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The article focuses on the importance of having a succession plan in place for funeral and cemetery businesses, outlining four steps to creating a plan, including identifying who is next, knowing valuation, setting goals, and nailing down a path to get there, which can ensure business continuity.

The article offers the author's insights on how to value and manage funeral home customers by conducting funeral service training, customer satisfaction survey, and a documentation on what the customers desire for service.

The article presents the author's perspectives on the importance of budgeting as facet strategic planning for funeral directors, in order to succeed its business services in the U.S. Topics discussed include the impacts of local and national economy to business enterprises, solid business management principles and funeral homes practicing financial budgeting for long and short term plans. The author also emphasizes that funeral directors must implement a business strategy for profitability.

The author discusses the importance for funeral businesses to have a complete understanding of their financial performance. He advises the need for funeral owners to develop a plan for their business and hire an employee with knowledge on the operation to assist them in terms of financial issues. The author also advises the need for funeral owners to review their financial performance on a monthly or quarterly basis to address potential problems.

An interview with Jake Johnson, chief executive officer (CEO) of Johnson Consulting Group in Scottsdale, Arizona is presented. He notes that emerging demographic trends in the 21st century, particularly the increasing prominence of the baby boomer generation, are having a huge impact on the funeral services sector. He advises funeral homes to optimize their finances while at the same time ensure a consistent level of family satisfaction so that they can continue to thrive in a tough economy.