The funeral industry is not immune to the economic downturn that the nation has been experiencing in the last several months. People are choosing to forego some traditional services with funerals in order to save money. Cadillac hearses aren’t as prominent as they once were. Other expensive services are on the decline as well.
The directors at the Stauffer Funeral Home in Maryland are making some changes to cope with the financial effects. “With the changes in the economy,” said G. Douglas Stauffer, co-owner of the funeral home with is son, “funeral homes are not a whole lot different from a business standpoint.” He went on to say this: “Operating costs and overhead are far greater than they were…Contrary to what many people believe, the large profits simply aren’t there.”
While fewer people are choosing the more expensive services, the demand for funerals has remained steady. And although business is still good, directors like Stauffer are on guard for troubled times ahead. Funeral home owners have the salaries of several employees to consider as well as maintenance on their fleets of hearses and funeral cars. Gas prices are also a consideration as they continue to climb. The one thing that saves funeral homes in these trying times, says Terry Connelly, Jr. of Connelly Funeral Home in Essex, is the fact that many people have planned ahead with life insurance and savings.
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