Funeral Words

Peace of Mind at Christmas

I talk a great deal about new technology and how it will impact the future of our businesses and our relationships with our families. No doubt that things like audio and video podcasts, video conferencing, cavernous email storage, multi-gigabyte music players, voice over IP, MP3 and internet based music systems, on and on will impact the choices we make and the way we conduct business with our families.

Today though, let me remind you of a little OLD technology which also needs your attention. So when’s the last time you did a VERIFIED backup of your company computer data and when’s the last time you stored a backup set OFF SITE????

Notes from the Field

Wow!! December 1st tomorrow, the year has almost ended and we soon turn the calendar on a new year. This seemed like a good time to compile a couple of the odds and ends I have come across the last few weeks and pass them along. Just clearing out the files in preparation for a new year.

Caskets--Critical Choices

I monitor and post to the FuneralWatch newsgroup hosted by the folks who publish the Funeral Service Insider and the American Funeral Director. Someone recently asked a question about collections policies and motivating staff to talk with families about the financial aspects of the arrangement conference. However, the discussion devolved into a torrent of commentary about pricing and other issues. As usual, the question of what to do with casket increases worked its way into the mix, since the casket companies have recently rolled out new price lists for the coming year.

Shrinking Middle

What happens to funerals as the middle class disappears in this country and as the best union jobs and pensions dwindle and break and fall by the wayside or crumble under the weight of corporate bankruptcy? Has anyone realistically answered this question? I don’t think anyone has begun to notice but we all must pay attention or OUR plans for the future may get downsized just like so many of these manufacturing jobs.

Lots to think about out there.

We always build the big picture out of little observations and bits of evidence. Here's a couple things I came across this week we all should consider.

Recession on the Way?

I bumped into the business manager of our local symphony. Continuously operating for more than 75 years, this little community orchestra has weathered many ups and downs. Nevertheless, he had lots of concern about a big drop in subscriptions this year. We talked about this for several minutes and came up with a couple of key issues.

The Virtual FD--ME!!

I know I have glazed over a few funeral directors these last few years with talk about the “coming” virtual world of funeral service. A place still some years in the future where we will need to knit together layers of technology and communication so that people can grieve in ways that fit a world full of virtual relationships. I knew that “someday” we would work as virtual funeral directors part of the time because some people (and eventually many people) would only know each other through email and weblogs and chat rooms and all the rest. Little did I think this idea would turn into reality THIS WEEK and would hit home (very literally) so soon.

Always Always Always Think Local

Look at Wal-Mart quickly and you might think they basically run the same store plunked down in thousands of different locations across the country. Same name, same logo, same colors, all these things tend to trick the mind into thinking the merchandise and pricing must be the same wherever they turn on the lights.

Merger Mania--Are You Prepared???

This summer we have seen huge shifts in the casket company landscape. Down south Aurora purchased Delta, then Matthews/York purchased Milso and just last week Batesville signed a definitive agreement to purchase Yorktown. Mergers and acquisitions, M&A, as they label it on Wall Street. Tens of millions (often enough billions) of dollars moved around from pocket to pocket all in the chase for "synergies" and "economies of scale" and "strategic integration", to name just three of the magic phrases bandied about by the M&A experts of the world. There’s only one problem. M&A rarely works. Just read this quote.

"When asked to name just one big merger that lived up to expectations, Leon Cooperman, former co-chairman of Goldman Sachs’ Investment Policy Committee, answered.

Podcasts in the Mainstream

Never heard of a "podcast"? Well it is time you got this little media firestorm on the radar screen. It will impact the way funeral directors do business, particularly in urban areas. Don't miss the opportunity to stand out.

In Short, podcasts are audio programs formatted in the same way as online digital music (MP3s files in other words). College students and other cutting edge media types have used this form to create audio diaries and other forms of entertainment which friends and peers download over the web and then listen to on their MP3 players.

Thing is, I just saw that the New York Police Department has started to use podcasts as an alternate means to get out public service announcements and other important information! Podcasts have already gotten into the mainstream.

Katrina Clean-up Thoughts

Today I read an article in the Boston Globe. It asked the question whether the Katrina Disaster qualified as a "uniquely southern" event. You can read the article here--Boston Globe: Southern Exposure.

I know we in the funeral profession will have little say in the grand matters of reconstruction along the gulf coast. Nevertheless, I think it important to put a few words out there. You never know who's reading or who is listening, so let me throw in my ten cents.