Articles

The Future of the Profession - Is It Really Very Different From the Past?

The funeral profession has been around, in a variety of fashions, since time immemorial. What’s the best route to ensure this essential service remains a thriving business into the future? Do nothi...
By Elli Morris
In Articles
Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Embracing Hospice: Benefits of Optimizing Palliative Care

I have no idea what compels someone to become a funeral director, but I simply haven’t dreamt of being anything else. I choose every day to comfort the brokenhearted, to see others at their weakest...
By Hannah M. Burns
In Articles
Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Education in 2023

“Education” is our feature for this special issue of Southern Funeral Directors Magazine. The funeral profession already has a shortage of licensed funeral directors and embalmers and the much disc...
By John Yopp
In Articles
Tuesday, February 28, 2023

The Basics of Personnel Records

Most funeral home owners know that they should have a personnel file for each of their employees, but fewer know exactly what should be in those files and fewer still understand that they should be...
By Curtis D. Rostad, CFSP
In Articles
Thursday, January 26, 2023

When Did Burial Vaults First Start Being Used? The History of Burial Vaults

On the surface, the question “When did burial vaults first start being used?” seems pretty cut-and-dried. Based on the definition that a burial vault is a container that encloses a casket to help p...
By Jill Darby
In Articles
Thursday, January 26, 2023

Six Reasons that Loans Get Declined

Declining loans is the worst part of my job. I sometimes come across funeral directors who take new jobs, move their families, or even sign agreements to purchase a funeral business assuming that t...
By Jody Myers
In Articles
Thursday, January 26, 2023

RECAPPING THE PROFESSIONAL CAR SOCIETY’S 2022 INTERNATIONAL MEET

Given its origins and long-standing significance as a Native American and Colonial era crossroads still frequented today by motorists plying the Massachusetts Turnpike, Interstate 84 and historic U...
By story, “deep” captions by GREGG D. MERKSAMER
In Articles
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
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Previous Posts

How to Recruit and Retain Top Talent for Your Funeral Business

In the funeral business, your team is arguably the most important element of your services. While everybody appreciates updated facilities and fair pricing, the people you employ offer families emo...

The Cornerstone of Success: Providing the Best Culture, Incentives and Opportunities for Employees

In the funeral service profession, our work goes beyond providing a service – we offer comfort and support during some of the most challenging moments in people’s lives. Over my 40 years in this in...

What Pet Parents Look for in an End-of-Life Provider

For pet parents, the bond they share with their furry, feathered, or scaled companions transcends mere ownership. These cherished members of the family occupy a central place in the heart and home....

MENTORING: A Mutually Beneficial Relationship

MENTOR, BRYANT HIGHTOWER How do you create a successful mentor and mentee relationship? The foundation of a successful mentor-mentee relationship is built on mutual trust. Mutual trust is essenti...

The Importance of Knowing the Origins of Cremation Urns and Memorial Products

Knowing where cremation urns and memorial products come from goes beyond understanding their geographic source; it encompasses the materials used, the labor conditions under which they were produce...

Sabbatical: Gratitude in Action

First, let’s start with a short intro on who Kris Seale is and then meander our way forward in time to the year 2024 when 260 of his 518 employees took a 30-day sabbatical. Yep – you read that righ...

5 Technology Trends Shaping the Funeral Industry in 2025

When you think of innovation and cutting-edge tools, the funeral industry might not be the first thing that comes to mind. This is an industry steeped in tradition, where personal connection, empat...