Business

Preparation Matters

By Funeral Director Daily / March 16, 2023 /

    At times I get my ideas for articles from unusual places.  Last Sunday I was sitting in our church when the pastor noticed a less than average crowd.  He then made the comment that “Preparation Matters” and went on to say that he thinks many in the congregation had not planned for the…

Care for the Dead. . .Comfort for the Grieving

By Funeral Director Daily / March 14, 2023 /

    It’s not every day that you turn to the magazine Popular Mechanics to find an article about the Death Care profession.  However, that is exactly where I found this article about “Have trocar will travel” embalming and body preparation specialist Monica Torres.   I was unaware of Torres and her company NXT Generation…

Can the 4-day work week succeed in funeral service

By Funeral Director Daily / March 13, 2023 /

    If you own, operate, or manage a Death Care business you have massaged your business through the pandemic, supply chain breakdowns, inflated related cost issues, and more in the past two to three years.  Are you ready for what many people are advocating in the near future — the “4-Day Work Week”?  …

Influencers and events leading to modern Death Care

By Funeral Director Daily / March 9, 2023 /

    Last week we wrote of the death of Robert L. Waltrip, founder of funeral and cemetery business Service Corporation International (SCI).   In the article I wrote that Waltrip was arguably the biggest influence on the direction of the Death Care in the United States during the last half of the 20th century.  …

In Memoriam: Robert Waltrip, SCI founder — Services today

By Funeral Director Daily / March 3, 2023 /

        Robert L. Waltrip, age 92, founder of death care company Service Corporation International, died on Monday, February 27, 2023.  A Celebration of Life service is scheduled for today (March 2).  Interment is scheduled in the Reflection Garden of Memorial Oaks Cemetery in Houston, Texas.   You can access an obituary powered…

Bucking the trend

By Funeral Director Daily / March 2, 2023 /

    “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated” is a popular misquote attributed to author Samuel Clemens, known by his pen name, Mark Twain.  However, that quote has stayed with Clemens (Twain) forever and is now simply a part of his lore.   The same thing may be said for cemeteries.  The demise…

Will rural funeral directors be able to replenish themselves

By Funeral Director Daily / March 1, 2023 /

    Funeral director Collin Bourgeois made this comment in this article from CBC, “I certainly tried to retire.  It lasted three weeks.”   Bourgeois is a funeral director and owner of and operator of a funeral business with three locations in northeastern Ontario.  After 45 years in the business he’s staying on the job…

What’s with “Excess Deaths”?

By Funeral Director Daily / February 24, 2023 /

    This is one of those articles that I will write that probably has no answers.  It only brings up questions.  That question today is “What’s with Excess Deaths”?   When the pandemic hit and deaths increased for almost all funeral homes across the world, one of the questions asked was “With these extra…

Don’t forget “Low-tech” to build your brand

By Funeral Director Daily / February 22, 2023 /

    There are a lot of great companies out there who can help you with the newest way to reach potential client families.  Some of them, like RingRing Marketing are sponsors of this forum.  They will do a great job in helping you navigate social media and the internet to let potential clientele know…

Hiring funeral directors: Do you look for IQ or EQ?

By Funeral Director Daily / February 21, 2023 /

    Over the years that I hired funeral directors to work at our funeral home I looked for various traits that I felt would help a funeral home in a community of my size.  I certainly knew that I needed professional staff that was excellent in the preparation room.  But, I also needed staff…