March 24, 2026
Published by 
Chris Cruger on March 24, 2026
Chris Cruger on March 24, 2026Interdisciplinary collaboration is a competitive advantage in the funeral service and cemetery professions. In the January 2026 issue of The Director, I, arguing that personalization would define success in 2026 and beyond, challenged you to stand out. I urged you to move past sameness and create experiences that feel authentic, intentional and human. Well, in this month’s column, I will address how to accomplish this. Personalization does not happen in isolation. It cannot be owned by one department, one leader or one role. The most meaningful, differentiated experiences are created when people with different expertise, perspectives and responsibilities work together toward a shared goal. This is where interdisciplinary collaboration comes in. In today’s funeral service and cemetery professions, the complexity of business has outpaced the siloed way in which many organizations still operate. Operations, sales, marketing, preneed, finance, leadership, etc., […]
March 24, 2026
Published by 
Matt Blackwell on March 24, 2026
Matt Blackwell on March 24, 2026When a funeral home owner starts thinking seriously about a sale, there’s a question that doesn’t get enough attention early in the process: who actually buys these businesses, and how are they different from one another? It’s not a small distinction. The type of buyer sitting across the table from you will shape the offer you receive, the terms attached to it, and what your business looks like on the other side of closing. Broadly speaking, buyers in funeral and cemetery consolidation fall into four categories. National Consolidators These are the names most sellers already know. Publicly traded companies with national footprints, institutional capital, and decades of acquisition experience. They know what they’re looking for: consistent call volume, clean financials, and markets that fit their existing regional presence. When a business checks those boxes, they compete aggressively on price and […]
February 26, 2026
Published by 
Taylor Weber on February 26, 2026
Taylor Weber on February 26, 2026Most funeral home owners assume that once they decide to sell, the hardest part is over. In reality, deciding to sell is just the beginning. What surprises many owners is not the valuation conversation. It is how quickly a transaction can lose momentum during due diligence. That slow loss of energy is what we call deal fatigue. It rarely shows up as one dramatic event. It shows up in small ways that add up. A buyer asks for “one more” report. A question turns into three follow-ups. Emails sit longer than usual because the owner is still running the business day to day. The timeline stretches, and what started as an exciting next chapter begins to feel like a second full-time job. Deal fatigue is one of the most underestimated risks in a sale. These issues are common, and the […]
January 27, 2026
Published by 
Foresight on January 27, 2026
Foresight on January 27, 2026Written By Jen Graziano, Licensed Funeral Director, Attorney, Founder: RememBar Collection People often look “outside” to find whatever it is they’re searching for. Whether outside of their living situation to find a new home, outside a relationship situation to find a new partner, or outside a business situation to find a new idea; there’s a human tendency to look outward. The irony is what we’re searching for is so often right in front of our eyes. On that note, let’s talk about our funeral home(s), not as business entities but rather, the brick and mortars, themselves. In our endless quest to offer something new, are we neglecting to look within to see how we can improve what we already have? We take for granted walking through our doors each day and going directly to our respective desk, office and chapels. […]
January 27, 2026
Published by 
Axel Jean-Francois on January 27, 2026
Axel Jean-Francois on January 27, 2026Based on mainstream 2026 forecasts, here’s what funeral professionals need to watch. Interest Rates and Business Borrowing in 2026 Let’s start with the big, invisible hand everyone’s felt but no one invited: the Federal Reserve. The Fed controls short-term interest rates by setting the “federal funds rate,” basically what banks charge each other to borrow money overnight. It’s not thrilling—but it drives everything from mortgage rates to commercial loans to your credit card APR. In 2026, that rate is projected by major banks and federal agencies to hover around 3.5–3.75%, down from the 2023 highs, but still miles above the near-zero era of the 2010s. For funeral homes, that means: higher payments on expansion loans, pricier lines of credit, and less room for error if calls dip. On a $1 million, 10‑year note, even a couple of percentage points equals […]