What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do
Every once in a while you run across something that is so sound that you can't improve on it. This advice from Daniel Pink is one of those. Watch this 81 second video and you will see what I mean.
Merchandising Rental Caskets
I like the approach demonstrated in the attached picture. My friend, David Storke, shows this wicker green burial casket on top of his rental. He tells me that he no longer has any trouble explaining "combustible" caskets to his families, the wicker casket is a great conversation piece (he has sold 2 for "green" burial) [...]
Part 3: The Owner Is Ready
Maybe you are anxious to exit your business. Or perhaps you dread the day you will no longer be involved. Either way for a successful business transfer you need to be ready. It has been my experience that when people think they are ready and even eager to exit the business they have only given [...]
Part 2: The Business Is Ready
I have lived in my house for 30+ years and we are getting ready to sell and move closer to my daughter and her family. I have two goals: Sell for top dollar Sell quickly So we are getting it ready by repainting it and updating a few odds and ends. Not more than we [...]
Universal Requirements For Successful Family Transition
There are 3 Universal requirements for a successful family business transfer: A competent successor The Business is ready The owner is ready Part 1 - A Competent Successor A successor is competent when they have demonstrated both the ability and willingness to run the business. For most small businesses however this is a major challenge. Yes [...]
Merry Christmas
The message at the end of this video is the message I pray all my friends and family will embrace. Merry Christmas to ALL.
Should Women Wear Pant Suits?
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 [...]
Thumbnail: What’s It Worth?
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 [...]
Is Funeral Service Ready For Innovation?
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 [...]
Employee Pushback – A Strategy
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 [...]