February 21, 2021
Published by 
John McQueen on February 21, 2021
John McQueen on February 21, 2021Growing up I was exposed to many great television shows depicting life in a family business. Most are TV Classics that are unparalleled even today. From Sanford & Son to The Jefferson to my all-time favorite, Dallas, each show was unique with mixture of business and family dynamics. Some episodes were funny, some were sad, and others were downright unbelievable, but that is what made them great. The realism they portray of life in a family business is more accurate than many will admit. Another show that depicts life in a family business, one which we can all understand well, was Fisher & Sons Funeral Home in the hit show Six Feet Under. The show opens with the father, Mr. Fisher, who was the local undertaker, being killed by a bus when it slams into his new hearse. The accident […]
February 21, 2021
Published by 
Doug Gober on February 21, 2021
Doug Gober on February 21, 2021Business Financing Services is one of our service areas that we are always asked for insight and guidance on. For this month’s column, we answer a very common question related to succession planning and financing. Continue reading below as Doug Gober, Partner provides some insights. Question: I am ready to sell my business to my son. How can he secure the financing necessary to buy my business? Doug Gober: Many potential business owners who need to transition their businesses are convinced that either their children or key person can’t secure the financing necessary to transition the business to them. With the sellers help and understanding of the process, the lending is available for the next generation of independent business owners. On a regular basis, we are assisting in securing financing which allows for independent funeral service to continue. The idea that […]
February 21, 2021
Published by 
Dan Isard on February 21, 2021
Dan Isard on February 21, 2021And green funerals since the beginning of time. This month, my challenge is to write about memorialization and green funerals. On the surface, the subjects appear unrelated, so, like any writer who wants to understand a topic, I first made sure I understood their definitions. “Memorialization,” a noun, is defined generally as “the process of preserving memories of people or events.” The phrase “green funerals,” a noun more or less defined by the Green Burial Council, is “a way of caring for the dead with minimal environmental impact.” As I said, unrelated subjects… until I dug deeper. What do these two concepts have in common? Here, I quote Banksy, an English street artist and activist, who said, “…They say you die twice. One time when you stop breathing and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your […]
February 12, 2021
Published by 
Nicole Vullo on February 12, 2021
Nicole Vullo on February 12, 2021While the pandemic has decreased the amount of invitations we all receive for physical gatherings and social events, we want you all to be aware of a different kind of invitation to be dropping into your mailboxes soon; The Targeted EIDL Advance invitation. The SBA began to send email invites to businesses and nonprofit organizations that received the EIDL Advance in an amount less than $10,000 on February 1, 2021. Please note that it will take time before all emails are sent to the first priority group. Remain calm if you do not receive your email invite right away. The application invitation will be sent to the primary contact email address connected to your original EIDL application. With scams are an all-time high, be aware that the email will have an @sba.gov ending. Do not communicate with any email that […]
February 3, 2021
Published by 
Chris Cruger on February 3, 2021
Chris Cruger on February 3, 2021 How COVID-19 Changed the Role of the Funeral and Cemetery Professional Whitepaper DOWNLOAD NOW Introduction One of the key findings in our recently published 2020 Foresight Funeral and Cemetery Consumer Behavior Study (FCCBS) centers around how the ongoing pandemic had generated an unforeseen impact on the role of the funeral and cemetery professional. More specifically, the pandemic has affected not only how funeral homes and cemeteries serve their families in the present reality but has also shaped a reimagined role for funeral and cemetery professionals both in perception and reality. The outcome is an elevated position and profile as “last responders” in the eyes of the consumer. Most families walk into our funeral and cemetery facilities uncertain about what to expect. Negative depictions in the media further cloud their opinion. It only takes one bad apple exposed by the […]