Families in your community come to you for their funeral service needs but often, they need more than a service provider — they need guidance in all areas of end-of-life care. They may have experience with end-of-life planning, or this may all be new. Whatever their situation, you and your team have the expertise to guide your community through the processes and the numerous options along their planning journey — and to educate them along the way.

Why education builds trust in your community.

Positioning your team as end-of-life educators helps you connect to families on a deeper level, dispels myths about funeral planning and builds a legacy of trust. This not only supports community awareness of the funeral profession but also strengthens your funeral home’s leadership in the end-of-life space.

Establish expertise through community engagement.

To show your community the value of preplanning and to establish your expertise on this topic, consider leading community workshops. You can hold these workshops at your funeral home during a convenient time for your community — such as over a lunch hour or after work hours. You could also consider hosting a workshop in a separate location, such as your local library, city hall or a designated event space.

In our free digital toolkits, you’ll find editable materials including slide decks, postcard templates and handouts that make it easy to host events that engage your audience. Download the toolkits today to start informing families and building rapport between you and your community. Discover even more in this guide to using the community workshop toolkit.

Build your online presence. 

Ninety-two percent of people from the Baby Boomer generation shop for goods and services online, and nearly half of the same generation will visit a company’s website after seeing their content on social media. With such a vast population searching for services online, it’s important to meet people where they are.

You have plenty of digital platforms to choose from when educating your community — including creating content for blog posts, videos and social media. These spaces allow you to share long- or short-form content and images to help build a crucial online presence.

Encourage your staff to contribute their own expertise on end-of-life topics through answering frequently asked questions, sharing grief support resources and funeral planning tips. Discover more about why your online presence matters.

Create a culture of continued learning.

Professional development for you and your team is key to growing your own knowledge and staying up to date on the latest funeral professional trends and information.

You can make continued learning part of your firm’s team culture by starting a team book club, attending training webinars and funding certification opportunities for your employees. When your entire team learns, your client families benefit.

How to find professional development for funeral professionals.

Homesteaders offers state‑approved continuing education courses designed for funeral professionals who want to stay up to date, deepen their expertise and meet licensing requirements. These courses include interactive, online webinars that allow you and your team to learn without stepping away far away from daily responsibilities.

If you prefer in-person classes, Homesteaders also offers preneed training a few times each year. Sign up to be notified about our 2026 classes.

When you and your team share professional knowledge and educate your community, your connection to your community deepens and your business becomes a trusted and compassionate space. Whether your team hosts community events, offers caring guidance online or continues their own education, families will more likely turn to you repeatedly — because they trust your expertise.