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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 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

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

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

Watch Your Language!

Funeral service is not alone in seeing changes to the terminology we use every day. Just like airline stewardesses have become “flight attendants,” secretaries have become “administrative assistant...
By By Curtis D. Rostad, CFSP
In Articles
Tuesday, November 22, 2022

High-Impact Ways to Connect with Your Community

How do you set your funeral home apart and build strong connections with potential and current client families? The secret is a carefully planned series of community engagement and outreach efforts...
By By Aemelia Tripp
In Articles
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
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Previous Posts

Goal Setting and Digital Marketing

When I wrote my book, “The Consumer’s Journey to Purchasing Funeral Services,” I have to admit I had to research a simple question: “What is the difference between ‘marketing’ and ‘advertising’? I ...

Bridging the Gap

There is nothing quite like human connection. When we meet and speak with someone face to face, we develop meaningful bonds. In the funeral profession, these moments are crucial for demonstrating a...

The Weight of Grief

HOW AFTERCARE PROGRAMS CAN HELP The loss of a loved one is one of the most profound and challenging experiences a person can endure. Grief, with its overwhelming intensity, can leave individuals f...

3 Ways to Increase Preneed Leads Online

If you’re like most funeral professionals, you want to find ways to increase your funeral home’s revenue. However, you don’t have many options to do so. Let’s take a look at a few: 1. You can rai...

How to Help Consumers Make Informed Preneed Trust Choices

Preneed trusts are invaluable for ensuring long-term growth and stability for funeral homes while providing peace of mind for families. Despite their importance, preneed trusts remain widely misund...

How to Build a Strong, Loyal Team in Your Funeral Home

Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work in many funeral homes across the country. While the differences between these businesses are significant, in many ways, all funeral homes share t...

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...