I seem to have a penchant for joining fights that aren't mine. Not long ago I was presenting a seminar on dress and decorum to funeral directors at a large state convention. Several women asked for my opinion on wearing pants. Frankly, I hadn't thought about it so I didn't have one. Since then, I [...]
A lot of my readers are curious about what their business is worth but aren't yet ready for a full valuation. They just want an idea. Well, as you can imagine that gets kind of messy. There are a lot of moving parts in a valuation; but if you just want an educated guess click [...]
Uhhh...NO! I got an email from Harvard Business Review today. It invited me to take an assessment on innovation readiness for my company. Instead, I took it as if I worked for all of funeral service as I know and experience it. The results weren't surprising but still disturbing. I did my best to be [...]
A client and friend of mine recently spent days revising the staff schedule to be more efficient and effective. He took great pains to think about its impact on staff and did his best to devise a plan that would work best for the funeral home AND create the least inconvenience for his staff. After [...]
Last week's blog sparked a lively conversation on and offline about clothing. From those conversations I think it might help to add one more insight. It was 1989. George H.W. Bush was president. I had just come from a podiatrist because my feet were in constant pain. I have flat feet. My prescription: wear only [...]
Alan Creedy CPA "My name is Alan and I am overweight!" Last week I was shocked when someone said to me, "Alan, you are always well dressed and so professional looking." It really took me aback. I certainly don't see myself that way. But I DO see myself as a professional who has [...]
What happened to social etiquette? You spend a couple of million dollars on a new building and you let the public be disappointed the moment they enter the door. I visit a lot of funeral homes and the experience ranges from abysmal to glorious with a whole lot more on the abysmal side than the [...]
The Hawthorne effect occurs when individuals modify or improve an aspect of their behavior in response to their awareness of being observed. The concept is more simple than it sounds. People change their behavior when they are being observed. Where this applies to casket merchandising is subtle but important. The profession has come to rely on a [...]
Most people in the funeral profession are almost pathologically averse to confrontation. As a result, the predominant internal culture in funeral homes is Passive Aggressive. If you have been a subscriber for long you know I have a personal issue with what I call the "Ten Call Tyrant". He or she is that individual you [...]
You're here...NOW WHAT! There are more ways to transition a business than just selling to a consolidator. You can transition fast and you can transition slow. You can plan to have your kids succeed you or your employees or another funeral home operator. But the one entity you want to protect yourself from is the [...]
