Elevate: Funeral Service Insights

Should Funeral Homes Highlight BBB Accreditation on Their Website?

At some point, nearly every funeral home owner asks the same question: Does anyone still care about the BBB seal?

With Google reviews, social proof and online reputation now driving most consumer decisions, the value of an accreditation from the Better Business Bureau may not seem to make sense anymore. However, when it comes to funeral service, the answer isn’t as simple as yes or no.

The honest answer is sometimes yes—and sometimes no. The value depends largely on where your funeral home is in its growth cycle, who you serve, and how competitive your market is.

That’s the verdict from Welton Hong, the founder and CEO of Ring Ring Marketing, who wrote about this topic in detail for FuneralVision.com.

Get his insights on what BBB accreditation actually signals and whether it makes sense for your firm.

Read the full article.

As Deathcare Demographics Shift, AI Platform Aims to Support Next-Gen Funeral Directors

Manifest, the fast-growing tech platform for small business entrepreneurs, today announced the launch of Impart, which will provide role-based training, expert coaching, and AI-supported guidance for death care business owners and their staff. Created in collaboration with Melissa Jo Schmidt, aka, FuneralBabe, the Long Island-based funeral director with more than one million TikTok followers, Impart will support the increasing number of women and Gen Zers who are drawn to the business of death.

“Death care is still a taboo subject—so it’s hard to find real, practical guidance—but the industry is changing fast, and the skills it takes to succeed are changing right along with it,” said Melissa Jo Schmidt, funeral director and founding ambassador at Impart. “Accessible, real-world training is essential. With the right tools, funeral directors spend less time buried in logistics and more time doing what matters most: caring for families with clarity and compassion.”

Deathcare is big business, with industry revenue projected to reach $20.6 billion by 2029, but the makeup of the death care industry is undergoing a seismic shift. Nearly half of funeral home owners plan to retire by 2028, giving way to a workforce that is younger and disproportionately female. Last year, women made up 75% of mortuary program graduates, compared to 40% in 2007. At the same time, the types of services offered by funeral homes are rapidly evolving, as demand for green burial options, cremation, and cosmetology services for the deceased stresses incumbent providers.

Developed in collaboration with death care insiders, Impart helps teams strengthen day-to-day operations while building confidence and consistency across roles.

The platform offers:

• Role-Based Learning: Practical, adaptive training that supports directors, arrangers, apprentices, and care teams at every stage of their careers.
• AI-Supported Business Guidance: Tools that review operational data and offer step-by-step recommendations on staffing, compliance, logistics, and day-to-day decision-making.
• Expert Coaching and Peer Community: Access to experienced funeral service professionals, along with a supportive network of owners and managers who share insight, accountability, and practical advice.
• Operational Dashboards and Playbooks: Clear frameworks and metrics that help funeral homes track performance, identify gaps, strengthen processes, and plan for sustainable growth.

“The next generation of death care entrepreneurs is realizing that training and certification pathways do not fully prepare them for the operational and emotional complexity of the profession,” said Sarah Horn, founder and CEO of Manifest, a family of brands that includes The Pet Gurus and is dedicated to making small business ownership easier, smarter, and more sustainable. “With Impart, death care professionals can access insights from industry experts that go well beyond classroom learning.”

To learn more about Impart, please visit joinimpart.com.

Nevada AG Files Fraud Charges in Las Vegas Pet Cremation Case

More than two years after Channel 13 first exposed a Las Vegas pet cremation business for allegedly wrongfully disposing of remains, the Nevada Attorney General has filed fraud charges against the owner of First Call Pet Cremation, the TV station reported.

In 2023, several pet owners contacted Channel 13 after becoming concerned about the company’s practices. Among them was Christina Palmer, whose cat, Pumpkin, died in May of that year. Months passed, yet she still had not received the cremated remains, paw prints, or hair keepsake she had paid for. When the owner eventually arrived at her home, he provided limited items and explanations that raised more questions than answers. The encounter was captured on her doorbell camera.

Law enforcement later revealed that the delays were not simply the result of operational issues. According to investigators in Utah, animals handled by the Las Vegas business were transported across state lines to a contractor responsible for cremation. In several cases, the remains never made it back to their owners.

Instead, authorities discovered multiple dumping sites in the Utah desert. Between October 2023 and February 2024, investigators located three separate areas containing the remains of roughly 42 animals. Microchip data allowed officials to identify the pets and notify their families. All of the remains were eventually recovered and cremated properly.

Following an investigation, the Nevada Attorney General’s Office filed a criminal complaint alleging that the business owner collected thousands of dollars from at least 11 customers without delivering the services promised. One victim described the actions as a profound betrayal, noting that pets are cherished family members deserving of dignity and respect.

Read the full story.

OneRoom’s Justin Whatley: Why Funeral Homes Need to Rethink Livestreaming

When OneRoom hired Justin Whatley as its chief revenue officer several months ago, it landed a seasoned deathcare executive – someone who has worked at a number of companies in the space, including CemLS, Sepio Guard and Ring Ring Marketing.

The opportunity to join the livestreaming company, he says, was simply too good to pass up.

Livestreaming, he believes, is poised for explosive growth.

“Some are still using camcorders, so they have plenty of questions, whereas others are relatively sophisticated,” he said. “In all cases, one thing we hear a lot is, “What do I charge for this?”

During COVID-19, many funeral homes began offering livestreaming, but it was a loss leader, as they did so free of charge. Given the lockdowns and gathering restrictions, he understands why.

But the pandemic is over, and livestreaming is increasingly becoming an option families expect – especially now that so many saw how it works in action over the past few years.

“They just never readdressed it,” Whatley said about charging families for the service. “Others don’t fully trust the tech, so they’d rather give it away than risk a family being upset if something goes wrong.”

But that’s where OneRoom makes a huge difference, he said. “Because the reliability and support are there, they can finally feel confident offering it as part of their service and charging for it. We help them get over that hump.”

Read the full conversation with Whatley.

Ohio Lawmakers Consider Tougher Penalties for Disrupting Funeral Processions

Ohio drivers who weave through funeral processions could soon face steeper consequences under legislation now being considered at the Statehouse, Cleveland.com reported.

Lawmakers are weighing a proposal that would increase penalties for motorists who disrupt funeral processions, behavior that officials say puts grieving families, escorts and other drivers in danger. The Ohio Senate Transportation Committee took up the issue in November, marking a renewed effort to address a problem many believe has gone unchecked for years.

Senate Bill 97, introduced by Senators Hearcel Craig and Steve Wilson, would double fines for drivers who interfere with funeral processions. The bill targets actions such as cutting between procession vehicles, ignoring escorts who are controlling traffic, or attempting to pass through intersections ahead of the line — offenses currently classified as minor misdemeanors.

Testimony before the committee indicated that these violations remain common, even though funeral processions often include safety measures like coordination with local police, professional motorcycle escorts, and the use of hazard lights. Industry representatives argued that existing penalties are not enough to deter reckless behavior.

Advocates for the bill emphasized that drivers who disregard funeral processions create serious safety risks and that stronger penalties would help reinforce responsibility on the road while increasing public awareness.

Lawmakers were also surprised to learn that funeral processions receive little to no attention in Ohio’s driver education materials. Witnesses noted that neither the state’s driver training curriculum nor the Bureau of Motor Vehicles manual clearly explains motorists’ obligations when encountering a procession.

Members of the committee expressed concern over that omission, calling it an unexpected gap that may contribute to unsafe behavior on the road.

Read more in the full article.

Authorities Discover Bodies and Cremated Remains at Unlicensed New York Funeral Home

State investigators uncovered 13 decomposing bodies and 17 boxes of cremated remains inside an unlicensed funeral home in Westchester County, New York, prompting an immediate shutdown of the business and criminal charges against its operator, according to an ABC 7 Eyewitness News report.

The discovery was made at Camelot Funeral Home in Mount Vernon, where officials say the owner conducted funeral services for months despite lacking a valid license. The state revoked the funeral director’s license and ordered the facility closed following the investigation.

More than two months after her mother’s death, Aloma Washington is only beginning to process what happened. Her mother, Estella Washington, died at age 74 on November 25, and a memorial service was held at Camelot Funeral Home. Although the family was told cremation would take place shortly afterward, they never received her remains.

Investigators later confirmed that Estella Washington’s body was among those found inside the building.

According to the State Health Department, a recent inspection revealed severe and unsanitary conditions throughout the property. Bodies were discovered in multiple rooms, including two stacked together in a garage, while boxes containing cremated remains were located in the basement. Officials also reported that no death certificates were found for any of the individuals whose remains were recovered.

Michael Naughton, the funeral home’s owner, has been charged with operating a funeral home without a license. Records show his license was originally revoked in 2019. The facility was shut down in 2021, later reopened, and then closed again in May of last year.

Despite those actions, the New York Attorney General’s Office says the funeral home conducted more than 20 funerals since August.

Read the full story.

Colorado Funeral Home Owner Sentenced to 40 Years for Storing Nearly 200 Bodies and Deceiving Families

A Colorado funeral home owner was sentenced to 40 years in state prison after authorities determined he stored nearly 200 decomposing bodies for years and provided grieving families with fraudulent cremated remains, according to a Fox Local report.

Jon Hallford, co-owner of Return to Nature Funeral Home, received the sentence following emotional testimony from victims’ families, many of whom described lasting psychological trauma since his arrest in 2023. The judge concluded that Hallford’s actions caused extraordinary and lasting harm to families who had trusted him with the care of their loved ones.

Hallford and his former wife, Carie Hallford, operated the Colorado Springs–based funeral home. Between 2019 and 2023, investigators say the couple stored 189 bodies inside a building in Penrose, a small town west of Colorado Springs. The remains were discovered after neighbors reported a powerful, foul odor coming from the structure. Authorities later concluded that families had been given fake cremated remains.

Court records show that during the same period, the Hallfords spent large sums of money on luxury items while failing to meet financial obligations. Investigators documented missed tax payments, evictions, and multiple lawsuits for unpaid bills. Purchases included high-end vehicles valued at more than $120,000, tens of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, luxury goods from designer retailers, and elective cosmetic procedures.

Both Jon and Carie Hallford pleaded guilty in December to nearly 200 counts of corpse abuse under a plea agreement with prosecutors. Carie Hallford remains charged and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24.

In addition to the state charges, the Hallfords also admitted guilt in a federal fraud case. Prosecutors said the couple improperly obtained nearly $900,000 in pandemic-era small business relief funds.

Read the full story.