Discover the surprising types of funeral services you should outsource as a funeral director in this informative blog post.
As a Funeral Director, you should consider outsourcing services such as Death Certificate Preparation, Obituary Writing Help, Casket Selection Guidance, Burial Arrangement Support, Memorial Service Coordination, Grief Counseling Referrals, Transportation Logistics Management, Cemetery Plot Acquisition, and Funeral Home Administration.
Contents
- How Can I Prepare a Death Certificate?
- What Assistance is Available for Writing an Obituary?
- What Should I Consider When Choosing a Casket?
- How Can I Get Help with Burial Arrangements?
- How Do I Coordinate a Memorial Service?
- Where Can I Find Grief Counseling Referrals?
- How Do I Acquire Cemetery Plots for Funerals?
- What Tasks Should be Handled by Funeral Home Administration Professionals?
- Common Mistakes And Misconceptions
How Can I Prepare a Death Certificate?
- Collect information for the death certificate, such as the decedent‘s name, date of birth, date of death, place of death, cause of death, and other relevant information.
- Verify the accuracy of the information on the death certificate.
- Submit the completed form to the local registrar.
- Notify family members of the deceased‘s passing.
- Provide proof of identity and relationship to the deceased.
- Gather medical records and other documents related to the cause of death.
- Contact the funeral home or crematorium for disposition instructions.
- Sign off on the final version of the document with witnesses present.
- File the original copy with the county clerk’s office or state health department.
- Obtain certified copies from the county clerk’s office or state health department.
- Provide certified copies to family members, insurance companies, banks, etc.
- Inform the Social Security Administration (SSA) about the decedent‘s passing.
- Update any relevant accounts in accordance with SSA regulations.
- Keep a record of all paperwork associated with preparing a death certificate.
What Assistance is Available for Writing an Obituary?
Writing an obituary can be a difficult and emotional task, but there is assistance available to help make the process easier. Professional writing services can provide guidance on crafting a meaningful tribute to the deceased, as well as help with formatting and layout. There are also online resources for obituaries that offer writing tips and advice, editing and proofreading help, sample obituaries to use as inspiration, and advice on how to honor the deceased‘s memory. Additionally, there are resources available to help with choosing appropriate words and phrases, creating a lasting legacy of the deceased’s life, finding photos or other visuals, and sharing the obituary online.
What Should I Consider When Choosing a Casket?
When choosing a casket, you should consider the color, price range, interior lining, personalization options, durability, design features, warranty information, delivery timeframe, customization options, quality of craftsmanship, environmental impact, casket accessories, manufacturer reputation, and safety regulations.
How Can I Get Help with Burial Arrangements?
When it comes to burial arrangements, there are a variety of services that a funeral director can provide to help families. These services include pre-planning funerals, cremation services, memorial service coordination, obituary writing assistance, cemetery plot selection and purchase, grave marker installation and maintenance, burial vault selection and purchase, coordinating with clergy or other officiants for funeral ceremonies, arranging transportation of the deceased to the cemetery or crematorium, assistance in selecting pallbearers, ushers, and honorary pallbearers, helping families select flowers, music, readings, etc., for a memorial service, arranging catering for after-funeral gatherings, providing grief counseling resources, and assisting with filing death certificates.
How Do I Coordinate a Memorial Service?
To coordinate a memorial service, you will need to take care of a variety of tasks, including inviting guests to attend, selecting readings and music, writing an obituary or eulogy, arranging for catering services, creating a program of events, setting up audio-visual equipment, coordinating with clergy or officiants, obtaining necessary permits and licenses, scheduling transportation for attendees, managing guest lists and RSVPs, organizing floral arrangements, creating keepsakes such as memory books, providing grief counseling resources, and making sure all details are taken care of.
Where Can I Find Grief Counseling Referrals?
Grief counseling referrals can be found through a variety of sources, including mental health services, support groups for grieving individuals, online resources for bereavement support, local organizations offering grief counseling, faith-based grief counseling programs, hospice and palliative care centers, community mental health centers, private therapists specializing in bereavement therapy, employee assistance programs (EAPs), military family support services, Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits and services, social workers with expertise in bereavement counseling, bereaved parent support networks, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
How Do I Acquire Cemetery Plots for Funerals?
As a funeral director, you can acquire cemetery plots for funerals by researching and understanding the regulations of the cemetery or memorial park you are interested in. You will need to purchase the cemetery plot, which may require a cemetery deed, and you may also need to purchase grave markers and interment rights. Additionally, you should consider the memorialization options available and the fees and costs associated with the cemetery plot. You may also need to consider the maintenance requirements of the cemetery plot and the grave opening and closing services. Finally, you may want to consider pre-purchasing cemetery plots or transferring ownership of a cemetery plot, as well as offering funeral home burial packages.
What Tasks Should be Handled by Funeral Home Administration Professionals?
Funeral home administration professionals should be responsible for tasks such as record keeping, scheduling services, coordinating with vendors and suppliers, managing staff and volunteers, maintaining compliance with regulations, developing marketing strategies, preparing documents for families, handling customer service inquiries, processing payments and invoices, creating budgets and forecasts, analyzing data to identify trends, developing policies and procedures, managing inventory of supplies, and ensuring quality assurance.
Common Mistakes And Misconceptions
- Mistake: Outsourcing all services is the best way to run a funeral home.
Correct Viewpoint: While outsourcing certain services can be beneficial, it’s important to consider the cost and quality of those services before making any decisions. It may not always be necessary or cost-effective to outsource every service offered by a funeral home. - Mistake: Funeral directors should only outsource administrative tasks such as bookkeeping and accounting.
Correct Viewpoint: Funeral directors can also benefit from outsourcing other types of services such as marketing, web design, customer service, and even some aspects of the actual funeral planning process (e.g., catering). By doing so, they can free up time for more important tasks while still providing their clients with high-quality service.