Articles

Reframing Pet Loss Through Compassion & Care “Stoic” and “Never too high, never too low”  are words and phrases that those who know me closely have often and consistently used to describe me. I am the youngest of four with a 20-year age gap between myself and my three older siblings. My mother was number 15 out of 16 kids and my father was the middle child among five brothers. And having both sets of grandparents born in the 1880s, I have been around death practically all my life. But as a grown human being, I have to say that the most difficult decision(s) that I’ve had to make is deciding when to have any of my dogs put down (multiple times in the past). Then my pit bull corgi mix rescue of 10 years, Stitch, took a severe downturn […]

Why exceptional service requires exceptional planning. In funeral service, the phrase “white-glove service” is often associated with hospitality. It brings to mind polished facilities, professional dress, attention to detail, personalized experiences and compassionate interactions with families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Those things matter, and they always will. But funeral professionals sometimes mistakenly view white-glove service only through the lens of the family experience. In reality, exceptional service is rarely the result of personality alone. It is also the result of operational discipline behind the scenes. Families experience the end result of your business model long before they understand the business itself. They experience it through responsiveness, consistency, professionalism, communication, organization, confidence and trust. They experience it in how seamlessly the team works together, how prepared staff are to handle difficult situations, how clearly options […]

It’s as valuable to you and your successors as it is to your customers. There is a moment, somewhere between the first phone call and the final goodbye, when grieving family members decide whether they feel truly taken care of. You don’t get a survey response from them in that moment. You don’t get a second chance to change their answer, either. The funeral service profession has long prided itself on compassion and professionalism. And in many ways, that reputation holds. The 2026 Funeral and Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study (FCCBS), which surveyed more than 5,000 consumers and 1,100 industry professionals, confirmed that our people are perceived as professional, comforting and responsive. Those are real strengths. But this same study, now conducted for seven consecutive years, also revealed a more complicated picture beneath the surface. Consumers want more. And the operators […]

Featured in American Funeral Director by Kates-Boylston Publications When selling a funeral home, timing matters. Owners spend decades building reputation, market share, staffing relationships, and operational consistency. That lifetime investment often creates a sentimental perception of value that buyers may not fully support. Sellers sometimes become anchored to a target number and convince themselves that if they wait just a little longer, the “right buyer” will eventually appear. What many owners underestimate, however, is how quickly business value can deteriorate once they mentally decide they are ready to sell. The following case study illustrates a pattern that has become increasingly common throughout the funeral profession in recent years: a business owner receives a strong offer while the company is operating at peak performance, delays the sale in pursuit of a higher valuation, gradually disengages from operations, and ultimately watches both […]

How to approach a transfer of ownership realistically and effectively. Succession planning in the funeral service profession rarely entails just a business transaction. It is personal; emotional; and deeply tied to family legacy, community reputation and identity. For many funeral home owners, their business represents multiple generations of service. For the next generation, however, it represents opportunity, responsibility and, oftentimes, a very different vision for the future. Setting realistic expectations for both sides of the succession plan is the key to a successful transition. Without clarity, assumptions can cause resentment, and even good intentions can lead to fractures in a relationship. With clear communication and structured planning, however, succession can strengthen both the relationship and the business. For both the current owner and the future successor to approach succession planning with realism and foresight, they must adhere to the following […]