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INDUSTRY NEWS ICFA Model Guidelines for State Laws and Regulations Now Online In response to requests by ICFA members, all 28 of the "Model Guidelines for State Laws and Regulations" are now available on the ICFA Web page. The guidelines focus on a variety of diverse subjects such as Prepaid Contracts, Trust Funds, Alternatives to Trusting, Endowment Care Funds, Zoning and Related Construction Standards, Solicitation, Record Keeping Requirements and Written Price Disclosures, among many others. The ICFA model guidelines were developed by a special task force of the Government and Legal Affairs Committee, and subsequently reviewed and approved by the ICFA board of directors. The guidelines are advisory in nature and set out general concepts rather than precise statutory language. Though drafted by industry members, the goal throughout the project has been to combine a sensitivity to consumer protection issues with the need for all industry members, whether for-profit or nonprofit cemeteries, funeral homes, memorial designers or crematories, to conduct their operations according to sound business principles. It is hoped that the model guidelines will help raise the level of debate concerning proposed state legislation from a largely anecdotal basis to one in which statistical and actuarial data will add substance to the discussion. The model guidelines can be viewed at www.icfa.org/model_guidelines.htm. More on Junk Fax: Unsolicited Faxes to Non-Customers Still Illegal The July 5 edition of WIRELESS concerning the new Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005 resulted in some member questions about sending unsolicited faxes. The new law continues the practice of allowing businesses to send faxes to persons or organizations where there is an existing business relationship. Proposed regulations by the Federal Communications Commission would have prohibited sending faxes to customers without prior written permission. However, the new law does not affect the longstanding prohibition against sending unsolicited faxes to persons or organizations where there has been no previous business relationship. This prohibition has been part of federal law since the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. The new law, while permitting unsolicited faxes to be sent to customers, requires that a "clear and conspicuous" notice be placed on the first page of each fax explaining how to opt out of receiving future faxes. The opt out must be cost free to the recipient, and businesses must be geared to accept opt out requests 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For a reasonably accurate summary (although decidedly anti-business in tone) of federal junk fax requirements, see the Questions and Answers section at www.junkfax.org. ICFA NEWS ICFA Sales & Marketing Committee Begins Scripting "Reality-Based Selling" The ICFA Sales & Marketing Committee held an all-day meeting July 15 in Memphis to begin scripting the ICFA's 2006 Wide World of Sales Conference, "Reality-Based Selling." The event, January 12-13 at Treasure Island in Las Vegas, will offer two days filled with "how to" sales and marketing presentations geared toward sales managers and top producers. To see the ICFA Sales & Marketing Committee, check out www.icfa.org/sales06_committee.htm For additional details and specific pricing information for the conference, visit www.icfa.org/sales06.htm. A trip to Las Vegas for the conference offers an ideal sales contest incentive. A customizable contest flier can be downloaded at www.icfa.org/pdf/contest_sample.doc. Advice for Family Businesses: Develop Employment Guidelines Dean Fowler, a family business advisor and the co-author of "Love, Power & Money: Family Business Between Generations," will offer solutions for strategic, successful business succession plans at the ICFA Fall Management Conference, October 19-22 at Kapalua Bay in Maui, Hawaii. Among the steps recommended in Fowler's book: "Develop Employment Guidelines. Very few family businesses establish formal guidelines for the employment and advancement of family members in the business, yet they are essential. Your employment guidelines should define criteria for hiring family members on a full-time basis. In addition, the family must determine what kinds of accountability and performance standards will be used to measure the growth and success of family members as they develop in positions within the company. Finally, the family must address issues about compensation. Will compensation be equal for all family members or will compensation be based on the fair market value of the position, as determined by industry or regionally based surveys?" For an extended excerpt from his book and for additional articles and information on running a successful family enterprise, visit www.deanfowler.com. For a complete ICFA Fall Management Conference program and to register, visit www.icfa.org/fall05.htm or call 1-800-645-7700. Last Call! Convention Presentation Proposals Due Friday The ICFA will host its 2006 Convention & Exposition, "Building on Our Past, Designing Our Future,"March 15-18 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and the Hilton Riverside in New Orleans, Louisiana. Individuals who are interested in presenting workshops are asked to contact the ICFA with their proposed session title and description by July 22. Please submit proposals to Linda Budzinski via email at lacorn@icfa.org or via fax at 703.391.8416. Questions? Call Linda at 1.800.645.7700. ICFA to Relocate to Larger Offices The ICFA is relocating its headquarters offices to a 7,520-square-foot space in Sterling, Virginia, a larger space that will provide substantial room for future growth. The new offices are located directly adjacent to Washington Dulles International Airport, due west of our nation's capitol. Please note the new address, to take effect August 15: Suite 100 107 Carpenter Drive Sterling, VA 20164 The association's telephone, fax, Web and e-mail addresses will remain the same: 1.800.645.7700 703.391.8416 www.icfa.org gen4@icfa.org ICFA Moving Sale: Inventory Reduction Prices End Friday! In preparation for the move, the ICFA is offering substantially reduced prices on several products in an effort to reduce inventory. Until July 22, the following products are on sale:
And more ... The ICFA Fall Management Conference, October 19-22 at Kapalua Bay in Maui, Hawaii, offers CEOs a one-of-a-kind opportunity to network, learn and relax in a tropical resort setting. Spots on the CEO Network program and rooms at the resort are filling up quickly. Send in your registration and make your reservations today! The ICFA has secured music performance rights from the three music licensing agencies: ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. ICFA Music License members can now become fully licensed for the annual price of $238 per location, with no additional fees. Membership is open to any company in the cemetery and funeral service profession in the United States. Companies that are already members of the ICFA in another category must acquire the additional membership category (a Music License Membership) to be eligible for the Music License benefit. The ICFA Store allows members to purchase the latest ICFA resources and training products online. Some products are available for immediate direct download, including the newly released Wirthlin Report on consumer attitudes and article packages on cremation, cemetery and funeral home valuations and trust funds. The ICFA News Page takes you to sources throughout the world for industry news and updates. It brings you the most comprehensive selection of funeral service and cemetery news available anywhere, along with frequently updated general news items related to national and world events. The News Page reports the news before anyone else and is one of the most visited page on the ICFA Web site. Stop in each day and you'll see why. The Network is an online e-mail service that offers ICFA members an easy, free way to share questions and answers to everyday on-the-job challenges. Recent discussions have examined issues such as working with the Muslim community, distance between burial sites, direct mail marketing, the growing popularity of geocaching at cemeteries, recruiting staff and more. Ideal for smaller companies with smaller budgets. Join today! The ICFA Internet Expo is the largest online exposition in the cemetery and funeral service industry. Cemetery and funeral home owners and operators will find 300+ providers in more than 100 product and service categories. Exhibit space is provided as a free, exclusive benefit to all ICFA supplier and professional members. Check it out today! Need a labor relations and employment law attorney? Check out ICFA's HR Law Benefit program offering members no-cost telephone legal consultations, paid for by the ICFA via an exclusive retainer agreement. ICFA members now also have access to an attorney for tax-related questions regarding trust earnings, care fund allocations, capital gains, investments and more. The ICFA has retained Leslie Schneider, CPA, a tax attorney with Ivins, Phillips & Barker in Washington, D.C., for telephone consultations for up to 20 minutes with no obligation. To take advantage of this member benefit, call Schneider at 202.393.7600. The ICFA and Applied Merchant Systems of Chicago, Illinois, currently offer members a Credit Card Processing Program with a special low discount rate of 1.75 percent, with no per transaction processing fee. This new benefit makes it less expensive for cemeteries, funeral homes, memorial designers and related businesses to accommodate customers who wish to pay via credit card. For more information, call 1-800-675-6573. The ICFA Insurance Program, administered by Driver Alliant, allows members to purchase commercial property and casualty insurance -- including general liability, commercial property, automobile liability and physical damage, umbrella liability, professional liability, workers compensation, employee benefits and more -- at rates they probably would not be able to afford on their own. To advertise in the ICFA Wireless: The ICFA accepts limited advertising in the ICFA Wireless newsletter, a bi-weekly newsletter e-mailed to all ICFA members that are current on their dues and have provided a current e-mail address. For rates and to place your insertion, contact Quan Phan at qphan@icfa.org or 1.800.645.7700. To unsubscribe from the ICFA Wireless: Send an e-mail with "unsubscribe" in the subject line to: wireless@icfa.org. Please include your name and company name in the body of the e-mail. International Cemetery and Funeral Association 1895 Preston White Drive, Suite 220 Reston, VA 20191 1.800.645.7700 703.391.8400 Fax: 703.391.8416 www.icfa.org Copyright 2005 International Cemetery and Funeral Association. |
