June 23, 2025
Published by 
Jarod Bernat on June 23, 2025
Jarod Bernat on June 23, 2025Intentional, transparent communication must be integrated into every step of your succession plan. Within the funeral profession – a field built on tradition, legacy and long-standing community ties –succession planning carries a particularly emotional and operational weight. The transition of leadership from one generation to the next is about ownership and financial continuity but also about the preservation of trust, culture and relationships cultivated over decades. At the heart of this delicate process lies a single powerful tool: communication. Communication is not just a helpful part of succession planning; it is the very foundation that determines whether a transition is smooth and successful or fraught with conflict, confusion and frustration. In a profession where trust is paramount, the way leaders communicate with their successors, staff, clients and community can make or break the legacy they worked so hard to build. […]
June 23, 2025
Published by 
Stephanie Ramsey on June 23, 2025
Stephanie Ramsey on June 23, 2025True Stories of the Everyday Funeral Business Owner Scenario: Meet Tony Morgan (age 54), owner of Morgan Funeral Home and Cremation Services. Tony’s business consists of a single location in the Midwestern United States, serving approximately 160 families annually. Tony began his business from scratch 25 years ago. Tony worked hard to make his dream of ownership come true. He raised the equity and qualified for a loan that allowed him to buy the real estate and build a reasonably sized funeral home that met the needs of the community that he decided to serve. It was a rural community that did not have a provider when he began his business. Over time, Tony expanded his location to provide additional space within the facility, parking, and cremation by purchasing the adjoining real estate. The growth he has experienced has been […]
May 22, 2025
Published by 
Welton Hong on May 22, 2025
Welton Hong on May 22, 2025Written by Welton Hong, Ring Ring Marketing Every year, I travel throughout the country to help funeral home owners make their phone ring and boost market share. Call me a nerd, but I love seeing business owners succeed, especially when it comes to assisting family members in honoring lost loved ones or planning ahead. On Thursday, Sept. 11, I’ll be joining Chris Cruger, the CEO of The Foresight Companies, and other experts as a speaker at “Mastermind: Elevating Your Funeral Service Business to New Heights,” which is approved by Ohio for 5.5 hours of continuing education. The event will be at the Live! Casino & Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In this article, I’ll highlight some of the main items I’ll be highlighting at our Mastermind event. If you focus on these action items as you move toward 2026, you’ll be […]
May 22, 2025
Published by 
Taylor Weber on May 22, 2025
Taylor Weber on May 22, 2025This month, I had the privilege of attending the 2025 NFDA Professional Women’s Conference, an experience that left me inspired and better equipped to support my clients with a deeper sense of empathy, strategy, and clarity. One attendee posed a question that stood out to me: “How can we consistently add value to our services without reinforcing the stereotype that we’re upselling families at their most vulnerable, especially when budgets are tight?” Reflecting on these candid discussions and collaborative exchanges made one thing clear: delivering high-value service doesn’t always mean families need to spend more—it means providing thoughtful, personalized gestures that resonate deeply. One director shared how she crafts small, meaningful mementos that reflect the deceased’s favorite hobby or brainstorms different ideas to tie in their personality to the service. Small acts with significant emotional impact. You can’t always raise […]
May 22, 2025
Published by 
Chris Cruger on May 22, 2025
Chris Cruger on May 22, 2025New data spells out what consumers want from funeral service, but are practitioners listening? Every year, The Foresight Companies takes a hard look at how consumer attitudes and behaviors have evolved regarding funeral service. Unfailingly, we uncover both new insights and repeat challenges. Foresight’s 2025 Funeral and Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study is no different. The data is rich. The insights are clear. The message is urgent: The consumer is changing, but are funeral service practitioners? This year’s study gathered feedback from more than 5,000 consumers and nearly 500 funeral service professionals. This gives us a 90% degree of confidence in the information we gathered, straight from the mouths of consumers and funeral service professionals. The data tells a story of a profession somewhat stuck in neutral while the world around it continues to shift. Consumers are more digital, price-conscious and […]