CREMATION OPTIONS

Small business owners are very consistent in how they respond to challenges.  Typically, they are pragmatic when answering urgent situations - whether it’s a business opportunity or threat. A prime example is a funeral home owner’s attitude toward facilities.  With a close eye on the maintenance of their existing facilities, owners often take action long before a physical weakness becomes a major problem. They see beyond the scope of work. Growing neighborhoods are seen as potential locations for new buildings.  Observing rising ethnic populations become routines to build community contacts and gain an edge on future business. Small businesses however, typically do not respond well to long-term challenges.  We watch a situation unfold for many years without taking effective action.  Why?  Because the challenge never rises to a level of urgency. Funeral home owners have watched the cremation rate rise from a small 2 percent to 5, 10, 20 - and even 50 percent in varying markets.  But with the increase, some owners not taken a pragmatic approach to resolving the problem?  It’s a challenge that cannot be resolved quickly. To become a cremation-oriented funeral home, you need a sustained focus.  Every facet of the funeral firm’s operation is critical - including staff training, arrangement procedures, first call, promotional efforts and messages, safety and operational procedures, and cremation costs.  You have to make structural changes in a funeral home’s business to make cremation a constructive product.  One way to get there is with a 10-point cremation audit. When auditing a business, the auditor will have a checklist.  Evaluate your firm based on this audit with the objective of determining whether your firm is oriented to cremation.  (There are many operational issues that should be addressed in becoming a cremation-oriented funeral business, but they fall outside this scope.)

5-Point Cremation Audit:

1. Incorporate the word cremation or crematory in the name of your firm.  Its not necessary to go any further with the audit if this hasn’t been accomplished.  It’s impossible to imagine a funeral home name that doesn’t include either funeral or mortuary, neither of which tells the consumer the business serves cremation families.  MKJ Marketing polled individuals to identify if specific funeral homes provide cremation services for funeral homes nationally.  Results state roughly 35 percent of consumers responded that they are not certain.  Another 10 percent indicated they are absolutely certain the mentioned funeral home does not provide cremation services.  How many consumers in your community are not positive your firm provides cremation services?
2. Designate at least one funeral director as the cremation arrangement specialist.  Most funeral homes have ore-need counselors, aftercare counselors and first-call technicians.  Many larger firms divide their licensed staff between embalmers and arrangers.  And most funeral homes have a particular person just to do hair.  Why would we expect every arranger on staff to be equally knowledgeable and capable at making cremation arrangements?
3. Install a crematory.  Regardless of state laws, no funeral business would attempt to operate without embalming capability.  A funeral home operating its own crematory will increase volume.  Above all, consumers are willing to pay more for cremation services when they know the firm provides comprehensive service.
4. Conduct regular consumer cremation seminars.  Invite the public in to inspect your crematory.  Ask questions and learn about memorial options available with cremation.
5. Add cremation advertisements to your marketing mix.  Cremation advertising does not promote cremation as a form of disposition; it promotes services and products as a means of tribute.  Targeted advertising attracts business while educating consumers of their service options and facilitating the arrangement.  A funeral home that does not advertise will not get its share of the cremation business.  Families preferring cremation are not traditional funeral home customers.  Because they are uncharacteristic, they’re unlikely to read obituaries. Cremation advertising must run on non-traditional media.

Cremation, Cremation Options, Cremation Urns, History, Laws, News, cremation casket, cremation jewelry Cremains, Cremation, cremation jewelry, Cremation Options, Cremation Remains, Cremation Services, cremation urn, funeral, funeral plans, funeral service, memorial service, Religion, Scattering Ashes