What Independent Funeral Home Owners Need to Know

The Harsh Reality: What Many Funeral Home Owners Overlook in Their Marketing

In the funeral profession, an alarming reality is emerging—one that reveals what many funeral home owners are neglecting in their marketing efforts. In a recent eye-opening interview, industry veteran Ash Curtis and marketing expert Michele Fagan had an in-depth discussion that shed light on what’s missing in the strategies of many family owned funeral businesses.

Ash Curtis: The Wake-Up Call

Ash Curtis, a prominent figure in the funeral profession with a background in corporate giants like SCI, Stewart Enterprises and ParkLawn, has a message. He left the corporate consolidators to establish Family Owned Funeral Group, emphasizing personalization, autonomy, and community engagement as core values. Ash delivers a wake-up call, stating, “Many owners take their eye off the ball when it comes to marketing, risking the legacy of family-owned funeral homes. The truth is, this is the only way a family-owned business can sustain itself is to put everything into marketing.” Yet, this vital aspect is often overlooked. It directly affects the value of a family-owned business.

Michele Fagan: Executing a Strategy

Michele Fagan, owner of Outcompete Marketing, is renowned for her expertise in developing personalized marketing strategies for independent funeral homes. She shares her experiences with Ash—”Independent owners are too busy and pulled in too many directions to focus on marketing. This puts them at an immediate disadvantage because corporate firms have dedicated marketing departments and enormous budgets. Independent owners need an effective strategy that makes sense for their business, their budgets, and their markets.”