August 29, 2024
Published by 
Nicole Vullo on August 29, 2024
Nicole Vullo on August 29, 2024Written by Danielle Burmeister, Homesteaders Marketing Communications Manager A few years ago, I met a woman who had buried two husbands. The first died unexpectedly at a tragically young age, the second after a long, hard and well-fought battle with cancer. Kate bore the unmistakable signs of grief – strength and perseverance coupled with the quiet certainty that life is very, very precious. As you might imagine, her first husband passed away without making any plans for his funeral arrangements. At his age, there was no reason to think he needed to talk with his wife about how he wanted to be remembered, where he wanted to be laid to rest or even where he kept their important documents and financial information. When he died, Kate was left with a mountain of decisions to make, a funeral to arrange and […]
August 28, 2024
Published by Nicole Vullo on August 28, 2024
Nicole Vullo on August 28, 2024Staffing and employee retention has been an issue for various sectors in recent years. In particular, the funeral and cemetery profession has experienced the effects of this business pain point. We asked Jared Tanke to share his insights as to what owners and operators can implement into their business models now to retain good employees. Question: How do I retain good employees? Jared Tanke: I recently attended the NFDA Leadership Conference in Ponte Vedra, FL. As a first-time attendee at this event, I was excited about networking with so many different funeral home owners, state association executives, and others. Throughout my time I was involved in many conversations around the biggest challenges facing the funeral profession. A question that kept coming up was “how do we retain talent?” This falls right in line with our 2024 Funeral & Cemetery Consumer […]
July 30, 2024
Published by Nicole Vullo on July 30, 2024
Nicole Vullo on July 30, 2024Three Things You Can Do Right Now to Future Proof Your Business According to a recent article published by the University of Kansas School of Education & Human Sciences1, the U.S. education system “has been struggling to keep up with other countries in terms of educational performance … The consequences of this educational gap are far-reaching … The USA is now the worst-educated workforce in the industrialized world.” Based on the results of our 2024 Funeral & Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study (FCCBS) , the U.S. funeral and cemetery profession may just be in a similar position when it comes to educating consumers about both its products and services … and itself. And that’s not all. Other data from recent studies highlight another key challenge facing the funeral and cemetery industry: an impending avalanche of customers who live their lives online […]
July 30, 2024
Published by Nicole Vullo on July 30, 2024
Nicole Vullo on July 30, 2024Establishing a funeral home or cemetery business for future success is crucial for its longevity as well as for a smooth ownership transition. You must be proactive in this approach and take early steps as opposed to waiting for when it must be done. We asked Financial Analyst, Luke Potter to go into further detail on the process. Question: What steps can I do now in my business plan to set my funeral home up to be successful? Luke Potter: Setting up a funeral home for future success is essential for ensuring its longevity and the smooth transition of ownership. Proactive succession planning is a key component of this preparation. By identifying and mentoring potential successors early, whether they are family members or key employees, funeral directors can provide continuity and stability. Developing leadership skills and creating a comprehensive transition […]
June 27, 2024
Published by Nicole Vullo on June 27, 2024
Nicole Vullo on June 27, 2024Written by Wanda Sizemore, Homesteaders Director-Training & Development I have been fortunate to work in many funeral homes throughout my career, from all across the country. I have found that the differences between these businesses are significant, but in a lot of ways all funeral homes are alike: We are all here to serve families when they need us most, and that is true no matter what your role is in the funeral home. Like many of you, I came to the profession through personal tragedy after the unexpected loss of my mother and brother-in-law. In the days that followed, my family was understandably overwhelmed with grief and stress. When it became clear my boss at the time was not able to offer me the time and space I needed to process these catastrophic losses, I left my employer and […]