Preneed

Learning from, and planning for, your funeral business in this economy

By Funeral Director Daily / November 29, 2023 /

    According to this recent article from USA Today “discretionary” consumer spending is down, consumer savings rates have fell, and use of consumer credit card debt has shot up in the last quarter with its largest jump since 1999. . . . That’s probably all good information to know, but what does it tell…

It has to work for everyone

By Funeral Director Daily / November 16, 2023 /

Over my lifetime I’ve learned that if something can work for everyone involved it’s probably a good thing.  Getting “it” to work out for everyone is probably one of the problems we have with health insurance. . . . something that might work for the physicans maybe doesn’t work for hospitals or maybe something that…

British preneed company being investigated for fraud

By Funeral Director Daily / October 27, 2023 /

  Trust is hard to earn. . . .and many times, harder to keep.   Any business that promises a service at a later date in return for a payment now comes under scrutiny by almost everyone.  However, most businesses that are conducted that way have a horde of government regulations that keep consumers safe.…

Consistency?, Price?. . . .what are the consumers looking for?

By Funeral Director Daily / October 26, 2023 /

      When you get to be my age you have many of your friends’ parents passing away.  One of the things I’ve noticed about that is when the 2nd parent dies the family almost always uses the same funeral home that they used for the first death.  That’s not surprising — it’s what…

Advertising to bring results

By Funeral Director Daily / September 27, 2023 /

  If you want to grow your business — whether through at-need or pre-need — there are some basics you need to understand about the consumer mind.  You also need to understand how to reach those consumers. . . . Today’s column will touch on both of those aspects and hopefully point out some strategies…

Are funeral homes “underestimating” the value of convenience to our consumers?

By Funeral Director Daily / August 29, 2023 /

    I’ve never been a procrastinator about planning or getting things done.  However, the world around me has changed over the last couple of decades and because of that, and today’s convenience in purchasing,  I don’t need to plan or purchase certain items as early as I did in the past.   Take for…

Paying for your funeral with your HSA. Why not?

By Funeral Director Daily / August 23, 2023 /

  Last December I was welcomed into the world of Medicare.  Prior to that I had either had my health insurance paid for by the business I was working for or, since I sold our funeral home, paid for it out of my own pocket on an individual plan basis.  Quite frankly, Medicare and its…

Does dementia reduce “funeral spend”

By Funeral Director Daily / August 11, 2023 /

    “Out of sight, out of mind”.   That’s a refrain I’ve heard often.  Generally, it refers to when you have not seen somebody or something for a length of time then that person or that thing falls out of your thought process.  It’s common sense and it happens.   At Funeral Director Daily…

Is your message reaching the “Right” audience?

By Funeral Director Daily / August 1, 2023 /

    I think every funeral home owner and marketing directors of larger funeral home, crematory, and cemetery operations by now understands that social media has some say in how people perceive your business is operated and how it may take care of their family if and when necessary.   One big question, however, is…

End-of-Life “Purpose” insurance seems to be moving toward Pre-Need

By Funeral Director Daily / July 27, 2023 /

    When you think of End-of-Life “Purpose” insurance there are two basic types.  First, there is Pre-Need which is generally sold by funeral or cremation providers with the death benefit proceeds going directly to those providers to pay for services that have been pre-planned by the purchasers or their caretakers.   Then there is…