Market Research
October 26, 2020
Published by 
Chris Cruger on October 26, 2020
Chris Cruger on October 26, 2020Five Ways Technology is Transforming the Profession Whitepaper DOWNLOAD NOW Introduction Our recently published 2020 Foresight Funeral and Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study (FCCBS) outlined how Covid-19 has driven technology to forever alter the funeral and cemetery profession. The impact of this change has affected not only how funeral homes and cemeteries present their services and offerings to the general public, but has also influenced how mourners actually participate in the burial and grieving processes. There are three main ways in which technology is changing our profession. The first is the clear consumer preference for the availability of pricing information online. 75% of consumers now state they want access to pricing online, and over half (52%) say they will only do business in the future with companies that provide online pricing, per 2020 FCCBS. The second is the use of virtual […]
October 25, 2020
Published by 
Doug Gober on October 25, 2020
Doug Gober on October 25, 2020One service area that we are always asked for insight and guidance on is our Business Financing Services. For this month’s column, we combined all of the most popular financing questions into one comprehensive article. Continue reading below as Doug Gober, Partner provides some insights on SBA financing, debt refinancing, borrowing limits, and more. Question: Why would I want to get SBA financing instead of going to my local bank? Doug Gober: Since its inception, SBA lending has become very popular because it opens the door to a larger base of entrepreneurs transitioning into businesses. It does so by reducing the amount of initial investment required and extending the terms on of the loan. Unless you have significant investment dollars available, it is difficult for quality, skilled people to become a business owner using conventional lending. Conventional commercial lending effectively […]
September 21, 2020
Published by 
Nicole Vullo on September 21, 2020
Nicole Vullo on September 21, 2020We were recently asked what the process would entail for a successful business owner to now branch out and explore new business ventures, specifically Pet Services. John T. McQueen, CFSP, Director of Client Experience provides some insights on how to expand your business and where to begin. Question: My family and I have been running a successful funeral home for many years. We have begun to look into new ventures to expand our business and are interested in pet services. What advice can you offer us and where do we begin? John T. McQueen: Pet services can be a great addition to your funeral home offerings, but it must be well-thought out and planned. There are also three basic models you can use to start a pet business – pet burials, pet cremations, and combination. Most funeral homes that start […]
September 21, 2020
Published by 
Dan Isard on September 21, 2020
Dan Isard on September 21, 2020Before I comment on the top slides in the survey I think every funeral director should be focused on, allow me to say that I love the fact that this survey is intentionally trying to be more inclusive. One key point I must assert first is brought about by these changes in survey demographics. The 2020 survey takes into consideration people of wider race and age than ever before. It’s weighting younger this year, with 62.1% of respondents between ages 40 and 54 (compared to 36.1% in 2019 and 23.7% in 2018). The survey is also weighting more diverse. A higher percentage of respondents identified themselves as Hispanic (15.5%, compared to 11.1% in 2019), and fewer identified themselves as white (52.4%, compared to 57.9% in 2019). I also believe that leading to a shift in perceived results is the higher […]
August 13, 2020
Published by Dan Isard on August 13, 2020
Dan Isard on August 13, 2020Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a two-part series on the results of a survey The Foresight Companies commissioned on the effect COVID-19 has had on how consumers think of funeral service. Last month, I began to share my thoughts about the future of funeral service, based on facts collected from a nationwide survey of more than 2,500 consumers. In case you either don’t remember or did not read last month’s article, we surveyed people throughout the United States and asked them to tell us their thoughts on more than 80 points of interest dealing with consumers’ expectations of the funeral and cemetery professions. We asked them to tell us what their thoughts were before COVID-19, during their self-isolation period, and what they perceived would be their expectations post COVID-19. We asked them this on the weekend just […]