September 27, 2024
Published by 
Nicole Vullo on September 27, 2024
Nicole Vullo on September 27, 2024Diligent business owners must adapt to meet their clients where they are because it’s clear consumers aren’t going back. I first stumbled onto the phrase “nothing changes if nothing changes” while scrolling through Instagram in May 2023. As an older millennial, Instagram is where I get most of my daily laughs and content, as opposed to TikTok. (Boy, do I feel old saying that TikTok is too young for me… but I digress.) When I first saw the saying, my immediate response was, “Well, obviously!” Little did I know at the time, however, that this would become my personal mantra the following month as I began a new lifestyle journey after deciding to finally get into shape. (If anyone needs Pilates studio recommendations or suggestions on plant based protein powders, I’m your girl!) After first reading the expression, it might […]
September 27, 2024
Published by Nicole Vullo on September 27, 2024
Nicole Vullo on September 27, 2024Written by Taylor Weber, Financial Analyst In our latest, Ask the Analyst blog column, we were given the question on what business-related tasks are needed to be done during the final month of the year. Financial Analyst, Taylor Weber provides her insights on this important topic. Question: Do I need to focus on any specific business elements in the last quarter of the year? Taylor Weber: As we head into the final quarter of the year, it’s important to assess where your business stands and take strategic action. While it’s tempting to remain cautious, especially when faced with market changes such as increased cremation rates or a fluctuating death rate, now is the time to make moves that will set your business up for long-term success. Many funeral home owners are hesitant to raise their prices, fearing they’ll lose calls […]
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 […]