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Embracing Hospice: Benefits of Optimizing Palliative Care

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

Education in 2023

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

The Basics of Personnel Records

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

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

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

Six Reasons that Loans Get Declined

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

RECAPPING THE PROFESSIONAL CAR SOCIETY’S 2022 INTERNATIONAL MEET

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

Watch Your Language!

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

MONUMENTS AND MARKERS: Educating Funeral Directors for Enhanced Family Support

Incorporating headstone sales into a funeral home’s services presents significant advantages. Firstly, it can boost revenue without incurring substantial added overhead, making it a cost-effective ...

Become Your Community’s Preferred Choice for Cremation Memorialization

The national cremation rate has reached an unprecedented level, with many individuals gaining a deeper understanding of the importance of memorialization. Whether making their own end-of-life arran...

MODERN CEMETERY MANAGEMENT: Streamlining Operations with Technology

In the 21st century, technology has permeated nearly every aspect of our lives, from how we communicate to how we manage businesses. The cemetery industry, often perceived as traditional and resist...

8 TIPS For Implementing New Technology in Funeral Homes

Seamless technology integration in funeral homes is increasingly vital as the industry evolves to meet modern expectations and operational efficiencies. According to recent research, 70% of employe...

EXPECT MORE From Your Case Management Software

When you run a funeral home, maximizing your time is maximizing your earning potential. The less time you spend entering information into your many systems, the more time you can spend taking care ...

The Most Underserved Market: POST-NEED FAMILY

According to a 2022 CANA survey, in the United States, an estimated 21.9 million families hold cremated remains in their homes. With the ever-increasing cremation rate, with some reports projecting...

Solving Cremation’s Challenges

Cremation poses several challenges when it comes to conveying and delivering value. With burial, there are multiple tangible products that a price tag can easily be attached to. Think embalming, cl...