If you were starting over, beginning with a blank sheet of paper, a big pile of money, and no preconceptions, what kind of business would you design to serve 21st-century funeral customers?  How would it compare to the funeral home of today? 

Gober will look at all the elements that would make up the new funeral business, including facilities, staffing, products, and services, plus the capital required to put it all in place. He will look at what we could learn from that funeral home or cemetery of tomorrow, and how we can put it to work in our businesses today.

As the rate of change continues to escalate, understanding client family needs and building a business to meet those needs will be critical. Successful funeral professionals will find a way to take whatever comes their way – rising cremation rates, changing demographics, shifting consumer preferences – and wisely improve them.

Samuel Adams said, “We cannot make events. Our business is wisely to improve them.” These words still ring true some 200 years later. How can funeral professionals wisely improve considering all the events happening in the world today that are beyond control? With more than 35 years of experience in the funeral business, Doug Gober has a breadth of knowledge and unique insight into funeral service of the future. In this session, Doug will take stock of the current state of funeral service and how funeral professionals can be proactive in planning for the future. It’s as if we all need to think we’re starting over.