October 29, 2026
Published by 
Foresight on October 29, 2026
Foresight on October 29, 2026Written by Jen Graziano, Attorney, Licensed Funeral Director Obituary piracy is real and rampant. Funeral directors and supplemental staff can undoubtedly attest to a rise in phone calls from client families complaining or questioning how their loved one’s obituary ended up on a third party site. The presumption, often and unfortunately, is that a funeral home submission to the third party resulted in the online posting of an obituary. But such is rarely ever the case. Third party websites utilize AI to skim or scrape the obituary from a funeral home website, bypassing direct channels to syphon the information on the deceased. These third party sites operate for profit as they drive family and friends to view obituaries on their site where they also offer for purchase various memorial products. It is imperative that funeral home directors and staff maintain […]
October 29, 2026
Published by 
Stephanie Ramsey on October 29, 2026
Stephanie Ramsey on October 29, 2026Scenario: “I Didn’t Realize I Was the Business.” Meet David Reynolds (age 61), owner of Reynolds Family Funeral Home. David purchased the funeral home 28 years ago from the retiring owner who had served the community for nearly four decades. At the time, the funeral home averaged about 180 calls annually. Through hard work, exceptional service, and countless nights on call, David grew the business to nearly 300 calls per year. Today, Reynolds Family Funeral Home is widely respected throughout the region. David is proud of what he has built. He knows nearly every minister in town. Families regularly ask for him by name. Local hospice organizations trust him, and many attorneys and nursing homes call him directly whenever a family loses a loved one. By almost every measure, David has been successful. Recently, while attending a state funeral director’s […]
October 29, 2026
Published by 
Taylor Weber on October 29, 2026
Taylor Weber on October 29, 2026Most funeral home owners carry a number in the back of their mind. Maybe it’s a multiple of revenue they heard from a peer at a conference, or what a competitor down the road supposedly sold for. Over time, that number quietly becomes what they believe the business is worth. That’s why the moment a valuation comes back can carry a lot of weight. After decades of building the business, the owner is ready to see that number confirmed. Sometimes it is. Other times, the result comes in lower than they hoped. That experience is more common than most owners realize, and it’s understandably personal. But a valuation isn’t a verdict on the business you’ve built. It’s a snapshot of how the business looks to an outsider today, and snapshots change. To know what to do next, understand what drives […]
October 29, 2026
Published by 
Welton Hong on October 29, 2026
Welton Hong on October 29, 2026By Welton Hong, founder and CEO of Ring Ring Marketing There are a lot of ways for a cemetery to market itself today, and the best strategy is rarely going to be built around a single channel. I still believe strongly in direct mail. It remains an effective way to put a cemetery’s message directly in front of people in the communities it serves. But I also recognize that direct mail doesn’t produce the same return it once did, and one of the biggest challenges cemetery operators face today is figuring out exactly what happened after a piece of mail landed in someone’s mailbox. That’s where the internet has changed the game. Someone can receive your direct-mail piece, see an offer, and never respond to it directly. Instead, they might pick up their phone, search for your cemetery on Google, […]
September 24, 2026
Published by Foresight on September 24, 2026
Foresight on September 24, 2026Written by Jen Graziano, Esq/LOF The 19th century British Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone, most eloquently captured the symbiosis of life and death through his famous words, ”Show me the manner in which a nation or a community cares for its dead, and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender sympathies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land and their loyalty to high ideals.” These words echo in the minds, or at least they should, of every proprietor of a funeral establishment. Truth be told, they are memorialized in a bronze plaque outside one of mine. These words remind us that life and death are but reflective mirrors. They are separated by a thin veil, a most fragile thread. Our human reactions to death often follow suit to our values in life. Those who truly […]