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The Curse of the 25% Casket Wholesale Discount
So, it’s not my hunt…not even my dog; but I just hate being played. A few weeks ago I was working with a client in the Midwest: 50 to 60 calls 30 – 35 caskets sold a year He was so proud of himself....
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Lest You Misunderstand
politically incorrect photo Last week’s post was about casket discounting. I just want to make myself clear. I still meet people who believe their salvation is in the selection room. They even have...
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Check Their Math! How The Herd Instinct Works In Funeral Service
WARNING! This is not about caskets! A couple of decades ago I was visiting with 3 funeral home owner friends. They were discussing among themselves that the expensive makeovers of their selection...
View ArticleServe more families, work less and be more profitable
Staff shortages among licensed professions have been successfully addressed by changing the model in the medical and legal professions. The solution is simple: focus skilled licensed staff on the...
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Creedy & McQueen Earn Exit Planning Certification
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...
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Confronting Passive Aggressive Behavior at Work.
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...
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Casket Merchandising and The Hawthorne Effect
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...
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This Is What I Would Tell My Staff
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...
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A Fat Man Dresses For Work
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...
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The Lesson of the $300 Shoes
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...
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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...
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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...
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Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation
I think it is fitting to celebrate Thanksgiving by reading Lincoln’s original Thanksgiving Proclamation with my family. Here it is in its entirety: By the President of the United States of America A...
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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...
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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...
View ArticleMerry 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.
View ArticleUniversal 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...
View ArticlePart 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...
View ArticlePart 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...
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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...
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