November 5, 2018
Published by 
Stephanie Ramsey on November 5, 2018
Stephanie Ramsey on November 5, 2018Every day in the news there appears to be at least one story about a violent public attack where people are either threatened, harmed or killed in the United States. Many of these occur in a workplace environment. This means there are likely to be employees who are somehow involved with this type of event. They may be the victims, the heroes, and in some unfortunate situations, they may be the perpetrators of the attack. How do we find ourselves at this point in American society? The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently released a report, discussing the development of workplace violence. In the report they discuss the day in August, 1986 when Patrick H. Sherrill walked into the Edmond, OK post office, where he was employed part-time, and shot 14 people to death before killing himself. The media coverage […]
November 5, 2018
Published by 
Dan Isard on November 5, 2018
Dan Isard on November 5, 2018Do you understand why your business has a profit? It is simple math. Revenue, minus Cost of Goods Sold, minus Operating Expenses equals Profit. If profit is as simple as a 3 entry math equation, then why have profits declined 60% or more during the past 30 years of the funeral profession? The simple reason is: profit is simple math but analyzing how to maximize profit is complex. OGR has enlisted Dan Isard’s The Foresight Companies to help its members with The Strategic Business Analysis (“SBA”) that requires heavy analysis. The average profit margin of a funeral home is less than 7%. The average Foresight client profit is anywhere from 28% to 32%. The reason is our deductive intelligent tools that help clients understand their operating metrics, set prices and manage their operations to a revenue and profit goal. Now, […]
November 2, 2018
Published by Dan Isard on November 2, 2018
Dan Isard on November 2, 2018Relationships and reputation are the keys to convincing undecided consumers to choose your funeral home. Make sure your marketing is based on that fact. Funeral service professionals continue to face challenges as consumers shift away from “traditional funerals.” In fact, “traditional funeral” is jargon specific to funeral directors which often evokes misty eyes and wistful thoughts of yesteryear. The reality is that a “traditional funeral” is becoming as extinct as those who continue to use the jargon. Positioning a funeral home in today’s market and educating consumers requires a multifaceted marketing approach. Like it or not, services and products are for sale; there is a price for each and a consumer must choose to make a purchase. Creating the message to attract “buyers” is more important now than ever before. Even though most consumers understand that funeral homes care for […]
November 2, 2018
Published by Dan Isard on November 2, 2018
Dan Isard on November 2, 2018If you’re buying a cemetery that has funded its merchandise trust through surety bonds, you need to understand what that means and how it affects what that cemetery is worth. Dear Dan, I want to buy a neighboring cemetery. I was doing my due diligence and learned that all of their merchandise trust is funded by surety bonds. Why would someone do this? What can I do now if I want to buy this business? Not Surety in Bondville Dear NSB, I have had the privilege of standing in this profession for four decades with one foot in the funeral world and one in the cemetery. I love the balance and perspective. I also get to see the problems. The funeral world became cursed when it invented something called “cash advances.” The cemetery world suffered the same curse when […]
November 2, 2018
Published by Dan Isard on November 2, 2018
Dan Isard on November 2, 2018Consumers are shifting away from burial toward cremation, so what does that mean for the future of caskets? The answer depends on the lens from which you are viewing the funeral world. As a funeral home owner, the future looks dim for your casket merchandising. The same number of caskets are sold in the U.S. today as compared to 20 years ago, even though we have almost 700,000 more deaths. Today, the mix of caskets is weighted on the 20- and 18-gauge caskets and less expensive woods. Years ago, more expensive metals (bronze, copper and stainless steel) were being sold. If your casket selection for consumers is priced appropriately and your service fees are the emphasis of your pricing, you will have families choose caskets for burial and cremation services. The key is to train your funeral directors to present […]