THE INDEPENDENT

THE INDEPENDENT
REPORTER
Spring 2014
the 2014 ifdf annual conference
register online at ifdf.org
or call 850-224-7775
IN THIS ISSUE
The President's Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Executive Director's Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4
A Message from the IFDF Legislative Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Legislative Day Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11
2014 Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Futures Panel Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Alan Creedy's Are You a Change Champion? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Robin Heppell's Are You Giving Your Website Visitors the Facebook - Website Runaround? . 16
Ryan Thogmartin's 7 Deadly Mistakes Funeral Homes Make on Social Media . . . . . . . . 17
Creamation Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
The Value of an IFDF Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Embalming Seminar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Stacy Adams Elected ICCFA Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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2014 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
APRIL
AUGUST
April 3 – 497 Board Meeting, Jacksonville
August 7 – 497 Board Meeting, Orlando
MAY
SEPTEMBER
May 1 – 497 Board Teleconference
September 4 – 497 Board Teleconference
May 14 – IFDF/FCCFA Embalming Seminar
September 10-12 – IFDF Leadership Retreat, Crystal River
JUNE
OCTOBER
June 4-7 – IFDF Annual Conference, Kissimmee
Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista South
October 2 – 497 Board Meeting, Tampa
June 5 – 497 Board Teleconference
June 7 – IFDF Board of Directors, Kissimmee
June 26 – 497 Board Meeting, Tallahassee
JULY
NOVEMBER
November 6 – 497 Board Teleconference
DECEMBER
December 4 – 497 Board Meeting, Tallahassee
July 10 – 497 Board Teleconference
2
Independent Funeral Directors of Florida
Phone: (850) 222-0198
Fax: (850) 425-5268
I-Trust: (800) 386-8778
www.ifdf.org
The President's Message
Doug Hasley, IFDF President
peggy1221@aol.com
We are in the middle of the busiest part of our
IFDF year. Our annual Legislative Day event
brought a great group of our members to
Tallahassee and this continues to solidify our
presence in the Capital. I know many of you
have never had the opportunity to participate
in this event but I strongly encourage you
to make the trip to our State Capitol to see
first-hand how our political process works.
Most of us remember how this organization
started when a group of Independent Funeral
Directors got together on their own to insure
they had a voice in matters affecting our
businesses. During our second annual visit
to Tallahassee we decided to host a barbecue
lunch in order to get the attention of the
legislators and let them know we were in
town. This year we hosted our 22nd annual
Bradley Sausage Day and it is wonderfully
gratifying to realize how anticipated this
day is. Think about joining us next year and
help us serve and protect this profession we
all love.
Now I'm heading to the finish line on my year
as your president. Our Annual Conference is
coming up shortly and that's where I turn over
my gavel. I will never be able to effectively
share my full measure of the gratitude for
the opportunity you have given me. Before
I was sworn in as president, I sat down and
listed specific goals that I would work on
and then prioritized them because I wanted
to accomplish as much as I could. Like every
president who preceded me, I wanted to
continue to work to build and strengthen
IFDF and I wanted to make sure that IFDF
reflected the values that uniquely define the
Independent Funeral Director and I wanted
to build on our recent accomplishments. This
past year has given me the opportunity to
rediscover how valuable and important this
organization really is.
Last year Barrett Nelson, working closely
with our Executive Director, Mark
O'Connell, initiated a plan to bring the
entire leadership team together on a regular
basis with the hope that this would better
engage the future presidents and provide
each of them the opportunity to lay the
ground work for their own presidency while
creating tremendous continuity from year to
year. I have continued that practice and I'm
confident it will continue to be our model of
governing this association. While its natural
for any new leader to have ideas and priorities
of his own, it's so much more effective if
there's continuity of ideas and priorities from
one president to the next.
Notices have already started going out for
22nd annual IFDF conference. I realize how
difficult it is to find time to get away from
your businesses but I'm asking you to look
at this year's program and seriously consider
participating. Our theme this year is: "There
is an "I" in Teamwork: IFDF". Our focus this
year is the future of the funeral business.
Take a look at the conference agenda and I'm
sure you'll see how valuable this can be to you
and to the perpetuation of our profession.
More information on the conference is
available in other parts of this newsletter so
please take the time to read it and consider
the opportunity.
God bless you all and thank you for giving me
this opportunity.
Discover where your business is
headed... A Panel Discussion: The
Future of the Funeral Business,
Thursday, June 5, 2014.
3
Executive Director's Report
Mark O'Connell, IFDF Executive Director
mark@ifdf.org
It seems as if so much is happening right
now – probably because it is. We just
completed our annual Legislative Day
and we had a great turnout. There were a
number of new faces in attendance and the
energy and enthusiasm was fantastic. Take
a few minutes to read Howard Beckham's
report to see what we accomplished.
The 2014 IFDF directory should be in your
hands by the time you're reading this and I
hope you like the way it looks. As always,
please let us know if you'd like to see
anything added or changed in our directory.
This year we've added a digital version of
the directory to accommodate those of you
who prefer the virtual world.
For the first time in memory we reached
out to the Mortuary Schools in Florida
by visiting each one and talking with
students and staff, sharing information
about IFDF. This was one of Doug Hasley's
priorities when he became president and
he and the IFDF Leadership Team made
each visit a resounding success. We had a
tremendous reception and ended up adding
over 60 students as new IFDF Student
Members. We're going to do a much better
job of outreach to these students and help
them understand the opportunities that
are available working with working with
independent funeral homes. I know you'll
start to see more students at IFDF events,
4
starting with our Annual Conference. I
expect our visit to these schools will become
a permanent part of our annual agenda.
It's probably a good thing to step back every
once in a while and remind ourselves why
IFDF is here. Most of you remember that
IFDF formed after a group of Independent
Funeral Directors banded together to
lobby against legislation they felt would be
harmful to their profession. It may have been
that group that first got together but IFDF
was started for something bigger: IFDF was
founded for the purpose of promoting and
protecting the values and high standards of
decency, compassion and ethical conduct
that define the Independent Funeral Home.
With that in mind, we continue to look for
ways to help you succeed. Even though each
of your businesses is unique, it's likely that
it's a different business today than it was a
few years ago. It's even more likely that it
will continue to change.
At the IFDF Annual Conference this June
we're going to take a look at how your
businesses have changed and how they'll
likely look in the future. We'll open the
conference with a discussion group talking
about: "The Future of Death Care". We
have five individuals who make their living
by knowing the trends in the Death Care
field who will share their insight with you
and follow that up by helping you develop
practices and strategies to succeed. We
know it's not that simple or easy but we also
know that every good plan starts with good
information. Despite your busy schedules
and all of the conflicting choices for your
free time, we believe this may be the best
choice you'll ever make. Take a look at the
conference information in this newsletter
and I think you'll agree.
Our goal for the conference hasn't changed.
We want a trade show that offers you real
savings and significant incentives. We want
classes and programs that you want and
need and that you can't get anywhere else as
easily and as inexpensively or as good as the
ones we offer. And, we want to provide an
environment that makes your experience
as comfortable and as enjoyable as possible.
There's no reason why saving money and
learning can't also be FUN. Now all we
have to do is fill in the blanks and we'll have
an event you won't want to miss. The 22nd
Annual IFDF Conference and Tradeshow –
June 4th thru the 7th - at the Embassy Suites
Orlando – Lake Buena Vista South.
Once again, thanks for giving me this
opportunity to work with you and on
your behalf.
The Horizon
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5
A Message from the IFDF Legislative Committee
Howard Beckham is the current IFDF President-elect and Chairman of the IFDF Legislative Committee.
Howard works at the Craig Funeral Home in St Augustine.
All of our activities throughout the year
set the stage for our big day in Tallahassee
– The Annual IFDF Legislative Day and
our traditional Bradley's Sausage Day at the
Capitol. I'm sure you realize by now that not
everything that happens in Tallahassee is
career threatening but that doesn't mean our
role isn't important. On a daily basis, it's the
little things piled together than define our
jobs and perhaps the most important thing
we do on your behalf is to monitor those
little things with the indispensable help of
our legislative consultants: Juhan, Pat, and
Corrine Mixon from Mixon & Associates.
We try to make sure rules aren't changed or
added that will cost you more time or money,
especially when they don't make anything
better. Typically our biggest successes are
preventing something from happening.
So how impressive do you think our
resume looks when it says: "2014 – Nothing
bad happened"?
Well, so far nothing bad has happened.
Our discussion on legislation started at
last year's Leadership Retreat where we
reviewed several probable legislative issues,
determined what our position on each
would be and then developed strategies to
address them. There had been talk about the
possibility the current death care regulations
would be allowed to sunset
6
and new regulations would be written
from scratch. We strongly opposed this and
have taken every opportunity since then to
discourage this from happening – it did not
happen. The only other issue that generated
a lot of discussion was the bill backed by the
Florida Catholic Conference to increase the
limits on the size of a cemetery qualifying for
regulatory exemptions by religious groups,
expanding the maximum size from 5 acres to
60 acres – more than ten times larger.
The Catholic Church's proposal to increase
the limits on religious owned cemeteries
from 5 acres to 60 acres is a concern. (To
clarify, any change in legislation would
apply to all qualified religious groups so
this is not a church specific bill.) First of
all, the increase to 60 acres is difficult to
comprehend, especially if the increase is
solely for the purpose of needing room to
accommodate future demand. It would
seem that a much smaller number would
accomplish that. We reached out to church
representatives to see if they could provide
a justification for the bigger number but we
were unable to get an answer. We remained
steadfast in our opposition to any increase
over the current limits. Any cemetery, no
matter the size, competes with every other
cemetery in a given area for business and
whenever one cemetery has relief from taxes
and the expense of complying with other
regulatory requirements it creates an unfair
competitive advantage.
We developed a position paper supporting
our concerns and, during our Legislative
Day program we hand delivered this to
every Representative and Senator's office
and spoke directly about this with several of
them. I met with Christopher Emmanuel,
the House Regulatory Affairs Committee
Analyst to discuss this and followed that up
with a detailed letter sharing our concerns.
Mark O'Connell followed our meeting with
CFO Atwater with a letter reinforcing the
discussion we had in his office. And, finally,
Juhan and Corrine Mixon worked closely
with the House Leadership and Insurance
and Banking Committee members to
convince them to vote against this bill. On
March 25th this bill was presented to the
House Insurance and Banking Committee
and was rejected – effectively killing it.
Nothing bad happened – again.
One final reminder: This is your association.
Let us know what we can do for you and
share whatever concerns you may have.
It's likely that whatever bothers you is also
bothering someone else but we can't fix it
without knowing what it is. We look forward
to hearing from you.
7
2014 Legislative Day
8
9
10
2014 Legislative Day (cont'd)
Learn more about the opportunities
that tomorrow's environment will
bring...A Panel Discussion: The
Future of the Funeral Business,
Thursday, June 5, 2014.
This isn't your grandfather's business anymore: see how
changed...A Panel Discussion: The Future of the Funera
Business, Thursday, June 5, 2014.
11
Register
online at
www.ifdf.org
or
call 850-224-7775
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Panel Discussion:
THE FUTURE OF THE
FUNERAL BUSINESS
at the IFDF Annual Conference, Thursday, June 5, 2014
The future isn't written – it's a blank page waiting for you to write your story.
Five industry leaders will discuss the state of the funeral business and share their
thoughts on where it is headed. This is your best opportunity to gain valuable insight
and to build strategies to survive and succeed – to make your story count.
The panelists will answer questions at the end of their presentation – if you have a question,
please send it to IFDF so we can try to include it: Mark@IFDF.ORG
ALAN CREEDY is one of the most highly
sought after consultants to the "Death-Care"
industry, Alan has served in a number of
key positions within the funeral industry.
He is a former President of the OGR Service
Corporation, the former President of BrownWynne Funeral homes and cemeteries, and
the founder and former President of Trust
100, one of the largest preneed marketing
companies in the nation.
PATRICK COX is the Chief Marketing
Officer, Memorialization for Matthews
International. There is no industry
more directly affected by the increasing
trend towards cremation than the casket
companies. Patrick will share what
Matthews has learned and talk about the
strategies being considered to succeed in
today's market.
RYAN THOGMARTIN is the founder of
ConnectingDirectors.com, the leading online
daily publication for funeral professionals
with a reader base of over 16,000. With
Connecting Directors, Ryan has created a
global community through an online platform
allowing funeral professionals to stay current,
stay informed, and stay elite.
JUSTIN BA XLEY, a second-generation
Funeral Director and the current Chief
Customer Officer for the Foundation
Partners Group is the former President
of Heirs-Baxley Funeral Services and
Highland Memorial Park. Justin is a pastmember of the Florida Board of Funeral,
Cemetery, and Consumer Service and a
current member of the Board's Probable
Cause Panel.
ROBIN HEPPELL is a fourth generation
funeral director who uses his expertise
in technology and pre-need, his formal
business knowledge and his deep-rooted
legacy in the funeral profession to help his
client funeral homes and cemeteries become
more competitive and more profitable while
providing the best possible service for the
families they serve.
Turn today's challenges into
tomorrow's opportunities.
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IN MEMORIAM
Ruth Stepney Buggs
Ruth Stepney Buggs, 86, passed away
December 19, 2013. She is the mother
of IFDF Member Bruce Buggs, Buggs
Funeral Home, Melbourne.
Clarence E. Harden
Clarence E. Harden, 84, of Eustis,
passed away Wednesday, February 12,
2014. Born and raised in Montverde,
he was a lifelong resident of Lake
County. He attended and graduated
from the Cincinnati College of
Embalming in 1954. He and Albert
Layton co-founded Layton Harden
Funeral Home of Eustis in 1958,
becoming Harden/Pauli Funeral
Home in 1982. He served his country
in the US Army during Korea.
He is survived by his wife of 54
years, Dorothy A. Harden, Eustis; 2
daughters, Kathy L. Walker (Bruce
Williams), Lake Mary, Ann Maria
Share (Kevin), Eustis; 3 brothers,
David Harden, Montverde, Roddy
Harden, Shelby, NC, Joe Harden,
Umatilla; 2 sisters, Jean Gonzales,
Montverde,
Linda
Harden,
Montverde; grandson, Carter Allen
Naisbett, Eustis. He was preceded in
death by his brother, Carey Harden
and sister, Laverne McCarthy.
Memorial donations may be made to
Bay Street Baptist Church Building
Fund, 37181 North SR 19, Umatilla,
FL 32784.
William F. "Bill" Holt
William F. "Bill" Holt of Winter
Haven passed away February 28,
2014. He was December 30, 1927. Bill
was the owner of Lane-Holt Funeral
Home in Haines City and
Ott-Laughlin Funeral Home
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in Winter Haven.
Bill was preceded in death by his
first wife, Eugenia Gibson "Sug"
(Lane) Holt and grandson, William
Gibson "Gib" Holt. He is survived
by his wife, Joan Higgins Holt, his
children, Dave Lane Holt of Winter
Haven, Chris Holt Brown (Hoe) of
Tampa, Lucy Holt Ciaravella (Philip)
of Tallahassee, Kerrin P. Kuhn of
Winter Park, Robert W. Kuhn (Kim)
of Tallahassee and Michael H. Kuhn
of New York;
In lieu of flowers, please make
donations to Good Shepherd Hospice,
105 Arneson Avenue, Auburndale,
Fl. 33823 or the Humane Society of
Polk County, 555 Sage Road, Winter
Haven, FL. 33881.
Damon A. Walker
Damon A. Walker, 75, of Ocala,
passed away at his home March 31,
2014. He served in the US Army
during the Vietnam War, and
graduated from Gupton Jones College
in Dallas, TX in 1964 with a degree in
Mortuary Science. After graduation,
he began a career with Hiers-Baxley
Funeral Services that spanned almost
50 years, beginning in August of 1964
until his death Monday morning.
Memorial contributions in his
memory may be made to Marion
County Kidney Foundation, 2980 SE
3rd Court, Ocala, FL 34471.
Robert Charles Adkins
Robert Charles Adkins,83 died
Friday, April 4, 2014 at his home
after a lengthy illness. He was born
April 21, 1930 in Louisville, Georgia.
He was the first recipient of IFDF's
most prestigious award, the W. Clyde
Lankford Distinguished Service
Award. He was co-owner with his
father and served as general manager
of their funeral home in Folkston,
GA for twenty-two years before
working as a management consultant
in Jacksonville, FL where he retired
in 2010. Bob is survived by his wife
of 34 years, Sylvia Davis Adkins,
his children Kyle and Kathy Adkins,
of Folkston, GA; Mark and Sofia
Shealy, Jennifer Leigh Shealy and
Reba Lynn and Bill Shrewsbury, all
of Jacksonville.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that
donations, in his memory, be made to
Community Hospice of NE Florida
or First United Methodist Church of
Jacksonville.
Dennis Russell Robarts
Dennis Russell Robarts, 62, of
Sarasota, passed away on Saturday,
April 5, 2014 in Sebring. Dennis was
born in Sarasota on October 27, 1951,
moving to Wauchula, Florida in 1997.
He was the owner of Robarts Family
Funeral Home until 2012, retiring for
health reasons. Survivors include his
son and daughter-in-law, Dennis R.
Robarts, II and Summer S. Robarts
of Wauchula; two grandchildren,
Alexandra and Russell Robarts of
Wauchula; four brothers, Donald
Robarts and his wife Denise of
Bradenton, Thomas Robarts and wife
Barb of Sarasota, Henry Robarts of
North Carolina, and Jerry Robarts
of Defuniak Springs; three sisters,
Patricia Robarts of Sarasota, Arlene
Thompson and husband Jack of
Naples, and Anne Marie Hollan and
husband John of Jacksonville.
Are You a Change Champion?
Alan Creedy, Consultant
alan@alancreedy.org
If you are an owner, then part of your job in
these tumultuous times is to BE the change
champion and to develop a base of allies
within your firm. People resist change. We
know that. In his book Leading Change,
retired Harvard professor John Kotter
states: "There is no urgency until at least
75% of a company's management is honestly
convinced that BUSINESS AS USUAL IS
TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE."
There are, in fact, many firms today that
remain in denial that our profession has
changed dramatically and will continue
to change into the foreseeable future. We
cannot help them.
I have lost count of the financial statements
I have analyzed over the last several years.
What strikes me is that virtually all of them
have experienced a three-year decline in
average sale. WORSE, THE OWNERS
WERE UNAWARE. Try it yourself.
Take your total revenue minus any cash
advances (this is your net sales) and divide
that amount by your TOTAL number of
calls for the last three years. My bet is that
the overall average has declined.
While it is only my opinion, it is impossible
for us to continue this trend without
doing SOMETHING! So, what is holding
us back?
An old axiom says: "People will tolerate
the conclusions of their leaders...they
will only act on their own conclusions."
It is not enough to TELL people you have
to change you must create an urgency to
change within your constituency. In other
words we don't take the time to prepare our
constituents and ourselves for change. Like
any other major effort, change can only
succeed on a solid foundation.
my career that the truth is surprisingly
compelling (assuming your people trust
you). A calm well-prepared meeting with
key staff is in order. Panic is not.
Work to craft a vision of success ("Begin
with the end in mind") but begin at the
beginning. Most people decide to change
not because they see change impacting
them but because somebody they trust tells
them so. They then jump into whatever
the latest fad might be (pet cremation is
today's. In my day it was flower shops).
Each owner and each leader has a unique
reality to deal with. So it is incumbent on
YOU to master your own reality and create
your own compelling case.
Here are some facts you might want
to share:
• Over the past 12 years the national
Compound Annual Growth Rate in
cremation is approximately 4.17%.
Notice that up until 2000 cremation
basically absorbed the marginal growth
in deaths. Burials remained flat. Since
then there has been an actual erosion
of burials. Until 2000 cremation was
really only taking the marginal growth
in volume but that changed and now it
is rapidly eating into our main product
line: BURIALS.
• Analyze your own average sale and share
it with them. Ask them what conclusion
about change they draw? What impact
might it have on salaries and size
of staff?
•Invite them to join you in creating
urgency for change and developing an
action plan.
Begin with these questions:
1. Why is change necessary for your firm?
a. Is your average sale declining?
b. Are you losing customers?
c. Do you sense customers want something else?
2. What are the logic and compelling reasons
for change?
a. To remain relevant?
b. To maintain or improve our market position?
c. To survive?
3. How can we create a sense of urgency?
a. Without spooking the horses?
b. Without abandoning hope?
4. How can we say this so employees understand
and see that their futures are intertwined with ours?
a. Can we get them to help row the boat?
5. What are the barriers and implications of change?
a. Financial?
b. Reluctant or uncooperative
family members?
c. Incompetent constituents
6. How can we paint a sensory rich picture
of what success looks like that will energize
our people?
7. Have we incorporated existing values and/
or created new ones that we need to embed in
our culture?
Most people don't want to ask these
questions, but, in my consulting practice I
find that those who are willing to be patient
and go through this type of questioning
and resolution are far and away more likely
to succeed and often set new standards for
themselves and the profession.
Alan Creedy is an industry expert
specializing in helping funeral homes
reinvent themselves and gain new ground.
He can be reached at alan@alancreedy.org.
You can read his entire background and
credentials at alancreedy.org/about.
• BE AUTHENTIC! BE OPEN!
How do you lay that foundation? How do
you convince people that business as usual
is no longer an option? I have found over
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Are You Giving Your Website Visitors
the Facebook – Website Runaround?
Robin Heppell, Funeral Planner & Consultant
heppell.com
In a previous article, I've shared with you
the number one way to get extra traffic
from Facebook – even without having a
Facebook page or profile. If you need a
refresher, all that you do is give your client
families a sheet of paper at the arrangement
conference and a 20 second tutorial on how
to add their loved ones online obituary to
their Facebook profile.
Another issue that has been brought to my
attention is that if someone is using a tablet
such as an iPad mini, these users are getting
redirected to the mobile version of the site
which is a scaled down, less graphically
friendly, website.
Please note that I did not say about sharing
it on your Facebook page – even though you
can do this it will be 10 times less effective
than having the family doing it. The reason
why is that the people following your
Facebook page may know the deceased,
but probably not. On the other hand, the
daughter who shares her father's obituary
notice on her Facebook profile, will be
of interest to almost all of her friends
on Facebook. Multiply this by any other
children or relatives of the deceased who do
the same.
In its Q4 2013 Quarterly Earnings
conference call, Facebook stated that out
of the 1.228 billion monthly active users,
there are 945 million (77%) mobile users
and almost one-third of them only use their
mobile device to visit Facebook.
I have been sharing this strategy for
over four years and those who practice it
experience a huge spike in traffic. Recently
I have been receiving comments from some
funeral homes that this strategy doesn't
work well for people using mobile devices.
The issue is for funeral homes who have a
separate mobile version of their website.
If the funeral home and the client family
practice the strategy of pasting the link from
the online obituary to their Facebook profile
and then someone who is a friend of the
survivor clicks on the link from their mobile
device – expecting to go to the obituary –
instead they end up at the homepage of the
mobile version of the website. From there
they have to navigate to find that particular
obituary. The last thing that people want to
do, especially on mobile device is have to go
through extra navigation steps.
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So why should you worry about mobile
Facebook users?
The leading solution to fix this problem is
to make sure that your website has a "mobile
responsive" design. This is more than just
being mobile friendly, mobile responsive
means that the website conforms to the
width of the device. So no matter what type
of device the person is viewing your website
on, whether it be a desktop computer,
laptop, tablet, or a mobile phone, the website
adjusts according to the width.
For the larger screens the websites will be
displayed in its normal layout. With smaller
screens such as an iPad mini or iPhone the
components will stacked on top of each
other and the visitor can just easily scroll
through the page.
What is Google's thoughts on mobile
responsive websites?
This is an excerpt from Google's section
"Building Smartphone-Optimized Websites":
Regarding Responsive Design: serves the
same HTML for one URL and uses CSS
media queries to determine how the content
is rendered on the client side. This removes
the possible glitches of user-agent detection
and frees users from redirects. This is
Google's recommended configuration.
(Source:
https://developers.google.com/
webmasters/smartphone-sites/)
This might seem a little technical, but it is
important to listen to Google's recommendations.
To view some samples of mobile responsive
funeral home and cremation websites visit:
www.DeJohnFuneral.com
www.BrownOwensBrumley.com
www.PacificCoastCremation.com
www.CremationBrazosValley.com
When visiting these websites on your tablet
or mobile phone see how the sides and
contents re-adjust when you rotate your
device from portrait (up-and-down) to
landscape (side to side). The other benefit
that a mobile responsive website has is that
the visitor does not need to zoom in and
then zoom out by pinching their fingers on
the screen nor do they have to scroll side to
side when reading content.
So re-visiting the original issue of someone
from their mobile device, clicking on a link
in Facebook going to a online obituary, in
the case of the mobile responsive website
the visitor will go directly to that page and
that page will conform to the device it is
being viewed on.
If you would like to receive a free, SEO
(Search Engine Optimization) Audit
for your funeral home's website, visit
www.FuneralFuturist.com/Free-SEO-Audit
to claim your report.
This isn't your grandfather's business
anymore: see how it's changed...
A Panel Discussion: The Future
of the Funeral Business, Thursday,
June 5, 2014.
7 Deadly Mistakes Funeral Homes Make On Social Media
Ryan Thogmartin, DISRUPT Media
disruptmedia.co
If your funeral home is on Facebook, it's
crucial to make sure you aren't making any
mistakes that could hurt your firm's social
presence. You might not even be aware that
what you are doing is wrong. If you're unsure
of what you should or shouldn't be doing
on social media then take a look at these 7
Deadly Mistakes Funeral Homes Make On
Social Media.
NO PLANNING: So you've got a Facebook
Page. Do you know how many times a day
you'll post? Do you know your overall tone
or who will manage? If you don't go in with
a plan, there's a chance that everything will
fall apart.
NOT SOCIALIZING THE FUNERAL
HOME: This applies to internally and
externally. Communication is key and if
there is an utter lack of it within the company
and without, then there is less of a chance
that everything will run as efficiently and
effectively as possible. Who is posting
updates and is there clear guidelines on what
they should be posting?
One way to approach writing a post is to
represent yourself as a person, not a business.
It can be a way of showing others that you
aren't a faceless company and that you are also
a member of the community like they are.
If this is how you wish to present yourself,
don't use it like you would on your personal
Page. Complaining about a bad day or
using crude language can be a fast way
to lose clients. Remember that even an
informal post must be treated with the same
professional manner as you would with the
rest of your business.
Almost as bad as making an unprofessional
post is not posting at all. If you fail to make
updates to your firm's Facebook Page you risk
people losing interest. Or worse, they might
think that the business doesn't exist anymore
and go somewhere else.
HAVING NO CONTENT STRATEGY:
(Or the wrong one.) Your content must have
some sort of value or it shouldn't be there. It
needs to be interesting and relevant to your
audience. (Hint: A stream of obits is not it.)
Something any business user of Social Media
should know is how important it is to come
up with a strategy. If your posts are falling
flat, why are they? If you want to gain more
followers how do you do that? It is only when
you stop to analyze what's working and what
isn't, that you can move forward and make
it better.
NOT UNDERSTANDING THE HARD
WORK REQUIRED: At first glance,
Social Media seems like an easy and free
(depending on your usage) tool to advertise
your brand. But nothing comes easily,
especially something that makes you money.
Social Media Marketing requires planning,
measurement, time, rework and lots of
effort; otherwise it's doomed to fail.
Here's a shocker – for social media to be done
correctly; having a plan with goals, a content
strategy, daily monitoring and engagement
and most importantly, measuring the
analytics of what's working and what isn't –
can take 30-40 hours a week! Seriously.
NOT INVESTING IN OWNED ASSETS:
It's not enough to simply invest in your
Facebook advertising or your conversations
on Twitter. You should be able to connect
everything back to a website or blog. Create
a stronger focus on your owned assets. Your
website should be able to plug into your social
media strategy.
To help address this issue Frontrunner and
DISRUPT Media have partnered to create the
'Socially Acceptable' program. This program
is designed to build a successful social media
plan and strategy for your funeral home that
begins with a socially acceptable website
foundation.
USING IT TO BROADCAST A PRENEED
SALES MESSAGE NOT TO START
CONVERSATIONS: Don't just go on to
a Social Network to post obits and spout
off about preneed and preplanning – the
consumer doesn't want to hear it and it will
turn them off.
So if you're pushing hard for preneed sales
you could be coming across as un-caring
and money-grabbing. Remember, you're a
business that cares and you need to be there
for your clients, no matter what services
they need. Social Media works best when
there is engagement – don't be a used car
salesman.
FORGETTING THE HUMAN ELEMENT:
There might be a few bots out there but
Social Networks are filled with real people.
It's easy to forget that behind every username
and profile picture is an individual person
and that person took the time to follow
your funeral home. There is great value in
that action and therefore that uses deserves
your best.
Social media that is on autopilot, co-pilot, my
pilot, whatever it is doesn't work. Humanizing
your brand in real time and having real time
conversations with your followers is what
provides value – not scheduling a mass of
images and hoping something happens.
Just think if you put your prearrangement
with a family on autopilot and didn't have
a real live conversation with them – just
the same answer or no answer for every
question, no two way conversation – all the
value would be sucked out of the
arrangement. What good is a one17
sided conversation?
Memory Keepsake
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18
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Cremations as a Percentage of Deaths in Florida, 2011-2012
19
Tissue donation helped Amanda’s dream of playing with her
kids without pain to
live on.
,
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* excerpt from actual
tissue recipient letter
LifeNet Health of Florida is honored to play a role in helping donors, their families
and those whose lives have been touched by the life-saving and health-restoring gifts
of tissue donation live on.
Make sure to register for the IFDF Annual Conference at
www.IFDF.org
www IFDF org with our featured panel discussion The
Future of the Funeral Business, Thursday, June 5, 2014.
2014
EX-14-058
MEMBERSHIP IN IFDF EMPOWERS YOU
AND
IT STRENGTHENS THE PROFESSION:
IFDF
The Independent Funeral Directors of
Florida was created in 1993 to protect
and promote the continued existence of
independently owned and operated funeral
homes in Florida. This was at a time when
the large corporate funeral businesses were
using their size and money to dominate
the legislative and regulatory agenda in
Tallahassee. That's not the case today
thanks to the emergence of IFDF with its
membership base of over 200 independently
owned and operated funeral homes. What
continues is the impact these corporate
businesses have on the public's perception
of the funeral profession. This may be more
harmful and a bigger threat than anything
they could have done to the laws and rules
that govern our profession.
The most valuable resource that IFDF offers
to its members is access to other members.
Through the example of successful
funeral home owners and the sharing of
their best practices, involved and engaged
members are able to sustain and grow their
businesses while continuing to promote
the high standards we embrace as funeral
professionals. By joining and continuing
to be a part IFDF you are investing in your
own future and helping to perpetuate the
future of the family owned funeral home.
There is an "I" in team: IFDF.
YOUR MEMBERSHIP
ENHANCES AND
PROTECTS THE
“INDEPENDENT” BRAND
IFDF was founded for the sole purpose of
promoting and protecting the values and
high standards of decency, compassion and
ethical conduct that define the Independent
Funeral Home and is the only association
exclusive to the privately owned and
operated funeral homes in Florida.
OUR COLLECTIVE
MEMBERSHIP POWERS
OUR VOICE
For over 20 years IFDF has been a strong
and effective advocate protecting and
promoting the values of the Independent
Funeral Home before the regulatory and
legislative bodies in Florida. Our collective
membership gives us a powerful voice and
it puts and keeps you in the loop. Be part of
the solution as an IFDF member.
how
POLITICAL ACTION
COMMITTEE
The Lamar Danileson /IFDF PAC receives
contributions from over 90% of our
members and from various special events
throughout the year. Our PAC is healthier
than it's ever been and it provides us with
the ability to support elected officials who
embody our values and principles and are
committed to protecting our customers.
THE ANNUAL
LEGISLATIVE DAY
To be a credible voice in Tallahassee we cannot
show up only when our profession is being
threatened. A strong turnout on a consistent
basis gets the attention of the legislators and
they remember us. Our annual Bradley's
Sausage Day has become one of the most
anticipated days of each legislative session and
IFDF has become a familiar and recognizable
face of the funeral profession.
ACCESS TO RESOURCES
As a member you will receive the Annual
Directory containing contact information
for every Independent Funeral Home in
Florida; you will receive regular email alerts
and timely updates affecting the funeral
service professional; and you will receive
The Reporter, our quarterly magazine with
valuable industry news and informative
articles to keep you on top of your profession.
THE I-TRUST
A member-only program and the only
Preneed Master Trust owned and operated
by Independent Funeral Homes is the most
dynamic, association-sponsored, Preneed
Investment Trust in the industry. For over
20 years it has outperformed every other
funeral trust in earnings for participants.
THE ANNUAL
CONFERENCE AND
TRADE SHOW
With your busy schedules and cherished free
time, our conference goal is simple: build a
program that you look forward to and one that
is rewarding enough to justify your decision
to attend: and, there's no reason why saving
money and learning can't also be fun.
THE ANNUAL
LEADERSHIP RETREAT
Every member of IFDF is invited to attend
and encouraged to participate in our annual
planning meeting where we review our
programs and priorities for the coming year.
There is no better opportunity for you to get
involved and affect the things IFDF does
for you. If you are concerned that you are
on the outside looking in while things are
happening around you – this is your best
opportunity to get in to the mix.
CONNECTIONS THAT
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Creating and maintaining relationships is
vital and your best resources for uncovering
the challenges and discovering the solutions
to strengthen your business are like-minded
funeral professionals.
Participating in
IFDF events gives you the opportunities to
exchange ideas, engage in discussions and
learn from the successes and best practices
of other IFDF members.
JOIN TODAY AT
WWW.IFDF.ORG
Embalming Seminar & Regional Meeting
Co-hosted by FCCFA & IFDF May 14, 2014
University of Central Florida
Health Sciences Campus at Lake Nona ~ 6850 Lake Nona Blvd • Orlando, FL 32827
Course Instructors Jay Rhodes and Jeff McCarthy Schedule 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM 4 CEU Hours This year the FCCFA is p artnering with the IFDF to offer this seminar, which is geared toward the experienced licensee as well as the newly licensed embalmers and apprentices. Attendees will gain valuable knowledge on the most up-­‐to-­‐
date techniques, chemicals and equipment that are ever changing for the art and skill of embalming. This is great continuing education and professional development you won’t want to miss! Foundations for Successful Embalming This year’s p rogram will feature a more interactive format. Help set the agenda by sending in your questions and topics you would like covered at the seminar with your registration so we can prepare accordingly. You may also bring this information with you to the seminar. Topics will otherwise include: 1. Historical p erspectives and paradigms lost. 2. The new paradigm. 3. How we view solutions and positioning techniques today. 4. How many different ways can we address one problem? 5. The embalmer’s time line. 6. The embalming equation. $49 -­‐ members 7. What is an embalming report? 8. Restorative Art: a. How many armatures do you know of and/or use? FREE for Mortuary Science students with v alid student ID b.
c.
Special Offer $10
If you are attending the Annual IFDF Conference, you and any employee of your Funeral Home may participate in this seminar for only $10. Visit IFDF.org to register 22
d.
Is latex better than wax? Is there another product that is better than wax or latex? Considerations for using an Airbrush. The Goal of this seminar is to overload those just starting out with p ractical applications not necessarily discussed in any text. For old hands, our goal is to give you a new approach to solving an old problem or two. You will leave with at least one new, helpful idea. Congratulations
to
Stacy Adams
for being elected to
the ICCFA Board!
CLASSIFIEDS
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
Sales Help Wanted
Affinity Urn Company seeks retired funeral director or someone with funeral related sales experience to represent Affinity Urn Company. Work
part time or full time on a commission basis in a protected territory on the east coast of Florida.
Multi product lines. Contact Mr. Tony Deming at 727-244-9903 or Augie Bottiger at 941-209-9086.
Florida Funeral Home seeking Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer or Intern
We are an independently owned and operated funeral home with three locations in Southwest Florida. We are currently looking for a licensed
funeral director/embalmer or intern who is: caring, detail oriented, has a positive outlook, is a self-starter, has the ability to promote self-direction
and accept responsibilities related to the position.
Please email resume to dwakin1@gmail.com or fax to 863-675-7604.
Florida Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer
Looking for a fresh start to your career, Curlew Hills Memory Gardens, a leading Pinellas County family owned funeral home, cemetery, crematory
and pet services provider is seeking an energetic, creative and licensed Florida Funeral Director and Embalmer. The successful candidate will have
at least 3 years of experience, the ability to work in a team environment, and excellent communication skills. If you are Bi-lingual this will be a plus
but, is not a requirement. We offer the successful Candidate competitive compensation along with health, dental, vision and 401k benefit's.
Please send resumes and any questions to kknopke@curlewhills.com
POSITIONS WANTED
Michael E. Hyde, Bagpiper for All Occasions
Professional, licensed, full-time bagpiper. Available seven days a week, any time of day or evening. Full formal attire. All the tunes of glory played
on either the Great Highland Pipe or the Shuttle Pipe (suitable for chapel setting). Attention Veterans: Michael is available to pipe at the National
Cemetery in Bushnell and the South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth. Affiliate member of IFDF.
Please visit my website at www.MichaelHydeBagpiper.com to see Michael and hear sample tunes.
Email MichaelEHyde@bellsouth.net or call (772) 696-3568.
23
Independent Funeral Directors of Florida
Presort Standard
U.S. Postage
PAID
Tallahassee, FL
Permit No. 801
PO Box 10969
119 East Park Avenue
Tallahassee, Florida 32302-2969
ifdf.org
2013 –2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President, Doug Hasley
Beyers Funeral Home, Umatilla
(352) 669-2146
Legislative Consultant
M. Juhan Mixon, Ed.D.
Pat C. Mixon
Region 6 Director, Bill Schichtel
Heath Funeral Chapel , Lakeland
(863) 682-0111
President Elect, Howard Beckham
Craig Funeral Home, St. Augustine
(904) 824-1672
Region 1 Director, Mike Atwood
Faith Chapel Funeral Home South, Pensacola
(850) 432-6146
At Large Director, Scott Whitehead
Faith Funeral Home, Havana
(850) 539-4300
Vice President, Lance Pauli
Harden-Pauli Funeral Home, Eustis
(352) 357-4126
Region 2 Director , Jill Peeples
Peeples Family Funeral Home , Jacksonville
(904) 764-2542
At Large Director, Deloris Lewis Ray
Lewis Ray Mortuary, Titusville
(321) 269-5811
Secretary, Stacy Adams
Serenity Meadows Memorial Park, Funeral
Home, Riverview
(813) 677-9494
Region 3 Director, Ashley Milam
Milam Funeral Gainesville, FL 32601
(352) 376-5361
At Large Director, Tony Zipperer
Zipperer's Funeral Home, Ruskin
(813) 645-6130
Region 4 Director, Vern Dorsey
Osceola Memorial Gardens, Kissimmee
(407) 931-4811
At Large Director, Daniel Enea
D.J. Enea Family Funeral & Cremation,
Winter Garden
(407) 614-8350
Treasurer, Rick Williams
Williams-Thomas Funeral Home, Gainesville
(352) 376-7556
Immediate Past President, J. Barrett Nelson
Marion-Nelson Funeral Home , Lake Wales
Phone: (863) 676-2541
Region 5 Director, Bradford P. Zahn
Tillman Funeral Home, West Palm Beach
(561) 965-4412
Find a complete list of our 2013-2014 Board
and Committees members on our website.