Matt Blackwell

In funeral service, first impressions aren’t optional — they’re foundational. We don’t get the luxury of a second chance. Whether it’s a family walking through your doors, calling in the middle of the night, or googling you while sitting in an ICU waiting room, that first contact sets the tone for everything that follows. And here’s the kicker: that first impression might happen in the arrangement room — but it probably happens long before that. The family may have already decided to call you before you ever speak. Maybe it was your hearse they saw last year at a neighbor’s service. Maybe it was the way your staff carried themselves at a community event. Maybe it was your website — easy to use, or a mess of outdated links and confusion. Or maybe it was your name coming up in […]

There’s no perfect script for telling your team you’re selling the funeral home—but there is a wrong way. That’s not addressing it head on, keeping things vague, or waiting too long and letting your staff hear it from third parties like their casket rep. In a profession built on trust and relationships, that kind of surprise doesn’t just bruise morale—it can erode the culture you spent a career building. Selling your funeral home isn’t just a transaction. You’re handing over something deeply personal—a community institution, a brand your team helped shape, a space where families found comfort. When staff are kept in the dark until the last second, it stirs panic, invites rumors, and makes buyers wonder if they’re inheriting a team—or a time bomb. Here’s how to do it better. These aren’t just bullet points from a handbook—they’re lessons […]

Selling a business is both a significant milestone and a complex endeavor. One recent case involved the sale of a family-owned business and offered valuable insights for owners preparing to sell. The challenges faced during this process revealed three crucial lessons every business owner should keep in mind to achieve a successful transaction. Establish Clear and Realistic Expectations One of the biggest hurdles in this case stemmed from unrealistic expectations about the business’s value. The owners’ valuation, heavily influenced by external comparisons, far exceeded what the market deemed reasonable. This misalignment led to initial frustration and delays in negotiations. What Owners Can Learn: Understanding the factors that influence a business’s valuation is critical. Relying on sentimental value or unsubstantiated comparisons can lead to disappointment. Instead, work with experts to gain a realistic perspective grounded in market trends, operational metrics, and […]

You may have been approached in the past about purchasing a competing funeral home, or maybe you have actively approached some of your competitors about purchasing their firm so you can grow your market share. One way or another, you have probably heard something about Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A). It’s true that acquisitions can be a great way to grow your business, but you should understand the risks associated with them. Alarmingly, studies show that between 70% and 90% of acquisitions fail to deliver the anticipated value. Despite these statistics, M&A activity continues to rise, fueled by the demand for growth amidst sluggish organic expansion. Understanding the inherent risks associated with these transactions is essential for navigating these challenges effectively. Overpaying Overpaying for an acquisition is one of the most critical risks in M&A. The valuation gap between buyers and […]