Who Is Dale Espich?

A graduate of DePauw University with a double major in Economics and Psychology, Dale Espich has made extensive presentations to funeral director groups, state funeral organizations, the National Foundation on Management, and mortuary schools. He has consulted with over 500 funeral service companies of all sizes during the past 40 years.

Welcome To Higher Profits

profitsIn 2002, the industry average profit on an adult funeral service was $397. The average profit for Dale E. Epich & Associates, Inc. clients was over DOUBLE THAT AMOUNT.

Why? Because we provide our clients with the tools and the concepts to help them maximize their profits and expand their business.

It starts with knowledge…with examining every aspect of your operation, your pricing structure, and your overhead. Then, we show you how to forecast your income more precisely, set up a business plan that takes into account every single area of cost and income, and determine the key to your profitability – your true adult operational expense (OVERHEAD).

Plus, we’ve developed a proprietary approach called the Fair Pricing Standards and Practices System that can actually help you plan – and price – FOR PROFIT!

Planning To Buy or Sell?

Don’t settle for anything but the best representation and negotiator in the business!

Dale Espich has personally negotiated over $200,000,000 in funeral and cemetery sales and has prepared over 250 funeral business valuations in the U.S. and Canada.

Remember, no matter how good the valuation, it is a meaningless piece of PAPER UNTIL THE DEAL IS SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATED.

Call Dale Espich today for more information.

Business Evaluations

Whether you sell to your son or daughter, a consolidator, a competitor, or your employee; or you are buying, it pays to get only the best expert in funeral service.

We can help you:
• ESTABLISH THE TRUE VALUE of the business
and
• NEGOTIATE THE PRICE AND TERMS to your best advantage!!

Call Dale Espich today to get the expertise you need.

How Much Is Your Business Really Worth?

Maybe not as much as you think. Dale Espich can help you find out.

Through Dale E. Espich & Associates, Inc., you can determine the exact worth of a funeral home business when you’re preparing to buy or sell, or when you’re planning for succession. In addition, an accurate evaluation is critical in expert witness situations, and for lost profit issues.

As a consultant to over 500 firms, Dale Espich’s precise evaluations have been invaluable to funeral home owners. He has also successfully negotiated over $200 million for sales and transfers, whether for an employee, the competition, or even family.

Widely considered an expert on funeral profitability, he has published countless articles on business valuations, management analysis, and casket merchandising. You’ve worked hard, and you require the most accurate possible evaluation. Trust the expert with nearly 40 years of financial management experience in the industry.

"How Can I Determine My Real Profitability?"

The business systems and concepts developed by Dale E. Espich & Associates over the years are designed specifically for funeral home operators and related enterprises.

While many funeral home owners have a basic understanding of most elements that influence income and expense, Dale E. Espich & Associates clients are able to refine and focus their cost analyses to obtain a clearer picture of the pricing structures and cost controls that lead to higher percentage profits.

Ask yourself this question: Do you really understand how each of the following elements can help or hinder your profitability?

  • Operating expenses
  • Case volume
  • Adult service charge average
  • Adult casket wholesale average
  • Adult casket wholesale average mark-up recovery
  • Partial services and merchandise averages
  • Vault retail and cost averages
  • Miscellaneous income averages
  • Non-operating income

Shake handsChances are, you take some of these into account as you develop your yearly business projections. But Dale E. Espich & Associates clients use ALL of them to increase profitability.

We can show you how.

We Answer All Your Questions.  All Of Them.

"What does Dale E. Espich & Associates actually do for funeral home owners?"

Here is a brief listing of the approach we take to increasing your profitability:

  • In-depth analysis of your complete financial and profitability structure.
  • Convert all income and expenses to the way your business really operates--
    ONE FUNERAL AT A TIME.
  • Project all costs to help you adjust your pricing for merchandise and services, keeping them "in synch" to generate fair pricing for your client families and fair profit for you.
  • Take the guesswork out of your rate card and help you "price for profit."
keys

"Exactly what kind of analysis do you perform?"

Among others, we carefully examine your current profits, all expenses, total revenues, casket averages, service charges, and adult and vault trends. Then, we supply a 50-page full-color report with graphics that helps you actually visualize the trends in your profitability. We also provide a personal on-site visit with a full explaination, answers to your questions, and discussion of all of the firms problems, opportunities, etc.

“How can I be sure your services will help my business?”

Since we have been in business for many years and because we stand behind our work offering a service guarantee, we are confident your business will improve. Feel free to ask any of our current clients.

“What are the ‘two critical questions’?”

You’ve probably tried to answer at least one of them: “How much should you charge?” But there’s another: “How much can you charge?” Our complete analyses will give you that important answer.

“Can Dale E. Espich & Associates services enhance my retirement strategy?”

When you’re ready to sell your business, or pass it along to the next generation, it will be worth more if it’s more profitable. The average value of funeral homes is declining every year. Our methods can help you reverse that trend.

“How do Dale E. Espich & Associates strategies and systems work?”

There are only three ways to increase profit: reduce costs, expand the client base, and charge enough for the services you provide. Our tools will help you do all three. We help you toward a clearer understanding of all factors that affect your expenses, which is crucial. At the same time, we provide strategies that help generate more business.