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INDUSTRY NEWS Senate Bill Would Give Small Businesses Stronger Role in Federal Regulations On July 13, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) introduced S. 1388, the Regulatory Flexibility Reform Act of 2005. The provisions of the bill require federal agencies to review all 10-year-old regulations for their current impact on small business; Executive Order 13272 would be codified into law, thereby assuring the U.S. Small Businesses Administration's (SBA) opinions are considered when agencies issue final rules; and federal agencies would assist state agencies that implement federal regulations to analyze the impact on small businesses. According to data by the Office of Advocacy in the SBA, the annual cost of compliance with federal regulations for "the smallest of businesses" is $6,975 per employee. This cost is estimated as 60 percent greater than the costs of compliance incurred by large businesses. The SBA's Office of Advocacy describes itself as "the independent voice for small business within the federal government. The presidentially appointed Chief Counsel for Advocacy advances the views, concerns, interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policy makers." For more information regarding this agency, visit its Web page at www.sba.gov. IRS Provides Information on Tax-Exempt Cemetery Donating Care Fund Income to Charity Recently, the Internal Revenue Service published an information letter concerning whether a small family cemetery exempt from federal taxation under IRC section 501(c)(13), and "which has built an endowment over the years that far exceeds its current needs" is permitted to make a distribution from income to a 501(c)(3) public charity. "Inasmuch as neither the Code nor Regulations expressly prohibit a 501(c)(13) cemetery company from making contributions to a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions to both ... are treated as charitable contributions under section 170(c), distributions of income ... [as described] appear to be within the general ambit of a nonprofit cemetery company engaging in charitable activities." The IRS letter also recommended the following: "You should check with the appropriate state attorney general to determine the consequences (proscriptions due to dedicated assets) pertaining to cemetery companies distributing money to charities under that state's law.... This information letter is for your general information only. This information letter is not a ruling, and it may not otherwise be used or cited as precedent." To read the letter in its entirety, visit www.icfa.org/pdf/irs_charity.doc. ICFA NEWS Fall Management Conference: CEO Network Program Now Full The ICFA 2005 Fall Management Conference CEO Network program has reached its maximum registration limit; applicants for this portion of the conference can now be placed on a waiting list. The program originally was to be limited to the first 18 registrants, but due to high demand, Conference Program Co-Chairs Vinnie Faccinto and Christine Toson Hentges raised the number to 36. Those seats have now been filled, and several applicants have been placed on a waiting list. Registrations are still being accepted for the remainder of the conference. The Fall Management Conference, October 19-22 at the Kapalua Bay Hotel in Maui, Hawaii, offers the only venue in the profession for cemetery and funeral service executives to participate in top-level educational programs and network with their peers while enjoying a luxury family getaway. With 11 weeks until the conference, the total number of registrants to date is 71, as well as 43 spouse/guest registrants. This exceeds the 2004 conference figures for the comparable time period by almost 40 percent. For a complete ICFA Fall Management Conference program and to register, visit www.icfa.org/fall05.htm or call 1-800-645-7700. 2006 Convention & Exposition Keynoters Announced Cemeterians, funeral directors, cremationists, sales managers, suppliers ... the ICFA Annual Convention & Exposition is the one national event no one in our profession can afford to miss. The 2006 Convention, March 15-18 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, is expected be the association's largest ever, both in terms of attendance and programming. The ICFA is projecting more than 200 booths and 1,200+ attendees. And the educational program will include six General Session presentations and more than 25 breakouts. The ICFA's recent Call for Presentations resulted in dozens of excellent proposals, and the Convention Planning Committee is narrowing those down to ensure a varied and highly educational meeting. General Sessions will include:
For more information, watch your mailbox or call 1.800.645.7700. 2006 Wide World of Sales Program Outline Now Posted The ICFA's Wide World of Sales Conference, January 12-13, 2006, at Treasure Island in Las Vegas, Nevada, will give attendees a huge dose of "Reality-Based Selling," as more than 20 experts from within and outside the profession offer two days of "how to" instruction on preneed and at-need sales and service. The program schedule is made up of four sections:
For a complete outline of the sessions and speakers and to download a registration form, visit www.icfa.org/sales06.htm or call 1.800.645.7700. Just Announced! The Opportunity of a Lifetime: Lunch with Gary O In recent years, the ICFA Wide World of Sales Conference has become a popular incentive for cemetery and funeral service sales programs and contests. In recognition of this, the ICFA Sales & Marketing Committee this year has added a bonus event to the conference. Exclusively for top-producing sales counselors, the Friday lunch will be a Lunch With Gary O'Sullivan. In addition to having opportunities to network with fellow sales counselors, attendees at this lunch will enjoy an educational and motivational presentation by the preneed sales profession's top speaker and trainer. Known for his passionate dedication to the profession and his unwavering belief in the value of prearrangement, O'Sullivan has inspired counselors throughout North America to increased productivity and improved service. Comments on O'Sullivan's recent ICFA presentations include:
Sales managers, owners, suppliers and other non-counselors in attendance at the conference will be provided a regular networking lunch on Friday. For information on the conference program and to download a registration form, visit www.icfa.org/sales06.htm or call 1.800.645.7700. Download a customizable contest/incentive flier at www.icfa.org/pdf/contest_sample.doc. And more ... 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. |
