April 21, 2021
Published by 
Nicole Vullo on April 21, 2021
Nicole Vullo on April 21, 2021Key elements for creating a successful brand for your business, one that remains true to your core values and purpose. For more than two decades, social media has given many people the ability to market themselves to the world. What started as platforms only for celebrities and athletes quickly morphed into a way for businesses, regardless of size or industry, and your average joes to have their voices or their “brand” heard in an expanded capacity. 2020 was the year, more than any other, that thrust social media and digital technology to the forefront and integrated it into almost every aspect of our daily lives. Phrases like “You’re muted” and “I’m going to share my screen; can everyone see it?” have become commonplace. For me, the increase in usage of and reliance on social media is both a blessing and […]
April 21, 2021
Published by 
Dan Isard on April 21, 2021
Dan Isard on April 21, 2021Two successful funeral businesses with a real commitment to preneed. During my lifetime, I have been asked many questions that seemingly have no answer. Why is the sky blue? Why is the ocean blue? Why are Slurpees blue? My answer to all of these questions is that the blue lobbyist is better at his or her job than those lobbying for other colors. Anyway… one question I’ve often been asked is, “Why should I sell preneed?” I have spent my career researching preneed from all angles, and I can tell you there are many dynamics to this issue, including: Funding: trust, insurance, annuity or don’t fund Transference: at face value, original funding value, current value or don’t transfer State legal requirements: 100% trust, something less than 100% trust, use trust or insurance, don’t use trust or don’t use insurance. After […]
April 13, 2021
Published by 
Catherine Belliveau on April 13, 2021
Catherine Belliveau on April 13, 2021If you received a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA you may be eligible to receive additional loan funds. Loans approved prior to April 7, 2021 for less than $500,000 are likely eligible for an increase based on new loan maximum amounts announced March 24, 2021. Businesses that received a loan subject to the previous loan limit can submit a request for an increase at this time. The SBA is reaching out directly to loan borrowers via email. You should expect to receive emails from @sba.gov or @updates.sba.gov with details on how to request a loan increase. If you have not received an email, follow these instructions to request a loan increase: Send email to CovidEIDLIncreaseRequests@sba.gov Use subject line “EIDL Increase Request for [insert your 10-digit application number]” Be sure to include in the body […]
March 22, 2021
Published by Dan Isard on March 22, 2021
Dan Isard on March 22, 2021In this industry spotlight, we want to highlight key insights on the trends occurring in our profession. A trend is defined as “a general direction in which something is developing or changing”. We use trends all the time and many are very clear to us. For example, funeral home “Calls”. If a firm over the past 3 years performs the following: Year 2018 2019 2020 Calls 200 200 200 Do you see a trend? No, not as it pertains to Gross Number of Calls. But, drill down into the data a bit and look at the following: Year 2018 2019 2020 Calls 200 200 200 Revenue (net of Cash Advances) $1,300,000 $1,270,000 $1,250,000 Do you see a trend here? Yes, the trend is that Revenue is declining and since case count is level, the revenue/call is therefore declining. Year 2018 […]
March 22, 2021
Published by 
Stephanie Ramsey on March 22, 2021
Stephanie Ramsey on March 22, 2021We were recently asked about what policies employers can put in place regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Stephanie Ramsey, Director of Business Analysis provides some insights on this topic. Question: Can we require employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine? Stephanie Ramsey: There are many people who are divided on whether to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The first question that employers must address is, “Can we require employees to get vaccinated?” The answer to this question varies based on the business you are in generally but is quite simple for funeral businesses. Yes, you can require that employees get vaccinated. The reality is that employers in the funeral industry have a strong justification for this requirement. Their employees are at high risk due to the nature of their jobs. What is meant by the term “high risk?” Funeral employees are at greater […]