As the seasons change and spring arrives, it’s the perfect time to refresh and reorganize your funeral home. Spring cleaning for your funeral home business isn’t just about tidying up. It’s an opportunity to refresh operations, improve customer service and enhance your reputation.
From updating customer records to deep cleaning carpets, here’s a comprehensive spring cleaning checklist with tips to revitalizing your funeral home this season.
Freshen up your facilities
1. Deep clean
Dust or vacuum interior surfaces, including furniture, decorative moldings, handrails, curtains and air vents. Clean and disinfect heavy-traffic areas like bathrooms and kitchens. Wash windows inside and out and consider steam cleaning your carpets or repolishing your hard-surface floors. Pay special attention to the chapel, viewing room and family space to offer a clean, comforting environment. Looking for more spring cleaning tips? Check out this spring cleaning checklist.
2. Refresh the exterior of your property
Ensure that each visitor’s first impression of your property is inviting and well-maintained. This includes everything from raking leaves, planting new flowers and pruning shrubs or bushes to fixing cracks in the sidewalk and pressure-washing the siding. General upkeep of any outdoor spaces helps maintain the dignity and beauty of your funeral home’s natural surroundings.
3. Update décor and signage
Refresh faux floral arrangements, replace worn-out furnishings and update signage inside or outside your building that might need a facelift. Swap out old photos or outdated decorative elements.
4. Conduct and schedule inspections and repairs
Check your HVAC system, plumbing and lighting to ensure seamless operations. Schedule regular maintenance tasks with professional technicians and replace filters, batteries or other items that need to be changed annually.
5. Review inventory
Dispose of outdated supplies, sort and document quantities of regular supplies and replenish essential items (like folders, register books, etc.).
Organize business records and files
1. Review and update customer records
Ensure preneed and at-need files are accurate and well-organized. Digitize paper records, if possible.
2. Scrub your email database
Don’t worry — there’s no manual scrubbing involved here! “Scrubbing” contacts in your database simply means taking the time to review the contact information, fix any errors, clean up or remove outdated contacts, add new customer information, etc. If your current database system becomes too cumbersome to manage, consider implementing a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Maintaining an accurate customer database helps improve your email marketing deliverability, boosts engagement and ultimately ensures your messages reach the right audience, maximizing your impact.
3. Audit financials
Reconcile accounts and review and address outstanding invoices. Ensure tax documents are in order and completed for the filing deadline in early spring.
4. Update licensing and compliance paperwork
Verify that necessary funeral director licenses, permits and local requirements are current. Ensure you’ve met your continuing education (CE) requirements, which vary by state. Homesteaders offers convenient and online continuing education courses twice a year — sign up for our sessions offered in April or December!
Enhance your digital presence and marketing efforts
1. Review your contact information online
Look over your staff bios and check that the contact form and information is accurate on your website. Do a quick Google search for your business and see what shows up! Make sure that your address and contact information in your Google business listing is correct and complete.
Looking for a way to increase your Google rating? Elevia’s award-winning text-based aftercare program makes it easy to gather reviews from satisfied client families.
2. Refresh your website
Look at your website through a customer’s lens. Is it visually appealing and does it match your brand? Ensuring your website is well-organized and mobile friendly helps build trust in your brand and provides a positive first impression for families looking for funeral planning information online.
Are you able to easily navigate through the pages and find the information and resources you might need? Consider offering online funeral planning information through eFuneral. eFuneral’s digital storefront integrates seamlessly with your website, serving as an extension of your brand. It creates a guided experience for consumers, allowing them to research, select and ultimately purchase an arrangement online.
3. Create a marketing plan
A comprehensive marketing plan can help you target the right consumers in your community with the right messaging at the right time. If you don’t already have a marketing plan in place, discover steps for developing a plan that will connect you with more preneed and at-need families, positioning your firm for growth.
4. Assess your social media presence
Review your firm’s social media accounts. Does one platform consistently outperform another? Social media requires regular, if not daily, effort to maintain. If you find it difficult to keep up with your social media presence on multiple platforms, consider directing your efforts into the social media channels that deliver the best results.
Evaluate and plan for future business growth
1. Identify growth opportunities
Review call volumes, customer feedback and financial reports to determine areas for improvement or expansion.
2. Plan facility renovations
First impressions are important in setting the tone for a family's experience at your funeral home. Well-maintained facilities reflect professionalism and care.
Consider renovations that create a welcoming and comforting environment for families, helping them feel at ease from the time they walk through your doors. Thoughtful updates, such as upgraded seating and modern amenities, can enhance their experience. Investing in technology like livestreaming services or interactive memorial displays can improve your service offerings and meet the evolving needs of today’s families.
3. Budget for staffing needs
Assess workload demands and plan for new hires, if necessary. Consider the balance between full-time and part-time staff, as well as the need for specialized roles such as grief counselors or preneed sales professionals to enhance service offerings.
4. Strengthen community engagement efforts
Organize community events such as grief support groups, lunch and learn events or open houses to foster community connections.
Spring cleaning your funeral home is more than a seasonal chore — it’s an investment in your business’s success and the families you serve. By refreshing your facility, organizing records, updating your marketing efforts and identifying areas for growth, you set the stage for a productive and prosperous year.
What are some ways you're spring cleaning in your funeral home business? Drop ideas in the comments below!
