Buying, Selling & Succession Planning Toolkit

Are you thinking about expanding your business through acquiring a firm or adding another rooftop? Or has the time come for you to consider transferring your firm to the next generation, an employee, another independent or even a corporate purchaser? These are weighty questions, and something many funeral home business owners only think about a few times in their careers at most. Many people simply don’t know where to start or how to get information about the process of buying and selling. This toolkit is a starting place for you. 

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Succession Planning Webinar Content

Maximizing the Value of Your Funeral Business 

Chris Farmer of The Farmer Firm and Tim Bridgers of Live Oak Bank discuss how to set your firm up to maximize its value in the days, months and years ahead of potential sale or generational transfer.

Webinar PowerPoint Slide Presentation

Recorded Webinar

How Does a Sale Work and How to Avoid Common Pitfalls 

Chris Farmer and Tim Bridgers return to walk you through the process to understand all the options so you can decide which is best for your business.

Webinar PowerPoint Slide Presentation

Recorded Webinar

Acquiring an Existing Funeral Business: What You Need to Know 

Jake Johnson of Johnson Consulting Group will walk members through how to evaluate a funeral business as a potential acquisition target. This session will get members up to speed on the ins and outs of buying a funeral business and provide insight on when this option may help your business grow and grow stronger. 

Webinar PowerPoint Slide Presentation

Recorded Webinar 


alternate textTim Bridgers

Succession Planning Audio Content

"Succession Planning: Take One"
Tim Bridgers, General Manager for the funeral home and cemetery financing team at Live Oak Bank, provides an in-depth look at succession planning from a lender's perspective. This discussion will highlight key metrics within the financial data of the business, and implications in supporting future debt.

Audio   download



  • Slides

  • alternate textJames R. Strong

    "Succession Planning: Take Two"
    James R. (Bud) Strong, Partner and former Chair of the Private Wealth Group with Husch Blackwell LLP,  focuses on real-life examples that illustrate the main things to avoid in succession planning, not only from a legal and tax perspective, but also from the standpoint of avoiding internal business management conflicts and family conflicts that can often be extremely damaging and stressful. 

    Audio   download



  • Slides


  • Articles

    Preparing for the Loss of an Owner (Deloitte Private)

    Leadership Transition and the Next Generation (Deloitte Private)

    The Future of the Business: How to Prepare for a Sale and Other Exit Strategy Options (Deloitte Private)

    The Who, When, and How to Business Succession Planning (Federated Insurance)

    Planning for the Family Business Transition: "What's Next?" (Federated Insurance)

    Checklist: Are You Ready to Sell? (Johnson Consulting Group, March 2021)

    The Acquisition Process Checklist (Live Oak Bank, October 2020)

    A Guide to Buying a Business (Live Oak Bank, October 2020)

    Why Your Succession Plan is Failing (McKee Wallwork + Company, February 2020)

    Maximizing Your Business Value: Now and For the Future (Johnson Consulting Group)

    Buying or Selling a Funeral Home or Cemetery ( The Foresight Company October 2021)

    Live Oak Bank’s Guide to Selling a Business (Live Oak Bank December 2021)


    In addtion visit:

    Growth Community

    Planning for the future has never been more important than it is today. Whether you are interested in growing your rooftops, expanding into ancillary business lines, investing in funeral service-related businesses with other like-minded individuals, or even selling your firm to another independent operator, Selected is here to support you and provide the resources necessary to get where you need to go. Learn More.

    The Selected Acquisitions Marketplace

    The Selected Acquisition Marketplace connects members who wish to sell their firm with members interested in acquisition and investment opportunities. This private, members-only program helps keep Selected members independently owned. Learn More.