August 10, 2016
Published by 
Dan Isard on August 10, 2016
Dan Isard on August 10, 2016Pricing Services The 2016 NFDA International Convention & Expo is coming closer, and as you line up your schedule and choose which workshops to attend, you will realize that this article and one of the workshops have a similar title. Fortunately for you, if you read this article and attend the workshop, you’ll get a three-dimensional presentation of these ideas. It seems ridiculous that we are still having expert discussions on pricing for cremation. Just as we don’t have burial calls and cremation calls – we just have calls – we don’t have burial pricing and cremation pricing – we should just have pricing! And once again, to understand how to protect this profession for the future, we must understand the past. Prior to 1984, the funeral profession priced itself like many merchandise-driven businesses. A consumer purchased the merchandise and […]
August 2, 2016
Published by Dan Isard on August 2, 2016
Dan Isard on August 2, 2016MANAGEMENT It might seem that steady sales should bring in a steady income, but it’s not that simple when you run a cemetery. It all depends on how you collect payment and whether you control costs. What can you do when your cemetery’s sales are good but its cash flow is not? Dear Cemetery Impossible, I own a mature cemetery with 100 years of history. We are about half sold out. We sell nearly 100 interment graves in advance of need a year and complete about 75 actual interments. However, I find that I just don’t have any cash flow. My salesman is driving a Mercedes and I have a Taurus. What am I doing wrong? Sincerely, Troubled in a Taurus Dear Troubled, Times have changed, but most operating cemeteries have not adapted. Whether you are operating a for-profit or […]
July 30, 2016
Published by 
Stephanie Ramsey on July 30, 2016
Stephanie Ramsey on July 30, 2016Employers repeatedly find themselves trying to fill positions within their business. The most frequent question when this occurs is; “Who do we hire?” Such a simple question can lead to hours of frustration. Don’t panic, there is a process you can use to help overcome the challenge of prospecting through candidates to find that needle in a hay stack. Step 1. Make sure you have a job description for the position to be filled. You don’t have one? No problem you can make one following these steps: I. List the specific duties or tasks you want this position to fill. This can encompass many different things depending on the position. Meet with families Handle first calls Write obituaries Apply for death certificates Embalm bodies II. Describe the scope of the position. What is the purpose and responsibilities of this position? […]
July 29, 2016
Published by Dan Isard on July 29, 2016
Dan Isard on July 29, 2016Dear Dan, I am 54 years old and finally ready to buy out my father. I really should say Dad is 78 years old and finally thinks I am ready to buy him out. Regardless, my lawyer is telling us that we should use a cross-purchase agreement and my accountant is telling us to use a corporate redemption agreement. I don’t see the difference. Both ways, I own the business and Dad retires (finally). I’m sure you know the difference and can sim- ply tell us which to use. Signed, Finally Ready to Buy in Findley Dear Finally Ready, Your question is a very common one, and most people don’t know which agreement to use. Let’s start by explaining each route. A cross-purchase agreement is an agreement between shareholders – if one party sells, the other party buys. A corporate […]
July 15, 2016
Published by Dan Isard on July 15, 2016
Dan Isard on July 15, 2016As I look at the past and future of the death-care profession from my perch of 30 years, there are only a few obvious conclusions. These conclusions deal with the past and project the direction of the future. The most obvious of all is this: The cemetery and mortuary combination is the most powerful marketing entity within this business. If you wonder how that applies to your business, let me demonstrate by writing about four different examples. I will show how this one absolute axiom applies to your business. The Single Location Funeral Home without a Cemetery You own a funeral home. You do not own a cemetery. You have a tough road ahead. Every time you bring a burial family through the gates of a cemetery, you are promoting that cemetery. That cemetery serves only two types of families: […]