November 28, 2023
Published by 
Dan Isard on November 28, 2023
Dan Isard on November 28, 2023I am old enough to remember the very first episodes of The Jetsons. This futuristic primetime cartoon showed us the world of tomorrow. While so many of the concepts still have not come to be, many have! But The Jetsons never had a cartoon character die, so we never got to see how George or Jane would have been interred in the future. With all due respect to Hanna-Barbera Productions, here is my best guess at the cemetery of the future. Why is this concept even print worthy for this magazine? Well, you have a major investment in this business for which you have stewardship. Your stewardship will last until you retire and pass that responsibility on (in a nonprofit) or until you sell it (in the case of a management agreement or a for-profit). In most cases, you have […]
November 28, 2023
Published by 
Jarod Bernat on November 28, 2023
Jarod Bernat on November 28, 2023Growing your business can be challenging for some owners and operators within the funeral and cemetery profession. Between competition in your market to adapting to new consumer behaviors, we understand the process of growth can become complex. We asked Senior M&A Analyst, Jarod Bernat to further elaborate significant ways to expand your business. Question: I feel like our funeral home’s market share has hit a plateau and can’t seem to grow any further. How can I continue to grow my business? Jarod Bernat: Since the funeral industry is one where serviceable market areas and direct competitors can be easily identified and tracked, it’s easy to keep up with how you compare to “the other guys”. Sometimes it might feel like you’ve exhausted all resources trying to grow within your market, but you’ve hit a wall and case count won’t budge. […]
November 28, 2023
Published by 
Nicole Vullo on November 28, 2023
Nicole Vullo on November 28, 2023The Strategic Evolution Blueprint for Funeral Home Owners In our next installment of Ask the Owners, Stephen and Diann Anderson, formerly of Anderson Funeral & Cremation Services discuss strategies funeral home owners and cemetery operators must take in order to elevate their businesses: Embarking on Strategic Evolution We are continuing in our series of articles; we hope that last month’s insights prompted you to have meaningful reflection. We laid the groundwork, urging you, as a business owner, to embrace the transformative journey of strategic evolution. We explored the historical backdrop of our profession, the pitfalls of resisting change, and current funeral industry trends. Introducing the concept of Purpose Beyond Profit, we encouraged you to ponder the profound impact of your work. In this installment, we delve deeper into Strategic Evolution, emphasizing its pivotal role for your company. We’ll also underscore the […]
November 28, 2023
Published by 
Gabriel Ngo on November 28, 2023
Gabriel Ngo on November 28, 2023Key Indicators to Elevate Your Virtual Presence In my last Memento Mori article, I wrote about the growing and essential importance of having your website truly be your virtual business as well as how online reviews are now more crucial than ever. However, that is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Relating your virtual business website to your physical location—and the general physical concepts regarding “curb appeal” and “location, location, location” being such vital components in real life—there are foundations you should understand to help ensure that you avoid “not standing out” and “being invisible” in a busy marketplace as the Seth Godin quote so eloquently captures. There are approximately 5.18 billion internet users in 2023 (versus a world population of about 8.1 billion)— that is 64% of ALL people on this earth utilizing the internet in some form […]
November 28, 2023
Published by Dan Isard on November 28, 2023
Dan Isard on November 28, 2023Every year for almost 40 years, I have worked with funeral home owners and managers, as well as cemeterians, to create their annual business plans. As I prepare to exit my chosen career, I want the next-to-last lesson plan I offer you to be about, er, well… planning. I have learned more than I ever thought possible about planning for my lifetime, so allow me to be your wise “Uncle Murray” this month. The “big picture” is actually not one image but more like a jigsaw puzzle, made up of all sorts of pieces, small and large, that together form your life. While those of you who chose to become business owners have a picture within the big picture called your business, each individual’s pieces should all fit together to form their life plan. It’s only after retiring that you […]