To some, managing a cemetery or funeral home seems to be a fairly simple task. However, compared to many service businesses, cemeteries and funeral service providers face extraordinary challenges, the greatest of which is the risk becoming irrelevant within the next thirty years.
Since the opening of the first planned landscaped cemetery in the early 1800s, cemeteries have been custodians of history. More recently, with growth of cremation and green burial, which do not necessarily translate to the cemetery as a final resting place, the public has more frequently chosen non-cemetery options to memorialize their loved ones.
Funeral providers, as well, have disregarded the consumer's longing for something different and more meaningful. A recent response has been add-ons such as memory boards, personalized casket lids, and memorial DVDs. Not that these new offerings are not important, but consumers have demonstrated they want more than just "things" to make a funeral an important event and a true rite of passage.
The Johnson-Woodford Company, a management consulting begun in 1980, has wide experience in helping cemeteries and funeral service business's improve performance. This Blog is dedicated to sharing our experience and thinking about how to improve your performance. We hope you find the information useful and high value for your time invested reading.
Johnson-Woodford, management consultants to the deathcare industry
Postscript
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