March 22, 2021
Published by 
Gabriel Ngo on March 22, 2021
Gabriel Ngo on March 22, 2021“Funerals just don’t happen by themselves.” – said every Funeral Director ever No, funerals simply do not happen by themselves. They require expertise, planning, coordination, teamwork, management, and leadership in order to successfully serve a family and perform a funeral service—not to mention the consistency to do this over and over again at the highest level of performance. So why is it then, that the same typically does not occur in succession planning for most funeral home owners? In a November 2020 Funeral Business Planning Survey published by an outside research firm in partnership with the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), nearly three out of four (73%) respondents do not currently have an exit strategy or succession plan, despite more than one-third planning on retiring within the next five-years. Now, I won’t get into the reasons why this typically is […]
March 22, 2021
Published by 
Chris Cruger on March 22, 2021
Chris Cruger on March 22, 2021The pandemic has presented overwhelming negatives, but there have also been some positives for the profession’s future. I remember sitting down with our staff one last time for a team lunch before we sent everybody home to work remotely. We didn’t know much about this crazy virus and certainly couldn’t have imagined that we’d still be dealing with it one year later. I was one of the naysayers and thought it was being overblown, but I still told people to be prepared to be working remotely until after July 4. It sounded silly then (to all of us). Now, I would take July 4, 2021, as a target date for that return to normal. I imagine most of us would. The past 12 months have been like none other in our lifetime. We have been stretched to limits we never […]
March 22, 2021
Published by 
Stephanie Ramsey on March 22, 2021
Stephanie Ramsey on March 22, 2021Scenario: Morten Funeral and Cremation Service is a high-volume business on the East Coast. The business is owned by Jim and Jane Morten who took the business over from Jim’s dad, Tom Morten, more than 15 years ago. This multigenerational business has served the heavy-populated area for more than 100 years. Jim and Jane have a great team of employees that support them in providing excellent service to the families in their community. However, there is one area of concern with their employees that continues to be a rising challenge for them. As the population in the area continues to grow, the roadways have become more congested. The number of incidents in which their employees are involved in car accidents are increasing. There appears to be an alarming trend where their employees are the ones at fault for these accidents. […]
March 22, 2021
Published by 
Dan Isard on March 22, 2021
Dan Isard on March 22, 2021The magnitude of the pandemic means you must reexamine your business from every angle. The past 12 months have been the longest in the history of mankind as we endured agonizing experiences caused by COVID-19. It was on March 11, 2020, that the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. And funeral service changed. Just as those who survived the Great Depression were never the same, everyone in America (and the world) will never be the same. In the world of funeral service, we have seen every dynamic of the business change – from the behavior of consumers and their support teams to the professionals. As consumer behavior changes, funeral service professionals must adapt. And while funeral service typically does a bad job reacting to change as a profession, the magnitude of the pandemic means you must revisit everything you […]
March 18, 2021
Published by 
Nicole Vullo on March 18, 2021
Nicole Vullo on March 18, 2021The Small Business Administration has decided to push back the deferment period for disaster loans, including the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, until 2022. The SBA said that all disaster loans made in 2020, including the EIDL program, will have a first payment due date extended from 12 months to 24 months from the date of the note. It is important to note that all SBA disaster loans made in 2021, including EIDL loans, will have a first payment due date increased from 12 months to 18 months from the date of the note. Any current SBA disaster loans in regular servicing status as of March 1, 2020, will now have the additional 12-month deferment of principal and interest payments. They will resume their regular payment schedule on March 31, 2022, unless a borrower chooses to make payments […]