November 20, 2019
Published by 
Dan Isard on November 20, 2019
Dan Isard on November 20, 2019Promoting service fees, not merchandise, is the only way to survive as a business. You are reading my second submission for this month’s column because the first was rejected by my editor. And, like any good pouting 8th-grader, I have begrudgingly taken his rejection and done as admonished. The editor wrote me after reading my first draft: “Daniel Mark Isard, you go back to your desk and complete this assignment right now!” The original article, I admit, was the shortest I’d ever written. My editor didn’t like that; he said he felt I didn’t explain myself thoroughly. Of the more than 500 articles and thousands of words I’ve written for this profession, this was the first I wrote that was just five words (an average article is between 1,200 and 2,000 words). I thought I had given quality advice in […]
September 25, 2019
Published by Dan Isard on September 25, 2019
Dan Isard on September 25, 2019Planning to retire is one thing. Planning to retire and be financially independent is quite another. A commentary By Daniel M. Isard I find it fascinating that this study covers such serious topics, but I have to wonder whether respondents are taking them as seriously as they should. Its keystone statement, in my opinion, is “[to determine] how well members are prepared for retirement.” But a response rate of 7.6%? That is just ridiculous! Everyone plans to retire. Of all the people we bury or cremate, 80% die after age 65. Therefore, we should all be aware of it, we should all be concerned with it, and we should all be investing our money and time to play the odds that we will indeed be “among the numbers” of this great majority who die after retirement. Actually, the results of […]
September 25, 2019
Published by Dan Isard on September 25, 2019
Dan Isard on September 25, 2019Being a funeral home owner is as much about being a human resources manager as it is about being a funeral director. By Daniel M. Isard Human Resources Running a funeral home is either a business or a job. Which one depends on three factors: • Is your name on the sign and does the bank have a large loan with your signature? • Is your name on the sign and does the bank have a large loan with your family member’s signature? • Are you earning a wage for working? By my estimate, there are 19,000 funeral homes across the country, of which 15,000 are owned by about 10,000 individuals. If you are one of those 10,000, you are either living in a small town upstairs from your office and doing most everything yourself or you are a larger […]
September 6, 2019
Published by Dan Isard on September 6, 2019
Dan Isard on September 6, 2019A solid, written business plan that is reviewed quarterly is mandatory if you own a funeral business. Here’s what should be in it. Why? Why did you choose to be funeral professionals? And why did some of you choose to manage a funeral business and others to own and manage a funeral business? To the last question, I hear some candid and honest answers: • It’s my family business; I was cast into this position. • It’s the only thing I could see myself doing; I’ve been working here since I was a kid. • I didn’t know I had a choice. Well, whether you guilted yourself into this profession, were born into it or exercised your free will, you are here. Therefore, the question is no longer “Why?” but “How can I do this job better, manage this […]
September 6, 2019
Published by Dan Isard on September 6, 2019
Dan Isard on September 6, 2019A Consumer Awareness and Preferences Survey commentary By Daniel M. Isard I will begin my commentary with a quote from Alphonse Karr, which was stolen by George Bernard Shaw, who said, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” As I pore over the 2019 NFDA consumer survey and compare and contrast it with my memory of earlier versions, I’m amazed and saddened by what I see. Allow me to shed light on five more illuminating and condemning issues amplified this year. Before I start, the pollsters are very clear that this survey reflects a younger age than previous surveys. About 36.1% of respondents are between 40 and 54. Is this important? Keep in mind that almost 80% of all deaths take place after age 65, with the average life expectancy in this country being 78.7 years. That […]