FALL 2016

A PUBLICATION OF THE CALIFORNIA DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION Marta Warren (new photo) - Magazine Ad 2016_CFDA_Layout 1 8/9/2016 1:35 PM Page 1

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f u n e r a l D i r e c t o r S l i f e

2 FALL 2016 CONTENTS

FALL 2016 ∙ VOLUME 35 ∙ ISSUE 3

CFDA One Capitol Mall, Suite 800 Sacramento, CA 95814 (800) 255-2332 [email protected]

CFDA Board of Directors 2016–2017 OFFICERS FEATURES How to Write an Effective Business Plan for Your Funeral Home ...... 16 Kathleen McLaughlin PRESIDENT Could Your Employment Practices Cause You Trouble? ...... 18 Erlinda Valdez VICE PRESIDENT DEPARTMENTS Tiffany Gallarzo President’s Letter ...... 5 TREASURER Legislative Update ...... 6 Darren Diebold American River College Report ...... 9 SECRETARY Dennis Steiner Cypress College Report ...... 11 IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Calendar ...... 12

DIRECTORS Welcome, New Members ...... 13 Kristi Ah You In Remembrance ...... 13 Homer Alba News Briefs ...... 14 Amanda Amundson HR Question of the Month ...... 17 Sean Douglass Job Board ...... 20 Teri Featheringill Eric Smith ADVERTISERS Karen Franzen American Crematory Equipment Co ...... 10 Brian Kestenblatt ASD — Answering Service for Directors ...... 10 Fred Nalder atRest ...... 13 George Perez Dowling Aaron...... 15 Andrea Picot Federated Insurance ...... 19 Robert Risher Funeral Directors Life ...... 2 Mike Rogers Sonya Simpson Live Oak Bank ...... 17 Messina & Hankin LLP ...... 8 APPOINTMENTS SCC — Southern California Crematory...... 10 Merrill Mefford PARLIAMENTARIAN Security National Life Insurance...... 4 James Draper Serenity Transportation...... 4 RECORDING SECRETARY TSYS Merchant Solutions ...... 15 Editorial Staff Bob Achermann Newslines is a quarterly publication of the © 2016 by the California Funeral Directors Association (CFDA). All California Funeral Directors Association (CFDA). As material subject to this copyright may be photocopied for noncom- EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/PUBLISHER the official publication of the CFDA subscriptions mercial educational or scientific uses. Permission to reprint articles are included in membership dues. All original or portions of articles may be obtained by writing to the managing Ryan King papers and other correspondence should be editor. Proper credit and copyright notice should accompany all EDITOR directed to the editor. reprinted material. We reserve the right to edit material submitted for clarity and length. Opinions expressed by individuals through POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the pages of this publication do not necessarily represent the Katelyn Hicks CFDA Newslines, One Capitol Mall, Suite 800, official position of the California Funeral Directors Association. EDITOR Sacramento, CA 95814, (800) 255-2332.

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4 FALL 2016 PRESIDENT’S LETTER

The Holiday Season is quickly County associations, Orangebelt approaching. How can that be when Funeral, and Crematory our Pier to Peer Convention in June Associations, and the Los Angeles just ended?! County Funeral Directors Our second set of Board meetings will Association. I wish PATRICK AKES be coming up soon. I look forward and FRED NALDER much success to gathering with my CFDA family in their year as Presidents of their and continuing our work on the year respective Associations. They each ahead. have excellent teams, so I know they As I write this, there are still two more will have a productive year. weeks until the ‘call for presentations’ for our next convention in Monterey Many of you will be getting ready is due. We had many great for various functions within your selections last year to choose from. properties. Dia de los Muertos, I am anticipating this year will be Thanksgiving services, and all types Kathleen McLaughlin CFDA President another difficult selection process. of Holiday services. Send in your Our convention committee will be pictures and an article on your event. looking for the topics the respondents We love to see what everyone else is to our convention survey returned. doing. And who knows, you may We need your input to make sure we come up with a great new idea for are giving you the information you need. So to those that completed and your place! returned the surveys, THANK YOU. I wish each of you the Peace of the I’ve had the pleasure of being Season and Cheers to a Happy, “Send in your pictures the installing Officer at two Healthy and Prosperous New Year. and an article on your event. We love to see what everyone else is doing.”

KATHLEEN McLAUGHLIN CFDA President

Have you moved? Changed your name? LET US Do you have a new KNOW! Funeral Director? [email protected] update

CFDA NEWSLINES 5 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

conservator of the person, a conservator of the the funeral goods, funeral services or prices of estate, and the public administrator. This bill funeral goods or services. offered by the funeral would add a conservator of the person and a provider. The funeral provider must give the list conservator of the estate to the above provisions upon beginning discussion of any of the following: for purposes of relinquishment or petition, as (1) the prices of funeral goods or funeral services; specified.“ (2) the overall type of funeral service or disposition; or What it means is that now the conservator can (3) specific funeral goods or funeral services control disposition 7 days after the last blood offered by the funeral provider. relative fails to act. Before, the conservator only had the right to control when there I know some of you want to get to know the were no living kindred, spouse, California family first, but I urge you to give the GPL LEGISLATIVE AND state registered domestic partner, or agent of first. The FTC is not big on wiggle room. REGULATORY UPDATE a California power of attorney for healthcare. One could subjectively say that discussing the hobbies of the deceased is part of “the overall Another chaptered bill that I found interesting Fall 2016 type of funeral service or disposition.” You might is AB1658 by Assembly member Frank not think so, but it gets expensive arguing your Prepared by Bigelo serving Placerville. This bill affects a point, especially with your paid legal counsel. George Prather district cemetery in South Lake Tahoe called the Happy Homestead District Cemetery. It’s good to be back. Thank you, Kathleen, Cal-OSHA The cemetery is very close to the Nevada for asking me to chair the legislative and border and the cemetery wanted to be able In 2012, OSHA amended the Hazardous regulatory committee this year. It has been to serve nearby small communities in Nevada Communications Standard commonly 16 or 17 years since I last served in that referred to as the “Right to Know” law to that identify with the South Lake Tahoe role. Merrill Mefford still serves as the Vice- the “Right to Understand” law. June 1, community. District cemetery boards cannot Chairman. 2016 marked the deadline for chemical arbitrarily allow interment of non-residence. manufacturers / distributors to comply with It always takes legislation. The Legislature New Laws the GHS (Globally Harmonized System) frowns on attempts to compete with private for labeling chemicals and converting to At this writing, Governor Brown has not enterprise in this area. So, the only way it can the SDS (Safety Data Sheets). If you are acted on the proposed legislation that would happen is with legislation. And that legislation still getting MSDS (Material Safety Data offer the insurance exam in Spanish. Based cannot wash over on other . In this Sheets) you shouldn’t be. Your affected staff upon press releases on September 15th, the case they found a compelling reason to allow (primarily embalmers) should have been Governor has acted upon 130 of the 789 bills Glenbrook, Cave Rock, Skyland, Zephyr trained in the new system a couple of years on his desk as of this afternoon. In the next 16 Cove, Round Hill, Elk Point, Kingsbury, ago. If not, get them trained immediately and days, he needs to do the remaining 659 bills, and Stateline to bury their dead at Happy document it. The training should include about 40 per day. CFDA tracked 17 legislative Homestead. bills this year. Only a few directly affected understanding the labeling “pictograms” funeral service and the rest had potential FTC Funeral Rule and the 16 sections of the Safety Data Sheet. worthy of keeping an eye on them. A simply way to do the training is to have On August 1, 2016, the FTC announced your Program Administrator utilize a video. CFDA sponsored one bill that has been that the fines for violations for “Unfair or Two good ones can be found on YouTube chaptered into law and effective on January Deceptive Practices” have been raised from titled “GHS Labeling Requirements” and 1, 2017. That bill is SB1284 authored by $16,000 maximum to $40,000. This does “GHS Safety Data Sheets.” Senator Ed Hernandez of West Covina. The not just affect funeral providers. The FTC legislative digest says the following: “Under raised all fines as a catch-up measure. $40,000 State Owned Veterans Cemeteries existing law, if a decedent has not otherwise given is a lot of money. Don’t think that, because we directions, the right to control the disposition of In August and October new state regulations have a strong Cemetery and Funeral Bureau, were passed and became effective dealing the remains of the deceased person, the location the FTC will leave you alone. In May of and conditions of interment, and arrangements with California State owned Veterans 2015, the FTC selected Bakersfield for a sting does not for funeral goods and services vests in, and the Cemeteries. This regulation operation. 7 out of 11 funeral establishments affect National Cemeteries owned by the specified corresponding duty devolves upon, were cited. All citations were for failure to give certain persons in a specified order of succession. Department of Defense. There are only the consumer a GPL in a timely manner. The three state owned cemeteries (Igo, CA; Existing law lists these persons, in order, as an rule says: agent under a power of attorney for health Hopa, CA; and Seaside, CA currently under care who has the right and duty of disposition, (4) General Price List construction). the surviving spouse, other specified relatives, (i)(A) Give a printed or typewritten price list for On the following page we have reprinted and, when the decedent has sufficient assets, a retention to persons who inquire in person about the exact language.

6 FALL 2016 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

California CODE of Regulations: Title 12, Chapter 3, Sub-chapter 5 “State Veterans Cemetery”

§ 461 . Persons Eligible for . (a) IN determining which persons are eligible for burial in a state veterans cemetery, the Division of Veterans Services (Division) shall use the eligibility requirements specified in Title 38 Code of Federal Regulations § 38 620. “Persons Eligible for Burial” (Federal Register, Volume 70, Number 19 effective January 31, 2005), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety . (b) THE Division of Veterans Services, or its designee, shall review and determine the eligibility of persons seeking burial in a state veterans cemetery . Any person requesting burial of an applicant in a state veterans cemetery shall submit an “Eligibility for Burial Benefits Determination” application (VSD-002, dated June 2016), which is hereby incorporated in its entirety, and supporting documentation as required by VSD-002 to enable the Division to determine the applicant and dependent eligibility .

§ 463 . Burial Fees . (a) THE department shall not charge a fee for initial burial of eligible veterans . (b) THE fee for subsequent burial of an eligible veteran for which a federal reimbursement has already been awarded (for example, moving a veteran interred at a national veterans cemetery to a state veterans cemetery) shall be equal to the current published U . S . Department of Veterans Affairs burial rate for veterans . (c) THE fee for the interment of eligible spouses and children of veterans in a state veterans cemetery shall be equal to the current published U .S . Department of Veterans Affairs burial rate for veterans . Note: AUTHORITY cited: Section 1455, Military and Veterans Code . Reference: Sections 1400, 1410 and 1455, Military and Veterans Code .

§ 464 . Disinterments . (a) INTERMENTS of eligible decedents in state veterans cemeteries are considered permanent and final . Disinterment will be permitted only for cogent reasons (e g. ., when families move and want their loved one close by, or when the next of kin was not aware that the person had purchased a plot in a different cemetery), and with the prior written authorization of the Cemetery Director responsible for the cemetery involved . Disinterment from a state veterans cemetery will be approved only when all living immediate family members of the decedent, and the person who initiated the interment (whether or not he or she is a member of the immediate family), give their written consent, or when a court order directs the disinterment . For purposes of this section, “immediate family members” are defined as surviving spouse, whether or not he or she is remarried; all adult children of the decedent; the appointed guardian(s) of minor children; and the appointed guardian(s) of the surviving spouse or of the adult child(ren) of the decedent . If the surviving spouse and all of the children of the decedent are deceased, the decedent’s parents will be considered “immediate family members ”. (b) REQUESTS for disinterment must be submitted on Form VSD-003, Request for Disinterment (dated June 2016), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, and include the following information: (1) A full statement of reasons for the proposed disinterment . (2) NOTARIZED statement(s) by all living immediate family members of the decedent, and the person who initiated the interment (whether or not he or she is a member of the immediate family), that they consent to the proposed disinterment . (3) A notarized statement by the person requesting the disinterment that those who supplied affidavits comprise all the living immediate family members of the deceased . (c) IN lieu of the documents required in subdivision (b) of this section, an order of a court of competent jurisdiction will be considered . (d) THE state veterans cemetery shall charge a disinterment fee for an in-ground cremation that is equivalent to 50% of the current federal burial reimbursement rate, and a disinterment fee for caskets that is equivalent to 75% of the current federal burial reimbursement rate . The state veterans cemetery may not charge a disinterment fee for the reopening of a niche .

CFDA NEWSLINES 7 ADVERTISEMENT

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8 FALL 2016 AMERICAN RIVER COLLEGE REPORT

An Update From the American River College Funeral Service Education Program

he Funeral Service Education Program at American River quality care, in real time and under real life pressures, while also College has started an exciting fall semester. We are proud collaborating with health care providers in other disciplines. to announce that we anticipate 33 graduates of a cohort that T Students are called to an emergency and must respond in real time, started with 41 this coming December 2016. That’s a 65% increase with real medical equipment, and provide complete patient care. from last year! One of our candidates, Leticia Alvarado, was named We then will follow our students through their experiential learning “One to Watch” by the American Funeral Director. Importantly, the process as they transition care from the prehospital setting outside to application period for the program is open from September 9th to our virtual emergency department inside and observe the patient’s November 4th. Applications for the 1 year and 2 year program can continuity of care. Once the scenario ends, students and observers be found on the Funeral Service Education website. alike will be brought in to the debriefing space where everyone can Applying curriculum reflect and express what they have observed and learned. Videos of the entire experience, taken with GoPro cameras select students The Funeral Service Department joins other Health and Education have worn, will also be reviewed in the debriefing process. FSE division programs in a very exciting event called Interdisciplinary students participate in the exercise by interacting with the family Simulation Experience. The Interdisciplinary Simulation Experience of the deceased patient, often with bilingual interpreters, engaging (ISE) event is a set of scenarios involving student representatives from with hospital staff in the removal process, and finally transporting multiple departments in Health Education: EMT, Funeral Services, the expired patient. Health Care Interpreter, Paramedic, Nursing, and Respiratory Care, as they collaborate in the care of high fidelity patient simulators. Patient We at the Funeral Service Education Program at American River simulators are dynamic, technology driven manikins that blink, College hope you have a wonder fall season. Should you need us breath, have vital signs and react physiologically to interventions for any reason please call 916.484.8158 or email [email protected]. student provide. Students must interact with patients and provide edu.

Have you moved? Changed your name? New Funeral Director? LET US KNOW! [email protected]

CFDA NEWSLINES 9 ASD Delivers A Competitive Advantage

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ASD’s customizable systems allow us to: Collect the required First Call information and immediately dispatch to a designated transport company. Notify multiple employees of a passing. Contact a specific on-call person depending on the day or time of death. Copy central dispatch so you can track the status of every call. At-Need and Pre-Need Price Shopper Calls – Delivered Price shoppers are connected directly through to you rather than hanging up and contacting another funeral home. For Pre-Need calls, specific employees can be designated to receive these messages, driving more Pre-Need leads to the funeral home.

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10 FALL 2016 CYPRESS COLLEGE REPORT

Cypress College Celebrates its Golden Anniversary!

with the thousands who would follow them, Cypress College faculty, staff, and students, an unprecedented opportunity to receive a will welcome alumni and emeriti back for a private college experience on a community closer look at what will become the College college campus. Cypress College, which was of the Future. With the passage of the a mere 10 years old, was already showing Measure J Bond Initiative by voters in 2015, phenomenal promise as an institution of the North Orange County Community higher education. Now, in preparation College District, which includes colleges in for its 50th birthday celebration, Cypress Cypress and Fullerton, as well as the School College is looking back and reflecting on of Continuing Education, will embark on the accomplishments in its first half century. a $574-million-dollar construction plan to Arguably one of Cypress College’s greatest modernize the colleges and innovate campus ifty years ago, in an undeveloped area achievements includes the development of instruction. The first project, which is off of Lincoln Avenue in the northern the Mortuary Science Program, established scheduled to break ground in 2018, includes Fpart of Orange County, a former 112- 40 years ago in 1976. As the college prepares the new 100,000-square-foot Science, acre dairy farm became home to the newest to mark its golden year, the faculty and Engineering, and Mathematics building community college in southern California. staff is also in the midst of planning for the that includes an onsite facility for Mortuary Assembled in a mere 74 days, Cypress Mortuary Science 40th anniversary at 9200 Science students and industry partners to Junior College consisted of 18 prefabricated Valley View Street. use for cremation training and instruction. temporary buildings erected to house the On April 1, 2017, the Cypress College The new facility was approved by the original 2,300 students who enrolled in the Foundation, along with current and former NOCCCD Board of Trustees as part of the fall of 1966. As Cypress College matured, it Measure J program. dropped “junior” from its name as it grew For more information about anniversary into the comprehensive college it is today, events, please contact the Foundation which now consists of 16 major instructional Office at (714) 484-7127 or foundation@ and instructional-support buildings CypressCollege.edu. providing more than 16,000 students annually with occupational certificates, associate degrees, and transfers to local Inaugural Cypress College Mortuary Science universities. Students enrolling in 2016 Class - 1977 have more access than ever before to embark An artist’s rendering depicts what a new on low-cost career and technical training as Science, Engineering, and Math Building might they develop into knowledgeable citizens look like . and productive contributing members of society. This includes a complete pathway from Funeral Service Assistant certification and Associate in Science degree graduation to professional licensure as embalmers and funeral directors, and beginning in the fall of 2017, a baccalaureate degree funeral service education. It was this ability for growth and promise of access for students that Melvin Hilgenfeld believed would provide a perfect environment for his California College of Mortuary Science to thrive. In 1976, Mr. Hilgenfeld gifted his Los Angeles embalming school to Cypress College, which provided its registered students, along

CFDA NEWSLINES 11 calendar Jan 11–12, 2017 Committee & BOD Meetings Hyatt RegencyMonterey Hotel & Spa 1 Old Golf Course Rd Monterey, CA 93940 Jan 18, 2017 Law Review Course Rose Hills Memorial Park 3888 Workman Mill Rd Whittier, CA 90601 April 19–20, 2017 Committee & BOD Meetings CFDA Office 1 Capitol Mall Sacramento, CA 95814 Save the Date! Save June 11–14, 2017 2017 CFDA Annual Convention Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa 1 Old Golf Course Rd Monterey, CA 93940

12 FALL 2016 welcome new members

InvoCare FD# 2232 Inman Shipping FuneralOne Regular Members Worldwide Special Vendor Member Michael Miller · San Diego, CA Special Vendor Member Mike Cyplik · Detroit, MI Lori Davis · Fort Wayne, IN Generations FD# 2283 PBF Manufacturing Regular Members American Airlines Special Vendor Member Karen McLaughlin · Manhattan Special Vendor Member Liz Zeig · Phoenix, AZ Beach, CA Julie Johnson · Fort Worth, TX Wayland Caskets Holy Angels Funeral & Huntington National Special Vendor Member Cremation Center FD# Bank Jenny Chang · El Monte, CA 1456 Special Vendor Member California Professional Regular Members Denise Stone · Zeeland, MI Adalid Garcia · Hayward, CA Manufacturing Cathedral Park Urns Special Vendor Member Special Vendor Member Glenn Robison · Modesto, CA Cord Wilkey · Portland, OR

IN REMEMBRANCE

Walter and Barbara Eversole 5/25/23–8/12/16 (Walter) 12/25/26–9/10/16 (Barbara) Funeral Director

Michael Hawkins 9/20/49–8/24/16 Funeral Director

Curtis L. Simpson Sr. 3/11/48–9/12/16 Funeral Director

CFDA NEWSLINES 13 Damon de la Cruz, CFDA President Kathleen PhD Releases McLaughlin Presented a check Embalm Calc App to “Rallying for Ryan.” Embalm Calc is a handy tool to help morticians and embalmers mix embalming fluids correctly. Embalm Calc has the ability to calculate mixing of 1 or 2 fluids. This will help you remember and perform the calculations. This app is part of the curriculum at American River College in the Funeral Service Education department and will be used in an efs upcoming text written by Damon de la Cruz. Down Syndrome Association of Orange County’s Buddy Walk team, “Rallying for Ryan” received a check for i The App is free and can be found in Google Play or the App Store. $2,100 from Kathleen McLaughlin, who organized an auction dinner event for Roosevelt Memorial Park Association, and donated all the proceeds to the Avalos’ OC Buddy Walk team! The check was presented to Lori Avalos, Ryan’s mom. THANK YOU to the following silent auction donors! Roosevelt Park Mabrey ACC Mathews Aurora Generations Cremation Duet Batesville CFDA Board of Directors Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach Monterey Hyatt

Dutch Company Builds First Ever Tesla Hearse

News Br The hearse was made by funeral transport company Vander der Lans & Busscher BV. The funeral transport company used a modified Tesla that was built by Netherlands-based stretched limousine maker RemetzCar. The Tesla has a range of 217 miles.

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CFDA NEWSLINES 15 EXPERT ADVICE: FINANCE

How to Write an Effective Business By Tim Bridgers, General Manager of Plan for Your Funeral Home Funeral Home Lending at Live Oak Bank

Whether you acquiring an existing funeral home project. Define your goals and where are predicted for this area over the next five home or expanding your current funeral you expect to be in five or ten years. or ten years. business to take advantage of market • Financing Requirements – Summarize • Target Customer – Describe the ideal opportunities, a business plan establishes the the amount of capital you will need to customer or family for your business, viability of your project and is the foundation achieve your acquisition or expansion including age, personal characteristics and for obtaining the funds you need to proceed. goals. (Detailed financial projections will income level. Consider the mix of preneed If you already have a business plan, consider be outlined later in the business plan.) versus at need services. If the community implementing the principles and components based on the Market Description above described here to support your goals for II. Business Description does not match the type of funeral service financing. The Business Description goes into greater you plan to provide, you may want to Now it’s time to put pen to paper and start detail about the structure of your business, reconsider the location. writing or updating your plan. The good your qualifications for managing the funeral • Competitive Analysis – Define the other news is that creating an effective business home and your business resources. This businesses in your local market, how many plan tailored to your funeral home does not section tells your lender that you have the are funeral homes, what kind of services do have to be a daunting exercise. While it will personal know-how and professional means they offer, and what are their advantages take some careful consideration and research to build long-term success. and disadvantages. on your part to ensure your plan is thorough and accurate, there are many templates and Include the following in your Business • Competitive Advantage – Finally, define the guidelines online to help streamline the Description: competitive advantage your establishment process. • Professional History – Describe your offers that your competitors do not – for professional experience to date such as example, the types of services, the variety Key Components of the Business your business background, any professional and range of your cremation offerings, Plan experience in the funeral home industry, location, price point, etc. and where and when you attended school, Your business plan should include the IV. Marketing Plan following six components, each of which degrees earned, and any related courses needs to be addressed in some detail. taken. This section allows you to be a bit more • Management Team and Key Personnel – creative as you describe the marketing I. Executive Summary Identify the principals who are ultimately activities you will use to create visibility and support ongoing business growth. Be sure The Executive Summary introduces you responsible for the financial performance of your funeral home, your key team members your marketing plan is realistic and addresses and your business venture to readers and the following issues: is often the first impression they receive of and their roles, and any professional your project. This section should be concise, advisors who will be instrumental in • Approximately how much are you providing the “what, why and how” of your providing input and guidance. budgeting for marketing activities during undertaking, but also compelling enough • Organizational Structure – Define the first year or two? to persuade lenders and others that your the legal entity for your business (Sole • How will you set yourself apart from the acquisition or expansion plan is viable. You Proprietorship, LLC, etc.) and ownership competition? For example, offering special may want to tackle the Executive Summary details. events or sponsoring community events? last, as much of the information for this • How will you attract families from the section is extrapolated from the rest of your III. Market Research surrounding area and be on the mind of business plan. A certain amount of research is required guests when they have a future need for Your Executive Summary should include: to ensure the local market for your funeral their own families? home has the appropriate demographics and • Business Overview – Provide a brief • What is your marketing mix – the balance income to support your business. The Market overview of the funeral business, your between print and television advertising, Research section demonstrates to your lender background in the profession, and the promotions, referrals, social media, and that you understand your community and specific services you will offer. Describe other channels of marketing? where your funeral home will be located that you have considered the competition in and the area’s demographics. If you are this area. V. Operations expanding your current funeral home, The Market Research section should include The Operations section of your business plan describe the benefits this expansion will the following: details the day-to-day needs and functions bring to your business and the community. • Market Description – Describe who lives in of your funeral home, demonstrating that • Mission Statement – Outline your business the community surrounding your funeral your future success is based on well-thought- philosophy and rationale for your funeral home and what sort of growth or changes out ideas about how you intend to run your

16 FALL 2016 business. Include the following: calculations as accurate as possible. Work with title page or cover and make sure your writing • Location and Premises – If available, your CPA or financial advisor to ensure your is grammatically correct and slang-free. describe in detail the exact location of forecast is viable. Remember, your business plan provides the first impression of you as a business person, your funeral home, why you chose it, and Your forecast should include: so make it an accurate and professional whether you will own or lease the space. • Income and Cash Flow Projection – The representation of your capabilities and Detail the equipment and inventory financial projection should cover at least objectives. necessary now and in the future, whether 36 months of operation of your funeral the equipment will be owned or leased, home. Your projected income is based on Now that you have the outline above for and who your major suppliers will be. If service costs per week and will likely grow creating a business plan – don’t procrastinate! you know your exact location, describe the over time. Your cash flow is the difference Get started today so that you’re one step closer visibility and accessibility of your funeral between your gross income and your to successfully growing your funeral home. home. operating expenses and overhead. About the Author: Tim Bridgers • Days and Hours of Operation – Describe • Capital and Operating Expenses – These 910-685-7446 the days and hours you will be open and are the total funds needed to acquire and [email protected] how you will handle holiday and after hour operate your new or expanded funeral calls. home. Try to be as specific and realistic Tim Bridgers joined Live Oak Bank in 2014 with over ten years of valuable business and • Staffing – Outline the staffing changes, as possible. Include loan payments, entrepreneurial experience. Tim studied if you are acquiring, the roles of staff staff salaries, rent, utilities, supplies and Mechanical Engineering at the University of members, compensation and personnel other minor expenses. It is better to be North Carolina at Charlotte, Business at the policies. You do not need to include job conservative and overestimate your budget. University of North Carolina at Wilmington, descriptions, but identify the resources you • Project Financing – Detail how much you and completed his Finance degree at Liberty are using to create those job descriptions. need in financing to acquire or expand your University. This diverse education prepared funeral home and consider your preferred VI. Financial Forecast Bridgers for success in sales, marketing, and terms. Include any personal or investor management. Tim is a former business owner For most business owners, the Financial funds, if any, that will be contributed to the and developer of two successful companies, and Forecast is the most challenging section to project. understands the challenges business owners face. complete. For your lender, it is the most He is dedicated to assisting small business owners Tips for Writing Your Business Plan important. The financing package you in the funeral industry become and remain receive is based on the numbers in your Be clear and thorough when completing or successful. Learn more at liveoakbank.com/ financial forecast, so it is critical to make these updating your business plan. Include a formal funeral

“Live Oak Bank changed my business altogether. Being able to consolidate debts and grow my business made all the difference.”

Steve Turner Walker Mortuary, LTD. Second Generation Funeral Director FUNERAL HOME FINANCING ACQUISITION | REFINANCE | EXPANSION | SUCCESSION | RENOVATION

Watch Steve’s story at liveoakbank.com/turner

©2016 Live Oak Banking Company. All rights reserved. Member FDIC.

CFDA NEWSLINES 17 RISK MANAGEMENT CORNER Could Your Employment Practices Cause You Trouble? By Federated Mutual Insurance Company

All businesses have a lot to consider with review employment law questions. regard to human resources (HR) and risk Make a plan management issues. On an average work day, a business may encounter dozens of HR- “Employment practices” is a broad term related issues. How the employer approaches that covers hiring, firing, and everything those situations could put the business at in between. As an employer, you are risk for employment lawsuits and claims. undoubtedly aware of employees’ rights to Employers may approach personnel matters file discrimination charges. However, you with the best intentions, but their efforts may also should be aware of your right to protect be derailed by outdated policies or lack of yourself against this type of exposure. Having best practices. employment policies and procedures that Employers may have been reviewed by an attorney, and which approach personnel The implications for human resource-related are supported by consistent enforcement, can errors can be considerable. Average judgments act as a safety net to protect your business matters with the associated with poor HR practices can be from defense costs and business disruption. best intentions, but monetarily devastating to a business, let alone Complete and accurate documentation is an the disruption they cause. Just defending their efforts may be effective way to record events and procedures. claims of this type can cost a company a Augmenting your employment policy with derailed by outdated significant amount of money in attorney’s insurance designed to protect you from policies or lack of fees and legal costs. the costs of litigation can also help shield It is important to consider all remedies to your business from expenses that could best practices. control the risk and costs associated with HR significantly cut into your earnings. decisions. While insurance policies can offer Not having a plan when it comes to “hiring, protection from these costs, it also makes firing, and everything in between” could set sense to safeguard your organization with you up for HR-related litigation. An effective pre-claim best practices and legal expertise employment policy isn’t a “nice to have,” to help strengthen your policies, practices, it’s a “must have.” Planning, implementing, decisions, and actions. Many companies enforcing—these best practices work in also need access to HR resources or second tandem to help guide your business toward opinions to update or create new policies, or positive employment experiences while address new concerns or hot topics, such as helping to deflect risk and exposure to workplace bullying. avoidable litigation. The Federated Employment Practices NetworkSM (FEPN) provides Federated Some of the client services referenced are Insurance clients access to both online and provided by third party organizations wholly phone assistance for employment-related independent of Federated, and are provided with practices. FEPN also provides Federated’s the understanding that neither Federated nor its employment-related practices liability clients employees provide legal or other expert advice . with access to independent attorneys who can

This article is intended to provide general information and recommendations regarding risk prevention only. There is no guarantee that following these guidelines will result in reduced losses or eliminate any risks. This information may be subject to regulations and restrictions in your state and should not be considered legal advice. Qualified counsel should be sought regarding questions specific to your circumstances and applicable state laws. © 2016 Federated Mutual Insurance Company. All rights reserved.

18 FALL 2016 Please make it home safe today.

We believe you deserve more than just insurance. You deserve valuable risk management tools—like the “What is Important to You” distracted driving Federated Mutual Insurance Company prevention program—designed to help you and Federated Service Insurance Company* your employees make it home safe today. Federated Life Insurance Company Owatonna, Minnesota 55060 507.455.5200 | www.federatedinsurance.com 16.08 Ed Date. 11/15 *Not licensed in the states of NH, NJ, and VT. © 2016 Federated Insurance

QUESTION: We have an employee on FMLA to decide whether to require that she conclude whatever remaining FMLA she may have who is required to have an updated CPR her FMLA leave as of that time or resume the after the course completes, she can do so only certification for licensure purposes. As an leave when the CPR training ends. if the employer agrees, because this arguably would be in the nature of intermittent leave employer, we outsource CPR vendors who Employees who are eligible for FMLA leave under the Act (see page 52 at https://www. come into our clinics to recertify employees. and who seek to use it in connection with dol.gov/whd/fmla/employerguide.pdf). If the This employee is on maternity leave and fully bonding with a newborn or newly-adopted employer agrees to the arrangement, it should released to return to work with no restrictions, child or a child placed in foster care can take be cognizant of the precedent it is setting, however the employee is on her last weeks of as much leave, up to 12 weeks, as they so as others may want – and expect – a similar child bonding. The employee wishes to come in choose (assuming they have not previously accommodation in the future. (We assume to one of our clinics to recertify CPR. Should we utilized any FMLA leave in the same from the inquiry this is the first situation of its allow the employee to take the CPR course even 12-month period). Leave must be provided kind. If it is not, the employer should follow though the employee is on FMLA? Would we be continuously when it is taken for this purpose, violating the employee rights even though it’s the its past practices to avoid discrimination and but employers are not required to provide retaliation concerns here.) employee who wishes to attend the CPR course? leave on an intermittent or reduced schedule basis for this reason unless the employer agrees As a best practice the employer should secure RESPONSE: If the employer agrees to it, we to do so. Thus, if the subject employee is documentation from the employee indicating are not aware of any law that would prevent presently on continuous FMLA leave to bond that it was her choice to return to work for the the employer from allowing the subject with a newborn baby and is medically cleared CPR class and that this is not something the employee to voluntarily return to work for to return to work, then if she would like to employer forced or required her to do while the CPR certification course prior to the return to work to participate in the CPR she was otherwise on FMLA leave. conclusion of her Family and Medical Leave class, we are not aware of any law prohibiting © 2014 Advisors Law Group, All Rights Act (FMLA) leave. It is up to the employer her from doing so. If she wishes to resume Reserved

CFDA NEWSLINES 19 PRESORTED FIRST CLASS U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 0441 SACRAMENTO, CA

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