Homesteaders Blog

2024 Ins and Outs for Funeral Professionals

You may have seen “ins” and “outs” lists floating around the internet, and we thought the funeral profession could use a list, too! This list is all about what is “in” for 2024 – what will challenge us in good ways and what we will carry into this new year, and what is “out” – or what we will leave behind in 2023 and do better in 2024. Be sure to add your own ins and outs for funeral professionals in the comment section below!

4 Focus Areas for Your Funeral Home Business in 2024

The start of a new year is an opportunity to set goals for business growth for the next 12 months – and beyond. Looking ahead to opportunities for the future, we have compiled a list of four key focus areas to work on and pay attention to this year.

5 Book Recommendations for Funeral Directors

Funeral directors play a crucial role in guiding individuals through one of life's most challenging experiences - grief. To excel in this compassionate profession, continuous learning is key. We did some research among staff and through thousands of online reviews to suggest five books for funeral directors or morticians. Below you will find five recommendations, each with the possibility of bringing unique value to your professional and personal lives.

Top 5 Blog Posts for Funeral Professionals in 2023

As we close out another year, we’re grateful for our Homesteaders Blog readers and the time you’ve dedicated to learning how to better serve client families and improve your business. In 2023, we dove into solutions to boost creativity and increase your community’s awareness about your funeral home’s services. While there are many great posts from the past year, we’ve identified these five popular posts that are worth another look as we enter 2024.

Efficiency Strategies for Funeral Homes Managing Multiple Locations

Managing multiple funeral home locations can present unique challenges, but with the right strategies it's possible to streamline operations and provide seamless support to grieving families in your communities.

Productivity and Task Automation Tools for Funeral Professionals

Digital tools are a great way to help with time management and productivity so you can spend your time doing what you truly value: serving client families. These tools include ways to increase efficiency for project management, marketing, communication within the team and day-to-day operations.

How Your Funeral Home Can Provide Solutions for Preneed Clients

The most successful companies often build a loyal customer base, at least in part, because of one very simple idea: They solve problems for the people they serve. Not only do they solve those problems, but they also clearly share why their offerings can provide the highest satisfaction in the process.

3 Common Missed Opportunities to Increase Preneed Sales

You provide exceptional service and support to each family you serve, but do you have what it takes to build the same meaningful connections with everyone in your community, and do you have the time to do so?

Funeral providers that have an active preneed program aim to generate quality leads by casting a wide net in their community. However, this process takes time, and you often need to nurture these individuals over a longer period until they feel ready to prearrange their own funeral. In fact, 29% of respondents to our latest policy owner survey reported that it took two years or more from the time they first learned about prearranging until they finalized and made their own arrangements.

Keep reading to discover three common opportunities funeral providers miss when trying to capture more preneed sales.

Trends to Watch for Your Funeral Home Business

Business owners and managers have constant access to new information about trends in consumer demographics and preferences that have the potential to impact major decisions. One of the biggest challenges is simply prioritizing and sifting through the data to analyze what it could mean for your firm.

4 Ways Preneed Can Help Your At-Need Business

We already know that a robust preneed program is a valuable part of any funeral business. Not only does it help ensure the long-term security of your firm, but it also provides a service that families really want and need.