July 19, 2023
Published by 
Foresight on July 19, 2023
Foresight on July 19, 2023The landscape of SBA loans has undergone significant changes, bringing about exciting opportunities for the funeral home and cemetery profession. Equity injection requirements have been revamped, simplifying procedures and guidelines, and allowing for the 10% equity requirement to be totally met with a seller carry. The SBA has also reduced red tape and clarified affiliation standards, providing fair access to capital. Furthermore, the personal resource test has been eliminated, and lending criteria for creditworthiness have been streamlined. In this blog, we will explore how these changes impact funeral home and cemetery owners, highlighting the benefits and opportunities they bring. Rules have changed around equity injection Equity injection is new cash or other acceptable assets added to the project that is not on the borrower’s balance sheet prior to the equity injection. The most important element of this (especially for 1st […]
June 20, 2023
Published by Foresight on June 20, 2023
Foresight on June 20, 20232023 Funeral and Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study Insights Summary DOWNLOAD NOW In response to the transformative impact of COVID-19, The Foresight Companies conducted our annual consumer behavior study to uncover key trends shaping the funeral and cemetery profession in the short and long term. As these trends become permanent, we are dedicated to helping you embrace and implement the necessary changes for future business success. Discover the actionable insights from our 2023 Funeral & Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study by downloading our Insights Summary. Gain valuable knowledge on evolving consumer attitudes towards the funeral and cemetery market and learn how operators can adapt to meet their changing needs. Adapt and thrive in the future of funeral service by meeting the evolving demands of today’s consumers.
May 29, 2023
Published by Foresight on May 29, 2023
Foresight on May 29, 2023The Foresight Companies and Pellerin Funeral Homes A Special Feature Written by Alice Adams The following is a case study about funeral home owners who partnered with The Foresight Companies’ consultants to optimize their position in the marketplace. Through this relationship, the family-owned funeral home maximized its value, streamlined operations and, ultimately, sold at the right time, to the right buyer for the right price. In the beginning, Ray Pellerin, a second-generation funeral director, stepped into the leadership role of his family’s funeral home – in the heart of Cajun Country – in 1962, not quite 10 years after his father, Harris J. Pellerin, the Pellerin Funeral Home’s founder, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Ray was still in his 20s. Harris, always a progressive visionary in the profession, established Pellerin’s as an undertaking company in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, in 1921. […]
May 29, 2023
Published by Foresight on May 29, 2023
Foresight on May 29, 2023Where do you begin to tell the story about Doug Gober’s lasting impact? A Special Feature Written by Patti Martin Bartsche Do you go all the way to the Batesville Casket years, where, after taking over a larger territory in Arkansas, he turned it into one of the top territories in the country? Or it can be traced to his time with Alton Doody and The Doody Group, where, among his many achievements, he was instrumental in planning and implementing a number of innovative merchandising concepts and products? You could also point to his move to Live Oak Bank, where, as the company’s executive marketing director of death-care management, he was able to help the new funeral business vertical do over $100 million in loans in its second year. Others may insist that it was when he left Live Oak […]
July 26, 2022
Published by Foresight on July 26, 2022
Foresight on July 26, 2022The team at The Foresight Companies are passionate about the funeral and cemetery profession. The knowledge that we teach our profession is not opinion, it is empirical facts and findings based on what the consumer is thinking about the funeral and cemetery profession. This is how they see the profession and they embracing new ways of doing things. When the pandemic began in 2020, we saw how fast our profession was hit due to the increased amount of deaths that were occurring. Certainly, all the first responders were put to work to aide and guide us through the pandemic. But what also emerged was the title of Last or Final Responders. These are the funeral and cemetery professionals who could not skip a beat and needed to work diligently and quickly to help families with shocking and sudden losses due […]