We can safely say that cremation is here to stay. With an annual growth rate of 1.5 – 3% across the U.S. and an upswing in direct-to consumer e-commerce platforms, it’s no wonder that traditional funeral homes are feeling a financial pinch when it comes to the overall decrease in revenue per funeral.
Brittany Lawrence Teaster is a 37-year-old funeral director and office manager at Boone Family Memorial Home in West Jefferson, North Carolina.
“It’s hard to deal with a loss of a loved one when cops are sitting here with radar guns. Thanks for the consideration guys!”
“Thank you for offering such a wonderful resource for people like myself who are grieving to know I am not alone in this journey. I look forward to our next grief support group meeting." - Ann
Think this has nothing to do with your funeral home since you are not a pet funeral provider? Think again. Offering this service can gain your funeral home free publicity, forge partnerships within your community and build a list of grateful humans who see your funeral home as a supportive place to turn to.
OGR prides itself on being a place where our members can connect with one another to share ideas and spur each other on to better serve their communities, but it’s also a place where our members forge personal connections that extend beyond the funeral home.
I'm looking forward to seeing you this year at OGR's Annual Conference! Our board and staff have worked to offer virtual connection opportunities in the three years since our last in-person meeting to help keep our connections strong, but I am excited that we will finally have the opportunity to step outside the Zoom box and see each other again in the flesh.
Register for a three day race with multiple educational pit stops along the way! Take the time to reunite with colleagues and friends for the first time since the pandemic started, while delving into topics that focus on leadership and innovation. PLUS the schedule allows ample time for networking and idea-sharing amongst peers.
OGR's monthly feature previewing education, events and other opportunities coming up over the next three months.
Say hello to Amy Waninger! Join us in May at OGR's Annual Conference to hear her speak on how you can "move from panic to purpose" in your own business even as the funeral profession changes more rapidly than ever before.
Express Funeral Funding is thrilled to announce the launch of their new website, www.expressfuneralfunding.com. The new platform provides a sleek, leading-edge design, coupled with impeccable functionality and a comprehensive overview of the expansive services Express Funeral Funding offers.
OGR's monthly feature previewing education, events and other opportunities coming up over the next three months.
The Messenger Company is pleased to announce the acquisition of Bass-Mollett Publishers. The acquisition brings together the funeral industry’s two leading stationery providers - both of which are OGR supply partners - whose combined product line, personalization options and technology solutions will create the broadest product platforms available for funeral homes.
OGR's monthly feature previewing education, events and other opportunities coming up over the next three months.
Not that many years ago, coffee only came in regular and decaf, and most households had a choice between just three television channels. The world has changed tremendously. Consumers now expect everything to be readily available, delivered overnight, in any color they desire, regardless of what they are buying. Amazon and Starbucks created these expectations and now consumers desire instant gratification. If we think we can serve the needs of the 78 million Baby Boomers and their families in the same way we served their parents, then we are whistling past the graveyard.
With last year’s winter COVID spike pushing the entire funeral profession to the brink, ASD – Answering Service for Directors spent the majority of 2021 preparing for the next big wave. For the leading funeral home answering service, planning ahead in the pandemic age requires the company to build up its workforce to ensure the call volume does not exceed staffing levels. After a major company-wide shift toward remote work, ASD is now fully staffed and ready to confront the next potential COVID surge. Despite a recent increase in call volume, over the past 30 days, less than 3% of incoming calls to ASD have been placed on hold.
The Order of the Golden Rule Foundation is excited to announce it has significantly expanded its Awards of Excellence scholarship program.
Ladies and gentlemen: Start your engines! Join us in Indianapolis May 15 - 17 for the return of OGR's Annual Conference!
Alexandra "Allie" J. Caselli is a 24-year-old licensed funeral director & embalmer at Leete-Stevens Family Funeral Homes and Crematory in Enfield, Connecticut.
Jeremy Field of CPJ Field in the UK was recognized for his vital contribution to the funeral sector over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
