By Dan Isard, The Foresight Companies

Earlier this year, I turned 68 years old. I mention this because I feel I bear a responsibility to this profession, one that has allowed me to build a company and serve more than 3,000 of its members during my career. While I have written more than 500 articles and four books covering many topics, I now want to systematically share all I have learned for the benefit of the next generation of business owners.

I call this my Knowledge Transfer Plan (KTP). We human beings know we are not immortal, and I do not want to take any more knowledge with me to the grave than reasonable. (Yes, I will be buried.)

With that said, please note that this column is now called “Finance 301.” This is the graduate-level course! Bundle these articles for easy access, even if that means just tearing them out of the magazine and placing them in a binder.

The Greatest Challenge

To succeed in any business, one needs to look back objectively and forward responsibly. In other words, review the trends along the road you recently traveled so you can make good estimates about what lies ahead.

With that in mind, the first issue I want to address in my Knowledge Transfer Plan involves the single greatest challenge plaguing this profession: how providers deal with consumers who choose cremation. Funeral service must address the unintended consequences presented by a rising cremation rate...

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Dan Isard is the founder of The Foresight Companies, which has served thousands of funeral homes nationwide for the past four decades. Contact Mr. Isard at 602-274-6464 or danisard@theforesightcompanies.com