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The Funeral Professional’s #1 Resource For Business Growth and Profi tability! | January/February 2007

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Contents

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Michael Manley, [email protected]

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4 funeral business advisor | January/February 2007 www.funeralbusinessadvisor.com

FEATURE Contents

Funeral Business Advisor MagazineA FMM MEDIA PUBLICATION134 Evergreen Road, Suite 103

Louisville, KY 40243Phone 502.254.7018

Facsimile 502.254.7022 www.fmm-media.com

Funeral Business Advisor Magazine is published bi-monthly (6 Issues a year) by FMM Media, LLC. 134 Evergreen Road, Suite 103 Louisville, Kentucky 40243. Subscriptions are free to qualifi ed U.S. subscribers. Single copies and back issues are $7.99 each (United States) and $10.99 each (International). United States Subscriptions are $54.00 annually. International Subscriptions are $65.00 annually. Visit www.funeralbusinessadvisor.com for fresh content updated frequently and to access articles on a range of funeral industry topics. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. Funeral Business Advisor Magazine content may not be photocopied or reproduced or redistributed without the consent of publisher. Postage paid at Lebanon Junction, Kentucky.

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January/February 2007

SOLUTIONS ON

MARKETING

16 A Memorable Service for your Clients | by Dirk Jaekel

24 Know Your Image | by Marty Kovacs

28 The Internet is Rapidly Changing the Funeral Industry | by Darren Cleveland

LEADERSHIP

32 Five Tips for Creating Successful Habits | by Brian Tracy

MANAGEMENT

8 Pet Cremation: Secrets the Industry Won’t Share | by James Minea

10 Evaluating your Funeral Home’s Financial Health | by Ronald H. Cooper

12 How to Save Money on Air Tray Shipments | by Jim Hardy

14 Web-Based Funeral Software: Advantage or Adverse Risk? | by Michael F. Feeney

18 Women in Funeral Service... | by Linda Darby-Sempsrott

22 Importing...Not for the Faint of Heart | by Jim Malamas

26 The Evolution of the Burial Vault | by Pierre A. Goria II

SALES

6 Common Selling Myths: Part Two | by Matt Manske

30 Keepsakes to be Treasured: Should We Follow the Trend or Set It? | by Michel Larbrisseau

Publisher, Michael [email protected]

Editor, Shawn McDonald [email protected]

Marketing Specialist, Eduardo [email protected]

Marketing Specialist, Jermaine [email protected]

Creative Director, Brian [email protected]

20 The Importance of Offering

Licensed Art to your Families

The Funeral Professionalʼs #1 Resource for Business Growth and Profi tability!

The Funeral Professional’s #1 Resource For Business Growth and Profitability! | January/February 2007

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The Internet is RapidlyThe Internet is Rapidly Changing the Funeral Industry Changing the Funeral Industry

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Contents

by Matt Manske

sales solution

Common Selling Myths: Part Two

This is part two of a two-part series on common selling

myths. Selling myths covered in part one of this series included

formal business valuations; exclusive listing agreements, and

buyer-paid broker fees. Selling a business can be diffi cult and

time consuming. Reading about these common selling myths

may save you time, money, frustration, and give you a better

understanding of the selling process.

Myth: I need to sign an expert consulting agreement to

improve my operations prior to selling.

Expert consulting agreements are designed to lock-in the seller;

generate fee income, and allow the consultant to handle the

sale when sold. The reality is that improving operations mostly

involves maximizing cash fl ow, which is something your

CPA can do easily. An expert consultant with good industry

experience may have suggestions to improve your pricing and

personnel, but unless changes are signifi cant and sustainable,

they won’t increase your selling price. The lesson here is

that expert consultants (like your own CPA) usually suggest

leaning-up operations to maximize cash fl ow (and selling price)

for 12 to 24 months prior to selling.

Myth: I need to sign an expert consulting agreement to

operate my business prior to selling.

If you’ve been married to your business for 30 years, you

may want to relax for a few years prior to selling. The thought

of relaxing and having someone else operate your business

for a few years prior to selling is nice. But, the reality of

ownership is that while you still own your business, you’re

still responsible for its performance. And, you’ll still go to

sleep at night with the same level of stress and worry because

of this responsibility. No consulting agreement to operate

your business can change this stress level. Successful owners

are heavily involved in day-to-day operations providing

guidance and support to staff and customers. The lesson here is

simple. As a successful owner, you’ve spent years developing

relationships and trust with staff and customers. No outside

consultant can duplicate these relationships and the trust, nor

alleviate the stress and worry of ownership.

Myth: As a seller, I don’t need to be concerned with

fi nancing because it’s the buyer’s responsibility to get a

loan.

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Since few buyers are able to write a check for the purchase

price, fi nancing is critical to most sale transactions in today’s

market. As a seller, you want to make sure the buyer is getting

competitive fi nancing to ensure you get the best selling price.

The following example will illustrate this point.

Let’s assume you are selling your business to a buyer for a total

price of 1.5 million dollars and your building and real estate are

worth approximately 1.0 million dollars. (Due to the increase

in real estate values over the past 10 years, this example is

pretty common in today’s market.) Actual rates and terms will

vary depending on a buyer’s credit history; experience, and

overall transaction risk. A competitive loan would allow for a

longer amortization period (25 years) and a lower interest rate

(7.0%) on the real estate portion of the loan. While the business

portion of the loan would result in a shorter amortization

period (10 years) and a higher interest rate (9.0%). This

competitive loan would result in annual payments on the real

estate ($84,814) and business ($76,005) of roughly $160,819.

Contrast this with a non-competitive loan for the business and

real estate of $1.5 million, amortized over 15 years at 11.75%.

This non-competitive loan would result in annual payments of

roughly $213,144. The higher annual payments associated with

the non-competitive loan would directly impact the buyer’s

cash fl ow available for debt service by $52,325. Depending on

the cash fl ow multiple, the higher payments associated with the

non-competitive loan ($52,325) could result in a decrease in

purchase price of $175,000 to $275,000. This example clearly

illustrates the importance of competitive buyer fi nancing and

how non-competitive fi nancing can signifi cantly reduce the

selling price.

In summary, these selling myths are not meant to be all

inclusive. Selling is diffi cult, and the appropriate use of

consultants, brokers or experts can help you get the results you

need. These experts and consultants should be paid for their

services, but their profi ts should not be excessive nor have

an adverse affect on selling price. It’s important to educate

yourself on the selling process and to know what’s in the

marketplace. Total transaction costs can and do affect selling

prices. And, keeping these transaction costs at a normal level

will allow you to maximize your sales price.

For your reference, this two-part series covered the following

common selling myths: formal business appraisals; exclusive

listing agreements; buyer-paid broker fees; expert consulting

agreements to improve operations; expert consulting

agreements to operate a business, and the importance of buyer

fi nancing. FBA

Matt Manske is the President of Business Services &

Funding, LLC. He can be contacted at 888.665.4273, or by

email at [email protected].


by James Minea

management solution

Pet Cremation: Secrets the Industry Won’t Share

I have been told that every “industry” has some dirty little

secrets. Does the cremation industry have any?

We all know that cremation rates in the U.S. have grown from

1% several years ago to about 35% today. I know there are

many reasons why people choose cremation, but I often get a

little nervous when I hear consumers express opinions about

cremation which are not entirely true. For example, many

people express that cremation is cleaner, more environmentally

friendly, less expensive, and simply an acceleration of the

natural processes of decay.

Is this the “belief” that forms the foundation of today’s

cremation trend and demand? What does the average consumer

really understand about the process of

cremation? My point here is that, during

cremation, much of what makes up our

bodies is converted into simple heat,

smoke and ash; travels up the crematory

smoke stack; becomes airborne, and

then drifts aimlessly for many yards (or

miles) near residences, industrial spaces,

highways, rivers and alleyways. What we

take away after cremation, for eventual

burial, storage or home display, is really

only that portion of residual bone which

is not fully consumed in the standard two-

to three-hour process of cremation. What

our cremation urn holds is only a small

portion (a percentage) of what comprised

the original human body. Some families

will then scatter the remaining “bone”

cremains of their loved one, onto a

favorite golf tee or beautiful mountain

peak.

I know from personal experience that

the EPA is reviewing the possible

environmental effects of cremation

in cities across America. (Oncology

drugs, medical devices, pins, shunts and

any number of potentially hazardous

chemicals and materials may make it

into the retort and get dispersed into the

local community.) Is cremation actually

more environmentally friendly than

entombing these same items in a burial

vault? Are the cost savings enjoyed by the

buyer of cremation simply offset by the

higher cost being paid by those who live

near the possible danger? Will the future

regulatory community favor trained

funeral directors as the providers of such

hazardous duties?

How about secrets which exist in the

pet business? First of all, the pet death


business has existed for a very long time. It began many

decades ago when rendering companies made frequent

pickups at farms and veterinary clinics to render our fallen

large and small animal friends into fertilizers and a myriad of

other commercial products.

Rendering companies later became “pet disposal crematories.”

After many years, they slowly began to offer “private”

cremations where three to four pets were physically separated

in a retort and then swept out in reverse order to retain

some degree of integrity within the cremation process. This

level of service is often mis-communicated as a “private”

cremation involving one pet at a time. The average, wholesale

veterinary fee (charged by the crematory) is about $65 per pet,

or about $1 per pound – depending on competitive forces.

The veterinarian does not take any direct responsibility for

enforcing standards or ethical practices at the crematory. All

they generally desire is frequent pick-up, and a low fee. In the

end, many veterinarians double this cost, like everything else

they sell, which provides a handsome monthly profi t of about

$780 for every veterinarian on the payroll, for doing little

more than order taking. Some would argue the doctor (DVM)

is violating his/her duty as a medical professional by profi ting

from the death of a client.

Today, there is a “new breed” of small start-up cremators who

are fi ghting the establishment. They are not competing on

price; they cannot. They try, diplomatically, to communicate

to the veterinarian that there are dangers to being party to the

“old ways.” Additionally, they try to sell the value of direct,

informed communication with the pet owner concerning the

treatment of the pet’s body. One cremator that I know even

offers clients a CD video recording of their pet’s cremation,

start to fi nish, proving it was performed ethically, all for an

additional $15 fee.

We need funeral professionals like you to enter the pet

cremation marketplace. Yes, it is very diffi cult to swing the

loyalties of the veterinarian, but you have a captive audience

of human clients who would love to have your information

sent to them today. In time, you may become the preferred,

licensed provider of such services. You don’t have to have

your own dedicated crematory for pets. Most metropolitan

areas are served by multiple pet cremators who will gladly

subcontract their services to you, knowing that you demand a

higher standard of ethically performed cremation, which they

can provide, for a fee. Seek out a qualifi ed provider in your

area for these services…Someone you trust; someone who

cares, and someone who will provide the same quality care

as you do.

For a free, color, pet urn catalog and wholesale price sheet, call

651.450.7727. You may also contact us if you would like for us

to refer you to a “qualifi ed” pet crematory in your area. FBA

James Minea is the Owner of Forever Pets, Inc. He can be contacted at 651.450.7727, or by email at [email protected], or visit www.foreverpets.com.


Evaluating your Funeral Home’s Financial Health

by Ronald H. Cooper

management solution

Now that another calendar year begins to fade into your

memory and you usher in 2007, instead of making another

traditional New Year’s resolution, which will be forgotten

within a short time, it might be time to make a resolution to

enhance your funeral home’s fi nancial well-being. Consider

the many benefi ts of evaluating your funeral home’s fi nancial

health, and make this your goal and mission for the New

Year. The benefi ts of this evaluation will include: increasing

cash fl ow; realizing effi ciencies in operations; savings in both

federal and state income taxes, and enhancing the overall

value of your funeral home – which is an extremely important

component in succession planning.

Your evaluation begins by asking yourself if you have enough

cash to meet your current obligations, including: accounts

payable; debt and other contractual commitments, and

federal and state tax obligations, if any. Next, look into the

near- and long-term future to evaluate your requirements for

capital improvements, automobiles, retirement plans or, even

perhaps building a new satellite location, or buying one of your

competitors.

If, after your initial evaluation, you fi nd yourself searching for

ways to increase cash fl ow, analyze and evaluate your funeral

home’s fi nancial health. Begin by determining if your current

fi nancial and accounting system provides relevant and timely

information. Your management system, at a minimum, should

allow you to view your cash balance as well as to determine

the balance of your account receivables and accounts payable,

on a daily basis. Without current fi nancial information, it is

very diffi cult, if not impossible, to effectively manage. With

today’s technology and professional assistance, all funeral

home owners have the option and benefi t of in-house, up-to-

date fi nancial information.

Accurate and timely information is the cornerstone for

evaluating your fi nancial health and making informed

management decisions. Regardless of your funeral home’s

call volume, it is imperative for managing your cash fl ow that

you have the right information at your fi ngertips. Use your

information to determine the amount of cash required monthly

to pay your fi xed obligations. This understanding of your cash

needs, and the costs of operating your funeral home, forms the

foundation for developing a general price list that will foster

favorable economic results. If you are not fully aware of your

cash needs and overhead, how do you know what to charge for

your services and merchandise?

Review your fi rm’s collection policy and calculate in total

(and for each funeral arranger), the average number of days it

takes to collect the full funeral charges; the dollar amounts of

accounts written-off, and the price of the average funeral. If

you look at your report of aged accounts receivable and notice

that families are not paying within a reasonable time, it is time

to implement and enforce policies that will minimize this

problem. For example, requiring families to pay cash advances

on the day of arrangements, and funeral charges on, or before,

the day of service will enhance cash fl ow. Each funeral home

manager must consider many factors in establishing collection

policies, such as past practice and competition. But, an effective

means of collecting the money within a short period of time is

essential to good fi nancial health.

In determining if your expenses are reasonable and consistent

for a fi rm with your call volume, review your income

statement. Calculate the percentage of each group of expenses

to your funeral revenues. For example, with funeral revenues

of $625,000 and cost of sales – which includes caskets, vaults,

urns, clothing, etc. – of $125,000, the percentage is 20%

($125,000/$625,000), which is in-line with industry standards.

(Note: For this and all analytical purposes, funeral revenues

should not include cash advance revenues, and cost of sales.

Or, any expense category should not include cash advance

expenses.) The purpose of this review is to identify expenses

that are both too high and too low, and to evaluate each.

Financial health for your fi rm also requires continuous

monitoring and planning for federal and state tax purposes.

Now is the time to be reviewing tax strategies and incorporating

them into your overall 2007 fi nancial plan. As an example

of how planning before year-end can reduce current federal

income taxes: If certain furniture, fi xtures, equipment, hearses

and limousines were purchased (they can be fi nanced) and

placed in service before December 31, 2006, with certain

limitations, these items may be expensed (up to $108,000) in

2006, as opposed to being depreciated over their useful life,

thus resulting in lower taxes for 2006.

Evaluating your fi rm’s fi nancial health requires looking at

every aspect of your business. Maintaining its health requires

you to continuously review your fi nancial information, and

make decisions based on relevant facts. With the low cost

and availability of today’s technology, accurate and timely

information can and should be at your disposal. With continual

increases in operating costs, competition, and cremations, this

year’s resolution should be to gain a complete understanding of

your funeral home’s fi nancial condition. FBA

Ronald H. Cooper, CPA is an accountant/consultant with Cooper & Schoff, CPA, PA. He can be contacted at 866.446.0656, or by email at [email protected].

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12 funeral business advisor | January/February 2007

How to Save Money on Air Tray Shipments

by Jim Hardy


There are few things that make funeral directors madder than

to receive a freight bill from a supplier that is twice as much

as the purchase price of the product. I have answered that

angry call plenty of times in the years I have been involved

in the funeral industry, and it still isn’t something to which I

look forward. This is a problem that is inherent to a part of the

industry that has relatively inexpensive products. They might

be big and bulky, but expensive they are not.

We learned long ago that for the buyer who needs one shipping

tray ASAP, we’d better bridge the shipping cost factor up front

in order to head-off the dreaded phone call that comes about a

week after the invoice leaves here.

Here is how shipping works in a

nutshell: Air tray shipping falls into two

basic options. One is delivery on the

manufacturer’s delivery truck, and the

other is delivery by private contractors

or common carriers. Common carriers

handle the bulk of the transportation needs

for most of the major air tray companies.

Some of the smaller manufacturers will

deliver products in smaller quantities on

their own truck or van. These companies

usually are limited to their geographic

region, and have set routes and dates that

they will deliver in a specifi c city or town.

Smaller companies are limited by space

and usually do not carry an extensive list

of available “quick ship” inventory. This

could present a problem for a director who

is in a hurry. Although advertised as free

delivery, in reality, delivery is not free,

and the cost is added or hidden in the tray

cost somewhere.

The larger national companies – covering

most if not all of the country – use truck

lines to quickly move products to the

consumer. Their service is fast and reliable

and damage rates are generally low. All

common carriers fi gure their freight cost

based on weight, or the amount of linear

feet that the product consumes on the

truck. The average funeral home deals

with weight, not linear-footage situations.

Customers are charged for a minimum

weight which is usually between 300

and 450 pounds. Let’s use an air tray that

weighs 50 pounds and a minimum charge

of $80 as an example. This means that one

air tray at 50 pounds will travel for the

same freight dollar as about eight trays at

450 pounds. As the item count increases,

the per-piece cost decreases. So, the per-

management solution

piece shipping cost can be from $80, on the high side, to $10,

on the low side.

The way to overcome “the shipping

cost was more than the tray” feeling is

to always order at least enough items

to cover the minimum weight required

by the individual freight company. We

encourage our customers to check and

see if there are any other items we have

that they might need, or shortly need, in

order to increase the shipping weight. We

have also suggested that customers pool

their orders together in order to increase

the item count. Our company will gladly

“split bill” all the pooled items, if the

pooling customers will receive the order

at one location. Each additional location

is considered a separate bill. If one of

the funeral homes is larger than the

others, or has extra warehouse space,

they can act as the head of a co-op or

distributor and handle storage and delivery for the members.

This will probably add a little to the cost of the units, but it

helps the many funeral homes that only need a shipping tray

every now and then. Another creative way is to combine

many different products onto one order. Shipping trays and

cremation products are a great example. Remember, it’s all

about weight…Cremation trays are relatively light, so you


can get a lot of units which, once again, brings the per-piece cost

way down.

For the funeral director who fi nds himself

in a situation where he has to have a tray

yesterday, there is hope. Some of the airlines

supply trays to those funeral directors who

use their shipping service. Casket companies

also sometimes carry shipping trays, and

they have a great distribution system for

delivering caskets and air trays. (They would

be more than happy to help a director out

in his time of need.) Another option is to

try to fi nd a local, friendly competitor who

just might sell you one – if you ask nicely.

As with any purchase, plenty of lead time is

always helpful.

Should none of these work, and you still have

to get that tray for tomorrow’s fl ight, just

remember in about a week, the freight bill

is going to come from your favorite air tray

company, and it is probably going to make you mad. FBA

Jim Hardy is the General Manager of Custom Air Trays.

He can be contacted at 866.677.6701, or by email at

[email protected], or visit www.customairtrays.com.

“Air tray shipping

falls into two basic

options. One is

delivery on the

manufacturer’s

truck, and the

other is delivery by

private carriers.”


Web-Based Funeral Software: Advantage or Adverse Risk?

by Michael F. Feeney


management solution

Take a look inside some funeral magazines these days and you will likely fi nd at least one ad for web-based or “.Net” funeral software. To many people, this may seem like the next logical evolution in Internet services, and the promises of this technology can be grand and enticing. From easily accessing your data remotely to automatic updates, it certainly sounds like a golden opportunity. Now, would that be a golden opportunity for you, or for the web-based software company?!

If you have been scratching your head, wondering what all the buzz is about, then perhaps we should start at the beginning. The concept of web-based software is one of centralized data storage. You log onto that company’s web server from any computer with an Internet connection and begin typing information, printing forms, etc. All of your funeral records are stored outside of your funeral home (wherever their servers are located), as are all the records of the funeral home down the street, and along with records from other funeral homes all over the country.

Some inevitable downsides come with every lofty promise. High-speed Internet connections will have periodic slowdowns or disruptions. Even more prevalent are the issues of brownouts and power outages. Any of these inescapable situations will leave you without access to your funeral records and printing capabilities at a critical time. Imagine having to tell a family that you could not print memorial folders because your web-based funeral software was down.

Information theft might not have found its way to funeral records yet, but that could all change in tomorrow’s headlines. The use of web-based software carries greater security risks, and no solution is ever fail-safe. Within the past few months alone, Hotels.com, Yahoo, AOL, major airlines, medical records offi ces, Veterans Affairs, and other government offi ces have all made the news because of personal information theft. The numerous credit card and banking websites also rarely disclose when their security is compromised.

Even for companies that can afford top-level security technology and specialists, it only takes a single careless or disgruntled employee to expose sensitive information to lurking identity thieves. Storing your funeral records with another company could also be a violation of information privacy laws, if you do so without the family’s permission. If your funeral records are ever lost, misused, or stolen from the web-based software, the person who will ultimately be held responsible by the families is YOU, the funeral director.

The hype of web-based funeral software is obviously driven by the software companies themselves. Because web-based

software is a type of cookie-cutter solution, they can limit funeral home customization and manage all their clients centrally. Competition between software companies has stiffened in recent years, and this is how they try to cut their own support and development costs while maximizing profi ts. There should be little surprise that upfront costs alone for web-based software, are typically tens of thousands of dollars for multiple locations.

As you weigh the benefi ts and risks of web-based funeral software, there are some additional options you might fi nd relevant to your decision. Since many funeral homes feel that “your” funeral records belong under “your” desk, next to “your” knee, a standard remote access setup at your funeral home can address your security concerns, and provide additional capabilities and controls that are just not possible with web-based software.

Standard remote access is a tried-and-true method that has worked successfully for many clients since as early as 1996. Today this setup has become even easier. It merely requires a broadband internet connection (DSL or cable is fi ne); a permanent address for your computer network (known as a “static IP address”), and a virtual private network (called a “VPN”). Simply contact your local Internet service provider to arrange for this setup. This will enable you to access all of your fi les and programs from any computer, not just your funeral software – as is the case with web-based software.

There are also Internet services, such as WebEx, which take the fl exibility of remote access even further while still allowing you to store your funeral records securely at your offi ce. These services are especially compelling for their advanced features such as real-time video conferencing and project collaboration across the Internet. Costs for remote access or other services can range from under $100 per month to less than $10 per month and will work with any of your existing software.

Beyond the hype of web-based software, you will fi nd many options that can be tailored to your business practices, rather than being fi tted into a cookie-cutter solution. Your own objectives will ultimately determine which technologies are most appropriate. When you are ready to investigate this further, expert advice is readily available to help you setup an affordable solution that is fl exible, customizable, convenient, and maximizes your record security. FBA

Michael F. Feeney is a licensed, practicing funeral director in Pennsylvania and the owner of Funeral Data Manager. He can be contacted at 888.478.9775 and by email at [email protected], or visit www.funeraldatamanager.com for more information.

Banks don’t know the funeral industry like we do. It’s our feeling at Brooke Credit that many times the most qualified buyer for your funeral home may not qualify at a traditional bank. By knowing the funeral profession, we know that those who have the smarts to make it succeed don’t always have the money. But we do. And sometimes putting together the right deal is just putting together the right people. To find out more visit www.brookecredit.com or call 1-800-732-4237.

Finding good managers can be tough. Finding a way for them to buy you out can be tougher.

10950 Grandview Drive • Suite 600 • Overland Park, KS 66210 • 1.800.732.4237

www.brookecredit.com(All loans subject to underwriting approval.)

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Brooke Credit. Financing Dreams.


by Dirk Jaekel

marketing solution

A Memorable Service for your Clients

Consumers today are seeking a more personal service that provides a connection to their loved one, and a celebration of the life that was lived. The personalized funeral has become the norm, incorporating music, memories and images into the remembering process. Not that long ago, picture collages were introduced into visitation rooms as a visual way of honouring a life. The door that the photo board cracked open is being fl ung wide open by the entrance of the memorial video tribute.

Beyond the Picture BoardMemorial video tributes are an effective way for your funeral business to deliver a valuable service to grieving families. With the introduction of new technologies, video tributes present a collection of photographs, videos, news articles and personal documents that are synchronized to music – bringing the traditional “picture board” to life. While fl owers dry out and photos yellow and fade, a DVD provides families with

a keepsake that will be cherished for generations. Showing the DVD at visitation and during the funeral service, or displaying it in the reception area, reminds visitors of the life and the spirit of their loved one. As guests watch the video together during visitation, it promotes thoughtful conversation, and creates a comforting experience for the family. This can also help to create a greater sense of community for all who attend – reinforcing the signifi cance of the visitation as part of the funeral, and helping families with the transformation from grieving to healing.

Video tributes can enhance your aftercare program by providing families with healing value, and they are a great vehicle for follow-up. You can also offer this option to families you have helped previously to re-establish contact as a vital part of your pre-need program.

In addition to personalizing the overall funeral service, memorial video tributes can be presented on the obituary page of your funeral home website. Online tributes can dramatically increase website traffi c as it is not unusual for guests to return and replay the video several times. This increases customer satisfaction; provides a genuine reminder of the quality service you provide, and improves the potential for referrals to your business.

Production ChoicesOnce you are convinced that video tributes are an essential part of your business plans, the question is how to

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several creative ways to incorporate memorial tributes into your service. One option is to allow the family to include the production as an added part of their service selection – as an à la carte selection. A second is to include the memorial video tribute in an existing package, and either increase the price, or substitute the memorial video tribute for an existing personalization service. Thirdly, a tribute can be offered as gift to the customer – whether based on total service cost, or as a gesture of your appreciation for their business. Either way, a professional DVD memorial video tribute can prove to be an invaluable marketing tool as your families will have a permanent reminder of the quality service that distinguishes your funeral home from the others in your area.

Lasting ImpressionA memorial video tribute may often be the one, enduring memorial of a loved one. Consequently, a funeral professional always wants to provide the highest quality production to the family. Leave a lasting impression on bereaved families, their loved ones and everyone attending the service by displaying a high quality memorial video tribute during the service. Families and friends will be reminded of what a caring and memorable experience they’ve had – and they are bound to think of your funeral home at their next time of need. FBA

Dirk Jaekel is the President of Pictures In Motion Inc. He can be contacted at 866.767.8770, or by email at [email protected], or visit www.picturesinmotion.com.

provide the service. Essentially, you have two options, either create video tributes in-house or fi nd a company to provide the service for you.

In choosing to create your own video productions, you have to: purchase computer hardware and software; fi nd licensed music; create professional label and jacket designs, and buy the equipment necessary to view the videos. Keep in mind, you must also consider how much time and resources you are willing to invest – allowing for the learning curve, staff training, design time, media creation, and fi lling orders. Even after taking care of all these details, there is no guarantee that the end result will leave your families with the sense of quality that you’d hoped for.

Outsourcing involves fi nding a full-service, digital imaging company. You scan the family’s photos and, within 12-24 hours, you will receive a quality, fi nished production. The most reputable outsource companies will: color-correct and repair picture fl aws; incorporate special effects, backgrounds and video clips, and provide a moving, fi nished video product that is both professional and personal. For funeral professionals

– with limited time, expertise and resources – who want to provide families with high quality, memorial video tributes, a reputable outsourcing company can offer exceptional value.

The Bottom LineAdding a new product into your funeral home’s existing price structure can certainly be a challenge. Fortunately, there are

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Women in Funeral Service...by Linda Darby-Sempsrott


management solution

First of all, if you saw the title to this article and you are still

reading it, my hat’s off to you! You have taken the fi rst step

to changing the dynamics of your funeral fi rm. I have been a

member of the memorialization industry since graduating from

Illinois State University in 1984, and I became a co-owner of our

family’s business and have since taken on the responsibilities of

sales and marketing. I also travel across the country speaking

with many of the mortuary science students. The number of

women in these classrooms is increasing every year. The sad

story that I hear too often is that these women graduate, start

submitting their resumes, and don’t get hired. The question

is, why? Are there challenges with hiring a woman funeral

director that are too great to overcome? I think not.

Owning a business presents all sorts of

challenges. Good business people fi gure out

a way to overcome those challenges. Many

times the fun part of business is making

the pieces of the puzzle all fi t together so

the puzzle is complete. Women certainly

have their place in this industry, and by

acknowledging this, you have already fi t

one more piece of the puzzle.

I love to see women in Funeral Service!

Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means

suggesting that men haven’t played an

intricate role in the funeral industry. As a

matter of fact, I have many male colleagues

that have been great mentors. They have

taught me to be strong when I needed to be

strong. I believe that if you are not strong,

whether male or female, then this is a tough

industry in which to work. I truly believe

that men and women work well together. It’s a nice balance.

I respect men and the gifts and talents they are given. Women

used to be much more “quiet and passive” in the workplace, but

today they too are using their God-given powers of intelligence

and organization. It has also been said that a woman nurtures

and a man protects. In what other industry is the ability to

comfort and take care of people more important than in ours?

If women have an edge in any respect, it is conveying a softer

touch at the most fragile of times. Doesn’t it only stand to

reason that women would excel in funeral service?

I have a short story to share with you. It wasn’t long after

we opened our fi rst funeral home when my friends’ mother

passed away. With my other responsibilities in the business, I

am not always able to be at our funeral home, unless we have

the privilege to serve one of my friends or business associates.

I told one of our directors that I was coming over, and that I

wanted to be there when the family arrived. I got the “Oh no,

she’s going to come over and make my family cry!” look. Well,

if that’s what it takes to let a grieving friend know that we are

there for her on one of the worst days of her life, then so be it!

It’s okay to cry. It’s part of the healing process. I am so proud

of the love and care our families receive at our funeral homes

today. I can’t help but think the women of our organization, in

conjunction with the men, make our service what it is today.

Do we have room to improve? You bet we do! We are always

looking for ways to do it better.

My reason for writing this article today is

not to tell you how to run your businesses,

you already know how to do that. My

purpose is to help you take a different look

at our business and see if there might be a

place in your organization where the skills

of a woman may complement what you are

already doing. I have been blessed to have

wonderful experiences, such as sitting on

the Illinois State’s Comptroller’s Cemetery

Advisory Board for two years, and even

had the pleasure to co-chair the Women

in Funeral Service Scholarship Program

for ICFA. And, I have met some pretty

dynamic women at the Women’s Forum

and Professional Women’s Conferences

over the last few years. They are truly

amazing and have such passion for what

they do. I have also been blessed to work

in a family business where I can use the

talents God gave me. My plea is that you may give someone

else that opportunity in your business. More females are going

into traditionally male roles in all professions, and the caring

nature in a woman is a natural fi t for funeral service. Thank you

for making me so proud of our profession and what we do for

families all across the world. FBA

Linda Darby-Sempsrott is a co-owner of Trigard, and

she can be reached at 800.637.1992, or by email at

[email protected], or you may visit www.trigard.com.

“Owning a

business presents

all sorts of

challenges. Good

business people

fi gure out a way

to overcome those

challenges.”

Pre-Need Services / Insurance / Trust


The Importance of Offering The Importance of Offering Licensed Art to your FamiliesLicensed Art to your Families

Many funeral homes today offer their

families a number of memorialization

products from which to choose for their

loved one. One area that seems to have

exploded with options in the past few years

is the printed products, such as memorial

register books and folders. Additionally,

there has been a great infl ux of images and

designs on these items, and lately, there

seems to be more and more use of works

from recognizable artists. The use of this

type of art requires the manufacturer to

“own” a license in order to use it. One

company in particular comes to mind

when we think of licensed art being used

for these products, and that company is

Messenger. We interviewed Bob Hoaglund,

Vice President of Sales and Marketing at

Messenger. Bob has been in the funeral

stationery business for over 25 years, and

he answers our questions about the use of

licensed art in the funeral industry.

Where does the use of licensed art in

bereavement stationery have its roots?

It really started quite a long time ago. Back

in the late 1930s, early 1940s, Messenger,

introduced a work from a famous religious

artist named Warner Sallman. Sallman’s

“Head of Christ,” done in pastels,

later gained the reputation as being the

most recognizable likeness of Jesus.

Messenger’s Christ head image was used

on cards and register books, and due to its

popularity, it still is today.

Later on, in the early 1970s, Messenger

introduced a line of stationery items

featuring the work of an artist by the name

of Peggy Brown. Her watercolor of wind-

swept trees seems to fi ll the observer with

a sense that this somehow signifi es the

autumn of life passing from one stage to

another. This was really the beginning of

what we see today as coordinated books,

folders and acknowledgement cards

utilizing licensed art. By the way, this

series, called, Treewind, also remains in

our line to this day. Having products with

popularity lasting this long exemplifi es

the importance of the messages that are

being conveyed, and the signifi cance to

the people who choose them.

Okay, so Messenger has been around for

quite awhile. Tell us where it is today.

In 2001, we introduced the fi rst two-

book and card series featuring the work

of Thomas Kinkade. Kinkade, known as

the Painter of Light, is America’s most

collected living artist. His paintings

of sunlight-infused, peaceful fl ora and

fauna, with graceful rock wall gates and

bridges, seem to provide a true emotional

connection for families that have lost

loved ones. Today, we have nine Thomas

Kinkade images gracing the covers of our

books. His acceptance by the funeral

industry has been phenomenal. His works,

with their gently religious message, have

so much meaning to the people that view

them. So many people own something

with his art on it, that the familiarity of his

art is undeniable.

After the tragedy of 9/11, we began

producing a stationery series featuring

the patriotic painting, “On Freedom’s

Wing,” from well-known wildlife artist,

Rick Kelly. The beautiful mountain

range in the background, with the great

American Bald Eagle soaring above,

sends a powerfully patriotic message to

people. They immediately identify with

this powerful image and choose it for their

loved ones.

We continue to add to our licensed art

offerings. In 2005, we introduced a

book and card series featuring Precious

Moments art. This is very recognizable

art of teardrop-eyed children. Many, many

people collect Precious Moments items. It

uses art that warms the heart and provides

comfort and hope to people.

Most recently, we released several wildlife

book and card series featuring the art from

renowned “Wild Wings” artists such as

David Maass. The subjects we chose for

these new products represent some of the

most common North American wildlife

that come to mind – the white-tailed

deer, Mallard ducks and pheasants. These

images provide a powerful remembrance

of loved ones who were outdoors types.

You have mentioned the emotional

connection that families make between

the art and their loved one. Can you

explain this?

The emotional connection to which we

refer is when a person looks at the art – on

the cover of a memorial register book, for

instance – and that art conveys a message

to them, or gives them a feeling that relates

the art to that person’s loved one.

One example is the Thomas Kinkade

work depicting a bridge crossing a stream

and beautiful fl ower garden on the other

side. The symbolic message here is that

our loved one has crossed over to a

more peaceful and beautiful place. The

lighthouses that Kinkade paints symbolize

the guiding light, and that our loved one

has been guided to a better place. There

is a defi nite spiritual relationship here

between the art and people’s perceptions.


feature solution

Another way that the emotional connection

occurs is if the art reminds the viewer of a

place or activity related to their loved one.

Kinkade’s cabin scenes are an example of

this. One funeral director told me that all

the time, he hears people say things like,

“That is where we used to go when we

were kids.” Or, “That is the chair dad sat

in.” This gives the family a remembrance

with meaning. It is powerfully important

to them.

Rick Kelly’s, “On Freedoms Wings,”

has an immensely patriotic connotation.

Whether a person has served in the armed

forces or not, they can still love their

country. A funeral director told me that

many of her families are immediately

drawn to this section of her stationery

display. If this is the memory that the

family has for the loved one, they will

immediately identify with this book.

Yes, but this emotional connection may

be made between any relevant subject

matter – images that are relative to the

person’s interests, for example – why is

the fact that the art must be “licensed”

art so important?

There are a couple of things going on

here. As one funeral director put it, “It

is important to people in our society

today to feel a part of something.” Well-

known artists and their images provide

us something that is familiar, toward

which we gravitate. We have seen it on

TV. We have seen it in the gift shops or

online. In addition, the artist has done a

great job of knowing what people want.

I think that sometimes the artist paints to

the viewer. The subject is well-known, if

subconsciously, before the family arrives

at the funeral home.

The tangible side of the licensed art is also

a factor. For funeral directors, well-known

art furthers their mission of providing

families with a tasteful and well-appointed

setting for their service. That’s why it is

not uncommon for the funeral home to

have a print of the art hanging on their

wall. Oftentimes, it was there before

that particular artwork was available in a

book and card series. You can see that this

type of art just connects with the funeral

industry.

For many families, they want the best

for their loved one, and this includes the

trappings that accentuate the ceremony.

The quality of licensed art products is

important to them. Also, as the memorial

register book may be the only tangible

item from the funeral that the family

takes home with them, the higher quality

imagery from well-known artists is more

appealing and likely to be viewed after the

service.

Another aspect is that this familiarity of

artists and their works provide a more

comfortable place to be for the family

planning a funeral. In the words of one

funeral director, “They’re comfortable

with something they’re familiar with…

Perhaps this is a ‘safer’ place to make

arrangements.”

The process of choosing stationery

featuring nice art can be a little less

stressful for the family. People are

accustomed to going into the card shop or

gift shop and making choices. The more

retail-like atmosphere of the stationery

products area can be a relief to the

families.

Are there any other reasons people would

identify with and choose stationery that

features licensed art?

I would just like to add that choosing

memorialization products, such as books

and cards, offers the family a way to

personalize the service of their loved

ones. Finding something to identify with

the deceased – something that signifi es

an interest or hobby that they had – helps

make the service and the subsequent

memories unique. This is especially

important for funeral directors to be able

to offer to families as they seek more and

more ways to celebrate a life.

Do you have any advice that you would

give to a funeral director that chooses to

offer licensed art to his or her families?

If you have chosen to offer licensed art

to your families then you have identifi ed

with the quality and value that it provides

– not to mention, the message. You must

treat it that way in your presentation to

your families. Your product offering must

command the respect it is due. Show that

you appreciate its value by setting your

pricing appropriately. Your families will

expect to pay a little more for the choices

they get to make, especially if you have

presented them with quality, licensed art.

You work hard to portray your funeral

home in the best possible light. Using

licensed art is part of that portrayal.

When you provide quality products and

services, your clients will appreciate you

for that.

In closing, is there anything else you

would like our readers to know about

your company?

Looking ahead, I would predict that

Messenger’s expertise in selecting

meaningful works of licensed art would

continue to lead the way in the years to

come. We remain fully committed to

providing the funeral industry with the

most expressive and identifi able, licensed

art images available. It’s one of the

ways we support funeral professionals

in providing their families with a

meaningful experience. FBA

For more information on Messenger products and how they can

help your funeral business, call 800.827.5151, or visit the website at www.messengerline.com.


Importing...Not for the Faint of Heart

by Jim Malamas

management solution


Have you thought about importing products to save some money? If so, consider it carefully! Importing from foreign countries can be challenging even for professionals. Therefore, the novice should consider the many challenges and risks that exist before embarking on such an endeavor.

As a foreign trade consultant working with China for the past 16 years, I have seen my share of problems by would-be North American importers. Most “victims” initially believe that sourcing products from off-shore is as easy as online domestic purchases on eBay. This is usually not the case. In reality, it is far more complicated with considerably more risk involved.

When importing from international sources, purchase orders for products are typically larger than domestic orders because a large order allows the importer to take advantage of volume requirements which may result in more favorable pricing. In addition, the larger orders will assist in improving margins by spreading the shipping costs over the larger total number of units shipped in each container.

I have fi elded numerous calls from unhappy individuals who were not familiar with the procedures and regulations for importing products. They send their money to a supplier, but weeks later they don’t know where their money or their product is. The foreign contact then goes quiet and repeated calls go unanswered. This is usually followed by the realization that something has gone terribly wrong.

Many have suffered losses and have called us looking for assistance in resolving their problems and minimizing their fi nancial losses. It is easier to take care of the potential problems in advance rather than after the load has arrived in the U.S. for customs inspection.

As an importer, what type of due diligence should you take?1. Products: Identify products that you want to import. 2. Sources: Find several sources that meet your initial requirements. From there, you must qualify suppliers. Are they manufacturers or trading companies? (Trading companies are merely brokers and do not have the same deep-rooted interest in satisfying and retaining customers.)3. Details: Verify all details, including: product specifi cations and quality; plant capacity; working conditions at the factory, and environmental concerns.

What are the main risks that YOU, the importer, might face?nTrade Risk: Will the company with which you deal provide you with the products that you want, and at the price agreed upon, and with the quality you expect? Who will verify these factors?nPolitical Risk: If you encounter diffi culties, how will these problems be resolved and in what country? (Try getting warranty work from Iraq.) What type of government runs the country (are they “friendlies”)? nCurrency Risk: Will currency fl uctuations erode your potential profi t on this transaction? How stable is the domestic currency (since, invariably, it is measured against our dollar)?

Some points to consider when importing:nHow do you qualify suppliers?nBuy/sell contract: What law and jurisdiction will it fall under?nPayment mechanisms: How will you pay (i.e., Letters of Credit, Documentary Collections, Wire Transfer)?nTrade terms: CIF, FOB, CNF, and DDP – What do these acronyms mean?nRisk: Where does the responsibility and risk begin, and consequently end, for the importer?nDispute resolution: Where will it take place, and who pays for resolution? nQuality issues: What if you do not receive what you expected?nProduct liability insurance: Is it available from manufacturer? What is the claim procedure and jurisdiction if the product fails and a lawsuit is fi led against you?nHS import codes: Have an accurate product description for importation fee and tax calculation.

If importing is something you decide try, be sure to research the suppliers, making sure that all of your “i’s” are dotted and “t’s” are crossed. The dream of increased profi ts can quickly be replaced by greatly reduced margins. For these reasons, it may be prudent to leave these types of transactions to ONLY trained professionals. FBA

Jim Malamas is the CEO of Ace Caskets, and has been importing and exporting products internationally for 16 years. He can be reached at 888.998.1888, or by email at [email protected], or you may visit his website at www.acecaskets.com.

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by Marty Kovacs

marketing solution

Know Your Image When your families walk through your front door, are they

expecting Lord & Taylor, Walmart, or JC Penney? Each of

these brands has a recognizable image. Do you?

Your image and reputation are in direct correlation to your

staff. If your staff doesn’t know what is expected of them, then

they can’t meet your goals. Don’t assume they know. Your

employees should know how to conduct themselves on the

telephone, at the front door, and parking cars. If they are new to

the funeral business, show them what you want them to do.

Your image also relies on your facilities. One of the best ways

to enhance your image is to pay attention to details – details

you may have forgotten about. This usually doesn’t cost much

money, or it’s free, but it takes time and a little bit of extra

attention – that may take an independent, outside set of eyes to

accomplish.

When a person becomes accustomed to doing something,

they may not see the obvious anymore. When I was a kid, I

walked to school. I walked the same sidewalk, twice a day, for

several years. One day, my mother asked me how many trees

were between the sidewalk and the curb, just on my block. I

walked past all those trees every day and I had to stop and think,

counting in my head how many trees lined that sidewalk, and I

still wasn’t right.

This concept is the same at the funeral home. What might seem

routine to you is new to each family that comes through your

door. You might not be able to take a step back and see what

needs to be done. Get someone you trust, someone who will

tell you the “un-sugarcoated” truth to come through the funeral

home.

Is your furniture soiled on the armrests or does it need repair?

Are the corners of the bathroom fl oor in need of scrubbing? Are

the light bulbs dusty? Sometimes the easiest way of doing this

is changing the “eye level.” Get down on the fl oor and look up

or get on a step ladder and look down. It is amazing the things

you will see that you wouldn’t otherwise.

What other things can your funeral home do that the family


management solution

by Michael Feeney

might not expect? When you do an uncasketed identifi cation

viewing, is your dressing table covered with a dressing table

skirt? Do you use a quilt to cover the deceased? Is the viewing

in a nice room in the funeral home, or in a “work area” that may

not be entirely suitable for the family?

When you do removals, do the wheels squeak on your cot? Is

the cot clean and does it smell clean? Is your cot quilt clean

and folded neatly? Does the pillowcase match and is it clean,

or stained?

Keeping up appearances is important for many obvious reasons.

What are your families envisioning? If you go to a restaurant

and the dining area is dirty, does your mind instantly recoil

wondering what the kitchen looks like?

If the seating surfaces on the furniture are visibly dirty or the

rooms look dusty or dingy, your families may be wondering

what else your funeral home isn’t doing. They may be thinking,

“If you can’t take care of your funeral home, then how can you

take care of grandma?”

Make your fi rm stand out. Have different merchandise

options available. Personalization seems to be what everyone

wants. What do you have in your selection room that offers

personalization? Do you have caskets that have different head

panels or corner hardware? Do you have a display for framed

memorial photos or tribute videos?

A problem my family faced years ago was going through my

grandfather’s house when he died. His furniture and tools

were auctioned off, but what were we supposed to do with his

clothes? It is now possible to alleviate that decision and offer

a new way to personalize at the same time. Have a Memory

Quilt made from their clothing.

Most men have a dresser full of their favorite, worn “broken-

in” t-shirts that the women in their life might see as ratty or

faded. Those same women might want those memories made

into a Memory Quilt because those old t-shirts were a part of

who their husband was.

Be innovative, be different, and be creative. If you want to

improve your image, go to an expensive department store

or restaurant and see what little details they do that you can

implement in your fi rm. It might be a little thing, like a staff

member smiling and saying, “Good afternoon.” It might be

folding the edges of the toilet paper into a point. It might

be a convenience like valet parking, or it might be quality

merchandise creatively displayed.

Don’t let the opportunity go by. Do something different and

positive to boost your funeral home’s image. Your competition

might. FBA

Marty Kovacs, CFSP is the Founder of The Last Quilt Company, LLC. She can be contacted at 866.676.1609 (toll free), or by email at [email protected], or visit www.lastquilt.com.


The Evolution of the Burial Vaultby Pierre A. Goria II


management solution

Let me ask you a question. Do you know the history of the

burial vault and how it has evolved over the years? After a

quick read, you will be able to answer, with confi dence and

certainty, the question about the evolution of a burial vault.

Let’s look back in time to accurately fi ll in any blanks.

Upon the death of friends and relatives, there is a sincere need

to preserve and honor their memories. The use of a burial vault,

or crypt, has been a ritual for years. It is fair to say that in what

to place casketed loved ones is the second largest fi nancial

decision and expenditure a grieving family will face. Here is

how history records burials:

Prior to 1800

Looking to the past, we see that burials were recorded in the

bible in the book of Genesis. Egyptian practices also made

use of either a simple ground burial or a more elaborate crypt

system. In medieval times, it was common to have a crypt for

the placement of the dead. A crypt is simply a stone chamber or

vault which was built under a structure like a church or castle.

In these stone chambers, coffi ns and relics were placed for

saints or people of importance. The use of a burial vault, as we

know it, doesn’t emerge until the late 1800s.

Early 1800

In the 1800s, it was a common practice to line graves with

bricks. This practice would help keep the integrity of the

cemetery as well as offer protection to the casketed remains.

For even more protection, an asphalt lining was applied to the

bricks to assist in keeping the outside elements from entering

the gravesite. While using hot asphalt is dangerous and messy,

it proved to be the norm for many years.

Late 1800 to 1960

The next progression of the burial vault comes in two different

forms. First the introduction of a metal vault comes onto the

scene. This style of burial vault uses an air-seal method to

keep the contents protected. The trapped air pressurizes the

contents. Different gauges and types of metal are used to

offer various levels of protection. The next style of vault came

with the invention of a two-piece concrete burial vault. Vault

manufacturers produced these vaults and coated them with the

same asphalt lining. A seal was then placed between the two

halves to seal the contents. These two styles of vaults served

two major purposes: mass production and portability. These

vaults were common until the mid 1960s. During the 1960s,

improvements to burial vaults were applied.

Late 1960 to Present

In this time frame, we will see numerous and signifi cant

changes in the burial vault industry. The battle for an improved

vault is the central concern. The innovation of a plastic liner

was introduced. The plastic liner replaced the use of asphalt.

Due to the messy and dangerous procedure of lining a vault

with asphalt; the step in the direction of a plastic-lined vault

was an easy transition. Simply put, vault manufacturers take a

thermoformed, thin, plastic liner (in the shape of a vault) and

glue it to the inside of the burial vault. This manufacturing

practice defi nitely proved to be better than the asphalt-lined

burial vault, but still met adversity. During the 1980s, burial

vaults manufactured entirely of plastic started emerging. These

burial vaults confi rmed that vaults no longer needed to be

produced out of concrete and other products. Polymer burial

vaults continue to evolve and come full circle in 2007, and

so do the options. Plastic polymer burial vaults offer funeral

directors, cemeterians and families many options. Polymer

burial vaults use three different manufacturing methods.

Thermoformed polymer vaults are manufactured applying the

air-seal technique. Injection-molded vaults use both the air-

seal method, and top- and base-sealing application. Finally,

rotationally molded polymer burial vaults make use of patented

and proprietary technology producing triple, double and

single protection. This method also uses the top-seal process,

combining the top of the vault with the base of the vault by

way of a butyl seal. These types of polymer plastic burial vaults

have proven to be the way of the future.

Allow me to list the advantages of using a polymer burial

vault…A Polymer burial vault:

nAllows profi t margins to be realized and stay in tact.

nOffers protection equal to and greater than competitors.

nIs proven to be just as strong, and stronger in some cases.

nSaves families money.

nIs of excellent quality, including a variety of colors and looks.

nIs lightweight enough for funeral directors to handle.

nHelps funeral directors to avoid hefty fees and transportation

charges.

nHelps funeral directors to avoid multiple, same-year price

increases.

nMaintains the integrity of cemeteries.

You see, polymer plastic vaults are here to stay. They are not

only the vault of the future, but a great choice for many people

today. The benefi ts of polymer vaults are too great to ignore. I

encourage you to review your burial vault selection room and to

include burial vaults in your offerings to families. FBA

Pierre A. Goria II is the President/CEO of Goria Corporation. He can be contacted at 866.418.4939, or by email at [email protected], or visit www.goriacorp.com.

www.acecaskets.com

To locate an ACE Distributor or for more info on Exclusive Distributorship Territories

call Jim toll free at 1-888-998-1888or email [email protected]

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Going Home

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pricing!

Dear Funeral Home Manager,

ACE Caskets, the nations newest casket distributor, is pleased to announce that we have begun serving funeral homes across the country. Visit www.acecaskets.com to find a distributor in your area.

We offer a variety of hand crafted caskets featuring quality workmanship in premium metals (copper and stainless), 18 gauge and 20 gauge. We have a selection of round corner and square corner styles in sealer and non-sealer versions. Watch for our line of veneer and hardwood caskets coming soon.

Not all caskets are created equal. ACE stands behind all of our products 100%. As part of our guarantee, we include product liability insurance to cover all ACE products. (Does your current supplier offer this?)

Beautiful products, exceptional value and customer service are the keys to our business philosophy. We guarantee you will save money with ACE. Call us now for more information.

Sincerely,

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The Internet is Rapidly Changing the Funeral Industry

by Darren Cleveland


marketing solution

There is no denying, the World Wide Web is probably the biggest invention to hit the planet since Guttenberg pulled the fi rst page off his printing press. In the U.S alone, there are 215 million Internet users, according to Nielsen’s NetRatings. That’s 72% of all households in America. The Internet has now become the #2 medium in the home.

The Internet has had a profound impact on every industry

– shopping, investing, banking, travel, insurance; you name it....And now, the funeral industry.

Our research shows that every year, people go to Google, Yahoo, MSN and type in more than 18 million searches for funeral related terms…18 million! Six million of those searches are specifi cally for “funeral homes.”

Some people still think the Internet is a metal box that young, geeky kids use to send emails, download music illegally, or play games. Wrong. The Internet is the most effi cient tool available today, to instantly fi nd the latest information you need.

That is why International Demographics reports that one of the fastest-growing segments using the Internet is age 55 and over. And when it comes to a major expense of over $500, experts report that 80% of the consumers turn to the web fi rst for information.

How do consumers search the web? The fi rst thing they do is access a search engine such as Google, Yahoo or MSN. Those three companies control 85% of all searches online. With its search technology and algorithms, Google leads the market with a 43.7% share which may explain their $460-per-share stock price. Yahoo has a 28.8% share, and MSN controls 12.8% of the search market.

To understand how an Internet search begins and how easily someone can fi nd a business, go to your computer and click on your Internet browser. Go to either Google.com, Yahoo.com or MSN.com and type in any word or phrase. Look at the results that are returned. You have just performed an Internet search.

Not all search engines are the same and each one has its own proprietary technology. Convenience is often a major factor when choosing a search engine, and MSN.com leads that category as it is the #1 homepage in the world. (Of course, it helps that MSN.com is preloaded on every


computer that is shipped with Microsoft Windows.)

Every second of the day results in thousands of Internet searches for nearly everything imaginable: businesses, products, services, recipes, songs; you name it. The funeral industry is not immune to these searches. Take the search statistics from March of 2006, and at that time, the specifi c term, “funeral homes” was searched 131,000 times on Yahoo alone. This past month in November, those numbers grew to 294,000 – an astonishing 124% increase in less than eight months. A rule of thumb is to multiply these numbers by three to refl ect the actual number of searches for all search engines. That’s an estimated 900,000 searches for funeral homes in November alone!

What does this mean to you? Whether you want to accept it or not, the Internet has an effect on your business. When one of these millions of consumers searches for a funeral home on the web, they are going to either fi nd you, or your competitor.

How do people fi nd you online? Having a website is a start. There are many companies that develop websites at affordable rates and the NFDA suggests it is imperative that funeral homes have a web presence in the 21st century.

Many funeral directors think that creating a website is enough. But, there are millions of websites created every day. You need to fi nd a way to market your website. One way is the search engines. Having a presence on any search engine is a science, and has much to do with several factors, including: how

relevant your site is to the terms that consumers type in the search box; how much content you have, and how many sites link to your site.

Another strategy is to post your site on a few of the larger funeral-related websites that have access to these targeted search results and drive traffi c to funeral homes every day. These websites charge nominal listing fees; have the search engine expertise, and will refer more business to funeral homes this year than any other source online.

We know the actual process of a funeral with the personal interaction with families will not be affected by the Internet. But, the way in which consumers will fi nd you has changed forever.

Luckily for you, this new medium has become much easier to use. It actually allows you to market your funeral home less expensively than TV, radio or newspapers; while at the same time, allowing you to make instantaneous changes to your promotions – which you cannot do with any other advertising.

More and more consumers will turn to the web in 2007 to search for funeral homes. Will they fi nd your funeral home online? FBA

Darren Cleveland is the President of Recall Media Group, owners of FuneralHomes.com. He can be contacted at 800.208.2580 X301, or by email at [email protected], or visit www.FuneralHomes.com.


Keepsakes to be Treasured: Should We Follow the Trend or Set It? by Michel Larbrisseau


sales solution

Going back to those days when the new concept of miniature keepsake urns was introduced to the funeral industry for the fi rst time, on many occasions the following words were probably uttered: “I don’t have a demand for this type of product.” But in retrospect, who would have gone to a music store to ask for a Compact Disk before that concept was invented, advertised and offered by the professionals of the music industry? I think you would agree that you can’t ask for something when the concept is new or the public is unaware that it exists.

When the fi rst company decided to create bronze miniature keepsake urns, they probably never considered whether Funeral Directors wanted this product. Their concern was to make sure the public, in general, had reasons to look for that kind of product, and if there was a need to be fulfi lled.

It did not take long, in the early stages of our market analysis, to realize that quite a large number of people confessed to having kept a tiny part of a close family member’s cremains. When asked, many would show the plastic photo fi lm container, an envelope or a matchbox containing those ashes.

Once, a funeral director with whom I was consulting about his booming records in providing his families with miniature keepsake urns told me, “You know Michel, I consider myself a funeral professional. As such, it is my duty and responsibility to make sure that the families relying on my services are informed of the various alternatives related to the funerals, whether it be for the services; for the price levels, or for the quality and variety of products offered. Imagine that I do not inform a family, opting for cremation, of the existence of the reliquaries available for a lock of hair, prior to cremation… Or of the existence of the miniature keepsake urns before the regular urn is buried…How could I face [that family], and what kind of explanation shall I give that same family coming to me after having heard of the existence of those products while, in their case, it is too late?”

“On the other hand, since I do not feel like putting any pressure on my families, I always make sure that my well-assorted presentation tray of keepsakes is on my desktop when the family comes. For sure, in most cases, while I take care of the formalities, one of the family members will pick one up and


ask me, ‘What is this?’ The only thing left for me to do, as a professional, is to answer their request, and give all necessary explanations,” he said.

What’s new?Already in the second decade of marketing miniature keepsake urns as well as sterling silver and 14-carat-gold pendants, it is now time to comfort those families opting for inhumation by offering them a memorable keepsake item comparable in importance, in value and emotion to the miniature keepsake urn.

The reliquary for lock of hair, a patent-pending concept, is now born.Securing a lock of hair in a noble, respectful and specialized reliquary preserves the very same intrinsic values, as does the keepsake urn: nIt is the absolute personalization. nA lock of hair, as well as human cremains, will not deteriorate through time.nThe bronze reliquaries will last for centuries as miniature works of art. Additionally: nKeeping a lock of hair is preserving the deceased’s DNA.nFor those families reluctant to bring home or separate human cremains, preserving a lock of hair will be a much more

appeasing choice.

Will it take another 10 to 15 years to incorporate the reliquary for lock of hair into the list of keepsakes proposed by the

funeral industry as with keepsake urns? At this stage, with all of the innovative products that have been accepted by more progressive funeral directors, it is quite improbable. Our fi gures show a much faster estimated growth.

About product availability.The most apparent theme in the funeral industry today is “change.” Change in traditions; change in families’ expectations; changing times…Change. Change! I am sure the majority of us will agree that this is the kind of era in which we are living, and we’d better get accustomed to it. But, is change always acceptable?

What is your reaction when you want to order additional models of keepsakes to supply to the other family members – all opting for an identical model – and your supplier tells you that particular model has been eliminated from the collection? And, this principle repeats time after time.

This is exactly what you should try to avoid. Think of “change” as a synonym to product improvement or to innovation. Creating new concepts; creating a new line of products; adding new models to an existing line of products without eliminating the other ones…This should be YOUR notion of change. This is what companies controlling their own designs and production have the ability to do for your business and your families’ benefi ts. FBA

Michel Larbrisseau is Co-founder (1990) and General Manager of TRIFAC INC. He can be contacted at 877.887.4322, by fax at 877.887.4329, or by email at [email protected], or visit www.trifac.com


Five Tips for Creating Successful Habits

by Brian Tracy


leadership solution

Fully 95% of everything you accomplish, or fail to

accomplish, will be determined by your habits, either good or

bad. Successful people have good habits that guide and direct

them to ever greater success. Unsuccessful people have bad

habits that trip them up throughout their lives.

Here are fi ve things that you can do immediately to begin

developing the kind of habits that lead onward and upward to a

wonderful life:

1. First, imagine that you have a magic wand. You can wave this

magic wand and create your future anyway you like. Project

forward three to fi ve years and imagine that your future is

perfect in every way. What would it look like?

2. Second, set clear, written, measurable

goals to achieve that ideal future vision.

Take out a piece of paper and write down

exactly what you want. Set a deadline,

make a plan to accomplish it and work on

that plan every single day.

3. Third, identify the most important new

habit or behavior that you could practice

that would help you to achieve your goal.

Perhaps it is the habit of getting up and

getting going early. Perhaps it is the habit

of setting priorities and working on high-

value tasks. Perhaps it is the habit of being

more patient and listening to people more

carefully. Whatever it is, begin to practice

that habit every single day.

4. Fourth, tell other people that you have

decided to develop this particular habit.

Encourage them to remind you when you

slip from time to time. Knowing that other

people are watching you is a powerful

stimulus to personal change.

5. Fifth, give yourself a reward each time

you practice the habit that helps you to

attain the goal that moves you closer to

your ideal future vision. When you make

a giant step forward, give yourself a giant

reward. We are all motivated by incentives,

and the incentive system that we set up for

ourselves can be the most powerful force

for transforming the way we think, feel and

act. FBA

Brian Tracy is legendary in the fi elds of management, leadership, and sales. He is the author of “The Psychology of Selling” & “The Power of Charm.” He can be contacted at 858.481.2977, or visit www.briantracy.com.

we’re there before, during and mostimportantly after the sale

Jim Crawford and Cal Wilkerson’s 60 years of experience are the

reason you can trust U.S. Cremation.

435 Douglas Avenue, Suite 1505-B Altamonte Springs, FL 32714

www.uscremationequipment.com321.282.7357 • Fax: 321.282.7358

E-mail: [email protected]

Now offering a new line of Cremation Urns.

We believe the “Classic” is the best performing cremator in its price class.We also believe that the decision to purchase equipment must be fiscallyresponsible, carefully considered, andproperly planned.

U.S. Cremation Equipment is a fullservice company committed to providingsupport and assistance in all phases of acremator purchase and installationincluding:

FACILITY PLANNINGZONING MATTERSENVIRONMENTAL PERMITSEQUIPMENT SELECTIONINSTALLATIONSTART UP & TRAININGAFTER SALE SERVICE

Whether a first time buyer, replacing or adding equipment . . .we’re there before, during and mostimportantly after the sale. And, wewouldn’t have it any other way.

THE “C LASSIC” C REMATORwhere engineer ing meets per formance

Company Spotlight


Who is Brooke Credit Corporation and what service do they provide?Brooke Credit Corporation specializes in fi nancing loans for professionals within the insurance and death care industries. Because their lending activities are limited to select industries, they have acquired a unique understanding of funeral homes, cemeteries, crematories, insurance agencies, MGAs and wholesalers. This specialization allows them to offer more favorable terms compared to most other lenders.

How did Brooke Credit Corporations’s business evolve into the funeral industry?The insurance industry is their main business. However, the funeral industry has many similarities that tie the two segments together. In both industries, compared to corporate ownership, they strongly believe that local business owners are more likely to succeed and provide better customer service because of a signifi cant investment, and ties to their community. They also believe that small businesses generally know their customers better than corporate businesses.

What is Brooke Credit Corporation’s lending territory?They provide fast and effi cient business loan services to funeral professionals across the U.S. and Canada from their national offi ces in Overland Park, KS.

What is Brooke Credit Corporation’s lending model?Their lending model is primarily based on the business cash fl ow. In layman’s terms, cash fl ow means the surplus cash income of a business after meeting all of its operational expenses. The more effi ciently the business is operated, the more cash fl ow it generates; allowing the business to borrow more. Although the loan is generally secured by the real estate of the business, the real estate value is not the primary factor in their lending decision.

Why should a funeral director use Brooke Credit Corporations’s fi nancing program versus other lenders?The biggest challenge for any funeral director is to secure fi nancing to buy a funeral business. Most local banks lend only up to 75% of the value of the real estate, leaving the perspective buyer to raise the remaining portion from personal funds or family. In most cases, the purchase price of a business is several times the real estate value of the business, making it impossible for an average funeral director to bridge the gap between the local bank fi nancing and the purchase price. Brooke Credit Corporation knows a funeral business is worth more than just the real property

value, if it generates a good cash fl ow, and this enables them to fi nance up to 90% of the purchase price of an existing funeral home, cemetery or crematory business.

What value does Brooke Credit Corporation bring that other lenders do not?They have teamed up with top funeral industry consultants and professionals to provide ongoing support to all of their borrowers – ranging from accounting to marketing and mentorship. They provide this support at no extra cost to their borrowers as they strongly believe that their success is hinged upon the success of their borrowers. Therefore, their relationship doesn’t end with the closing of the loan; it merely starts. Their funeral industry “know-how” allows them to take the loan process from start to fi nish, including the in-house underwriting and approval; third party appraisals; loan documents, and funding. It doesn’t cost anything to fi nd out how much you could borrow, they offer complimentary, free, estimates for all of their borrowers.

What is Brooke Credit Corporation’s turnaround time to complete a loan?On standard transactions, they can underwrite and fund in 30 days or less, some transactions could take up to 60 days, depending on title work, complexity and credit exposure.

What are some of the required qualifi cations to be considered for a loan?The primary borrower must be a licensed funeral director to apply for a loan. The business must also have a minimum of three years of death care experience, and a true desire to own and operate a funeral home or cemetery.

Does Brooke Credit Corporation have a minimum or maximum loan amount that they provide?They fi nance a minimum of $250,000, but most of their loans range from between $700,000 to $2,500,000. There is no maximum; they look at larger loans on a case-by-case basis.

How does a funeral director get started with the loan process?The loan process is simple, just download their application form from their website and provide them with the necessary fi nancials to complete a FREE loan evaluation. They will be able to determine the amount they can fi nance in as little as two to three days.

For more information on how Brooke Credit Corporation can help you, please contact them at 800.732.4237, or visit their website at www.BrookeFuneralHomeLoans.com.

Brooke Credit Corporation Cash Flow Lender to the Funeral Home Industry

Location: 10950 Grandview Drive, Suite 600Overland Park, KS 66210 Tel: 800-732-4237

Contact Name: Kelly [email protected] Ext. 509www.BrookeFuneralHomeLoans.com

What They Do:

Provide loans for acquisitions, expansions, partnership buyout, refi nancing and new construction.

Company Spotlight

Who is American Capital Funding, LLC and what service do they provide?American Capital Funding is a life insurance factoring company. What they do is accept reassignments of life insurance benefi ts that have been assigned to funeral homes and cemeteries, nationwide. They verify the coverage and the benefi ciary, and then pay the assignment amount, less a reasonable fee, in advance to their customers. Then, they process the life insurance claim for reimbursement of the funds that they have advanced on the assignment. The balance of the proceeds goes directly to the benefi ciary. This concept accelerates cash fl ow for the funeral home.

What areas does American Capital Funding cover?Currently, they have customers in 45 states which include a very broad range of clients –there are a number of small business funeral homes and large business funeral homes that take advantage of their services.

How did American Capital Funding evolve?The cost of funeral goods provided – such as a casket for each funeral – is now at a price point that business owners are not able, or willing, to wait the time period required for it to be paid by an insurance company. When an American Capital Funding customer factors in the interest that they’re saving by paying their bills by all of the due dates on invoices, it’s quite a cash fl ow boon to the customer

When a Funeral Director turns an insurance policy over to American Capital Funding, how long does it take them to get paid?American Capital Funding pays every funeral home and cemetery within 24 hours of verifi cation of the benefi ts on the policies. Their national average is a 2.1 day turnaround.

Why would a funeral director turn an insurance policy over to American Capital Funding?The primary reason is that it takes away the burden for the family of how to pay for a loved one’s funeral expenses. Another reason is it accelerates cash fl ow for the funeral home. Also, once the benefi ciary has signed an irrevocable assignment and the funeral home has been paid by American Capital Funding, their concerns regarding the funeral expenses are null. An irrevocable assignment cannot be changed by a benefi ciary. This is especially important when there is more than one benefi ciary.

Is there a value and benefi t to families as to the funeral home?Recently, American Capital Funding had a family who was

Contact:Diane [email protected] 757-291-3416www.acfunding.com

Location:900 39th StreetNewport News, VA 23607 Tel: 800-296-5053Fax: 800-380-5504

trying to coordinate a bake and yard sale to pay for funeral expenses. This deceased person had a $50,000 life insurance policy and once the family learned of American Capital Funding’s service, they were relieved of the burden of trying to come up with the funds to pay for their funeral expenses, and they were able to concentrate on planning the funeral.

A family may also ask American Capital Funding to fund additional monies to pay for a cemetery plot or a headstone, or to give them money to help pay for some of the additional expenses as a result of a loved one’s death.

Is there a fee to the funeral home for turning over an insurance policy?American Capital Funding customers give the family several choices on how to satisfy their contract. The fi rst is cash or check. They can pay by credit card or they may want to make other payment arrangements with their own bank. They also advise the customer that they will accept a life insurance assignment, if they will factor this assignment through American Capital Funding, LLC. They explain to them, the simple procedure that American Capital Funding has for doing this, and the associated cost. When a family compares the cost of factoring through American Capital Funding, or paying the interest rate charged by credit card companies, or taking money from their own savings or investment accounts and losing that interest, they usually conclude that it’s less expensive to factor the life insurance benefi t.

What is the average amount to factor the life insurance benefi t?The average funeral today is about $6,000, so the average life insurance assignment is also in that range. The fee is 5% of the amount that’s assigned.

How does a funeral home get started with this service?It’s as easy as fi lling out and providing a few basic forms, such as an advance request, an assignment, a claim form, and a certifi ed death certifi cate. The family usually only has to sign in two places. American Capital Funding then handles the functions of verifying, processing, paying, and fi ling the life insurance claims.

For more information on how American Capital Funding can help your funeral home and the families you serve, please contact them at 800.296.5053, or visit their website at www.acfunding.com.

What They Do:

Accept reassignments of life insurance benefi ts that have been assigned to funeral homes and cemeteries nationwide.

American Capital Funding, LLCLife Insuarnce Factoring Company



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- Association Computer Services 36888.227.9411 | www.FuneralHomeSoftware.info

- Brook Credit Corp. 15800.732.4237 | www.brookecredit.com

- Business Services & Funding 9888.665.4BSF | www.4BSF.com

- Conaway 37800.333.2533 | www.conawaysales.com

- Cooper & Schoff 12866.446.0656 | www.cooperschoffcpa.com

- Custom Air Trays 30866.677.6701 | www.customairtrays.com

- Forever Pets 17888.450.7727 | www.foreverpets.com

- Forston & Associates 28800.375.0335 | www.casketlifts.com

- FuneralHomes.com 8800.208.2580 | www.FuneralHomes.com

- Funeral Data Manager 19888.478.9775 | www.FuneralDataManager.com

- Goria Corp. 3866.418.4939 | www.goriacorp.com

- Krystal IBC714.986.1200 | www.krystal.cc

- L J Enterprises 22678.778.6018 | www.cremationurnsdirect.com

- Matthews Cremation BC877.877.8818 | www.matthewscremation.com

- Messenger FC/5800.827.5151 | www.messengerline.com

- National Prearranged Services 23800.334.3851 | www.npsnetwork.com

- Noayr Machine & Supply Co. 29866.236.2896 | www.noayr.com

- North Urn Utd. 25866.333.3898 | www.northurn.com

- Passages Intl. 7888.480.6400 | www.earthurn.com

- Pictures In Motion 13866.767.8770 | www.picturesinmotion.com

- Terwisshca Construction Inc. 36 800.478.4892 | www.twcinc.com

- The Last Quilt Co. 16 866.676.1609 | www.lastquilt.com - Timber Valley Log Caskets 24 888.623.0305 | www.tvlcco.com - Trifac 32 877.887.4322 | www.trifac.com

- Trigard 11 800.637.1992 | www.trigard.com

- US Cremation Equipment 33 321.282.7357 | www.uscremationequipment.com

Company Name PG# Company Name PG#

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COMING MARCH 2007!!!Cemetery Business Advisor(for Cemetery Owners & Managers)

1800Krystal

E M B R A C E T H E O P P O R T U N I T Y

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Documents

Jan/Feb 2007 Issue - Funeral Business Advisor Magazinefuneralbusinessadvisor.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/... · Urns • Keepsakes • Caskets Pet Loss• Blooming Remembrances•