotional events. I am a salaried, full-time employee. Our retirement plan covers me and the office staff. With […]
June 13, 2018
Published by Dan Isard on June 13, 2018
Dan Isard on June 13, 2018Almost every article published today has an underlying call for “change” within the funeral profession. In my opinion, the notion of change may not suffice—scorch the earth and start all over again is likely a better solution. The funeral operating model is broken, and it is ludicrous for practitioners to attempt to hold on to the glory days of the past. If you look at the facts, change is so much easier. What hasn’t changed are the simple mathematical equations underpinning our businesses: Revenue – Overhead = Profit GPL + P&L = EBITDA Retail Price – Wholesale Cost of Goods = Profit I want to focus on the last equation for caskets and vaults (aka outer burial containers) sold within our industry. Over a span of a few years, our funeral business has evolved from a local service to one […]