The Veterinary Practice Management Essentials (VPME) Resource Library is a collection of published articles by VetPartners members that offer further insight into the topics highlighted in the VPME Booklet. Veterinary professionals are encouraged to browse these articles to find tips, strategies and practical advice for how to implement many of the components covered in the VPME Booklet.
Strategic Planning
Time to Revise Your Mission Statement? If Yours Doesn’t Elicit an Emotional Feeling, Try Again
Mission statements are dull, boring and useless, and so are annual performance reviews…The issue with most veterinary mission statements, which is the subject of this article, and annual performance reviews, which is not, is that they typically are done poorly. READ MORE
Written by Debbie Boone, CCS, CVPM for Today’s Veterinary Business
Do I Need to Hire a New Associate?
Adding another doctor to your team, and your payroll, is an expensive and time-consuming task, and the motivations for doing so should be well thought out in advance. READ MORE
Written by Stith Keiser and Jessica Goodman Lee, for Veterinary Team Brief
Early Years of Your Practice: What to Consider
The best way to create the future you want is to set goals and then plan appropriately for them. Roadmaps are essential to your career plan! Here are key issues to consider and address during the early years of your practice. READ MORE
Written by Charlotte Lacroix, DVM, JD, Veterinary Business Advisors, Inc.
Finance & Accounting
How to Set Practice Service Fees
The better the veterinary team knows the practice’s fees, the easier it is to present them to clients with confidence and without anxiety. Following is a brief journey into the methods and mechanics of setting veterinary service fees. READ MORE
Written by Pamela Stevenson, CVPM, VetResults, for Veterinary Team Brief
Developing Relevant KPIs for Your Practice
Evaluating data relative to performance is a critical part of running a business. Most practice owners and managers have a few reports they reflect on each month to gauge how the practice is performing and decide where efforts need to be placed to improve. This is a sound business strategy. READ MORE
Written by Michelle Guercio-Winter, CVT, CVPM, Patterson Veterinary
Making the P&L Work for You
Profit and loss statements are likely the last thing you want to look at when managing your practice (because they don’t always tell the story you want to hear). But, this is important information to know when it comes to making decisions that can improve your practice. Truly understanding your P & L statement will show you what’s the best way to grow your P and shrink your L. So, let’s begin by breaking it down! READ MORE
Written by Debbie Hill, CVPM, SPHR, CCFP, Sharing Success…Management Solutions
Business Tax – Digging into the Changes
Business Tax Changes Under Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (12-22-17), the good and the not so good. READ MORE
Written by Camala Bailey, CPA, CVA
Year-end Equipment Purchases
Debating an equipment purchase? Consider taxes-and the big picture. READ MORE
Written by Camala Bailey, CPA, CVA, for DVM 360
Veterinary Hospital Inventory can Cost you in Taxes
While politicians wrestle over tax reform in Washington, D.C., Camala shared some inventory tips to save you money this year, next year and every year. READ MORE
Written by Camala Bailey, CPA, CVA, for DVM 360
Planning a Stress-Free Road to Retirement
Succession planning. Two words when placed together make your heart race in light of the decades spent building this hospital from the ground. Who am I going to sell to? How am I going to sell? What do I value my practice at? When is a good time to sell? READ MORE
Written by Charlotte Lacroix, DVM, JD, Veterinary Business Advisors, Inc.
Long-Term Effects of Short-Term Spending
No savings strategy I know of allows a student to entirely offset the cost of veterinary school or veterinary technician school, but anyone can start right now to lower his or her debt load and make it more manageable through continued savings and on-the-job production. READ MORE
Written by Stith Keiser, Blue Heron Consulting, for Veterinary Team Brief
Personal Finance: Control What You Can Control
Veterinary professionals constantly hear about rising student debt, increased competition for job candidates and practice owners, and fickle client attitudes. It is easy to become overwhelmed, but veterinary professionals need to focus on what they can control… READ MORE
Written by Stith Keiser, Blue Heron Consulting, for Veterinary Team Brief
Calculate Your ROI Before You Buy
With any practice investment, we must measure return on investment (ROI). READ MORE
Written by Stith Keiser, BA, Blue Heron Consulting, for Veterinary Team Brief
Negotiating a Commercial Lease
If you need to sign a lease for your veterinary practice’s location, here are a few tips to help you to successfully negotiate a commercial lease. READ MORE
Written Charlotte Lacroix, DVM, JD, Veterinary Business Advisors
Human Resources
The Challenge of Providing Multigenerational Benefits in Veterinary Practices
The working world is faced with a curious dilemma – the presence of several distinct generations with their own particular styles of work and diverse expectations regarding the benefits those jobs provide. The world of veterinary medicine is no different, and to remain relevant as attractive employers. READ MORE
Written by Pamela Stevenson, CVPM, VetResults
Team Meetings: Treasure Trove or Waste of Time?
Team meetings can be challenging, and team members are typically less than enthusiastic about attending, perhaps because they think meetings are a waste of time and do not effect change—this is likely true if meetings are not organized and well-planned. READ MORE
Written by Sandy Walsh, RVT, CVPM, PetOps, LLC, for Veterinary Team Brief
Successful Negotiations: Strategies for Salary, Benefits and More
When you’re offered a job at a veterinary practice, it’s important to get as much information as possible about the specifics. You’ll typically be offered a certain wage, often along with benefits such as health insurance, retirement benefits, vacation time and the like. But, the offer may not mention workplace flexibility and other perks that can have a significant impact on your job – and so it’s crucial to negotiate all of the key elements of the offer. READ MORE
Written Charlotte Lacroix, DVM, JD, Veterinary Business Advisors
Keep Your Top Talent from Jumping Ship
When the tide changes, and it is, and other employment options become available, the risk of losing team members increases. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to avoid losing your top talent. READ MORE
Written by Stith Keiser, Blue Heron Consulting, for Veterinary Team Brief
Is Your Potential Hire the Right Fit?
As practice owners, we all want to think that our practice is above average (75% of people rate themselves “above average”). We like to think we don’t suffer from the management issues, personality conflicts and “drama” with which our peers have to deal. The reality, though, is that we all have our faults and we must admit and address them before hiring. READ MORE
Written by Stith Keiser, Blue Heron Consulting, for Veterinary Team Brief
Bringing on a New Associate: Is Mentorship the Answer?
Practitioners who fail to hire for the right reason and then do not train their new associate appropriately wonder why their new hires consistently fail to meet expectations. READ MORE
Written by Stith Keiser, Blue Heron Consulting, for Veterinary Team Brief
The Value of Mentorship in Veterinary Practices
“Mentorship” is no longer synonymous with “hand-holding” and is winning the credibility it deserves in veterinary medicine. Mentorship has a plethora of benefits for both the mentee and mentor. READ MORE
Written by Stith Keiser, Blue Heron Consulting, for Veterinary Team Brief
Why Veterinary Practices Should Invest in CE
The keys to team happiness are autonomy, mastery, and purpose1; all relate to the freedom to do what we love, do it well, and do it for the right reason…team leaders cannot expect their team members to achieve this freedom without the necessary tools. READ MORE
Written by Stith Keiser and Jennifer Yurkon, for Veterinary Team Brief
Resurrecting Your Team
Practice morale can swing from one end of the pendulum and back again. Sometimes it is easy to pinpoint the problem or issue. Other times, there are several complicated issues. Managing people is a challenging job. Leadership must be intent to lead, direct and manage the entire team. READ MORE
Written by Shelley Johnson, BS, CVPM, Patterson Veterinary
Making Salary Negotiations a Win-Win
Salary and benefit negotiations should end with both parties feeling satisfied. Instead, both parties frequently gird their loins, go into battle, and one person loses. That person is then expected to go to work and perform at a high level with no hope of reward in the near future. A different approach can change this outcome. READ MORE
Written by Debbie Boone, CCS, CVPM, 2 Manage Vets Consulting, for Veterinary Team Brief
Mysteries of Fair Compensation 2017 Update
This article describes the factors that practice owners should consider when determining compensation for veterinarians and paraprofessional staff. Part I of this article discusses the use of financial benchmarks while Part II explores how motivational theory can inform compensation decisions. READ MORE
Written by Charlotte Lacroix, DVM, JD, Veterinary Business Advisors
Employee Benefits in the Veterinary Practice
This podcast explores what the typical practice offers, how to choose an insurance broker, and unique situations and options. LISTEN
Featuring Cory Friedman, Alera Veterinary
Do You Need A Letter Of Intent? What They Are And How To Beware
Letters of intent (LOIs) are used in veterinary medicine during employment and practice sale negotiations to put preliminary terms into writing. They can be useful for planning but unclear expectations and ambiguity in LOI language – particularly about the binding/non-binding nature of clauses – can cause proposed deals to fall through, and litigation can ensue.
Written by Charlotte Lacroix, DVM, JD, Veterinary Business Advisors
Operations
Tough Tasks – Managing Emotions in an Emotional Environment
In day-to-day practice, the emotional scale is vast and everyone’s scale is unique. The requirement to manage our emotions changes moment to moment when we think of client interactions, pet cases, employee interactions and job demands. READ MORE
Written by Shelley Johnson, BS, CVPM, Patterson Veterinary
Learning from Hindsight
If I only knew then what I know now. READ MORE
Written by Michelle Guercio-Winter, CVT, CVPM, Patterson Veterinary
The Consideration of Servant Leadership in Veterinary Practice
Traditional leadership theories stem from individualistic perspectives of the leader. These theories are based on the top-down framework and at one time fit neatly into organizational initiatives. However, this hierarchical type of leadership does not work well in many veterinary practices. READ MORE
Written by Jennifer Hock, DEL, Patterson Veterinary
Why Leadership Matters
Leadership has become such an immensely overused notion that we have somehow lost sight of what it is and why it really matters. Perhaps the best place to begin is the beginning. READ MORE
Written by Jennifer Hock, DEL, Patterson Veterinary
Effective Team Training Embraces Differences
Many veterinary practices, like most small businesses, do not have a human resources (HR) department, and veterinarians and managers often overlook training while focusing on hiring issues that appear more pressing. An effective training program is an essential component of a successful practice and can help make the most of the existing team when executed well. READ MORE
Written by Pamela Stevenson, CVPM, VetResults, for Veterinary Team Brief
Minimizing Team Conflict
Conflict arises in every practice, but it does not have to create a negative situation. Conflict can be positive and productive if it presents the opportunity for different team members to voice their viewpoint, but when conflict is managed ineffectively, the poor work environment that results can negatively affect team members, client service, and patient care. READ MORE
Written by Pamela Stevenson, CVPM, VetResults, for Veterinary Team Brief
Stop Judging Clients
Some clients are difficult but labeling them as such and guessing who will comply doesn’t help anyone, especially pets. Take a gavel to judgmental thinking and you’ll soon be letting clients—even the “bad” ones—off for good behavior. READ MORE
Written by Pamela Stevenson, CVPM, VetResults, for DVM 360
Should Your Practice Have an Online Pharmacy?
Clients today are trying harder than ever to save money and ordering veterinary drugs online rather than through human pharmacies has increased in popularity. Pharmacy income is a significant component of overall practice health; thus, meeting clients’ evolving demands by developing your own online pharmacy service should be seriously considered. READ MORE
Written by Pamela Stevenson, CVPM, VetResults, for Veterinary Team Brief
What’s Missing in my Employee Manuals
Often we believe that everyone has an employee manual and uses it. In the past few years, I have realized that this is not the case. The main roadblocks to starting production of a manual are: READ MORE
Written by Debbie Hill, CVPM, SPHR, CCFP, Sharing Success…Management Solutions
Managers: 6 Ways to Make Veterinary Receptionists Love You
Happy receptionists make for happy clients and a more pleasant workplace. Take these tips to heart and your team will love you. READ MORE
Written by Debbie Boone, BS, CVPM, 2 Manage Vets Consulting, for DVM 360
Compliance: A Team Effort
Learn how to improve compliance by properly utilizing your team. READ MORE
Written by Debbie Boone, BS, CCS, CVPM, 2 Manage Vets Consulting, for Today’s Veterinary Nurse
Scheduling Appointments to Make the Day Flow Smoothly
A busy practice is good for business, but scheduling and workflow must be organized to positively impact veterinarians, team members, and client satisfaction. READ MORE
Written by Stith Keiser, BA, Blue Heron Consulting, for Veterinary Team Brief
Why Not Follow Human Medicine?
Physicians offer payment plans to clients, and a veterinary practice can too. READ MORE
Written by Tony Ferraro, VetBilling, for Today’s Veterinary Business
Management
So You’ve Been Promoted to Management…Now What?
If you have been promoted to a management role within your practice and are still wondering how to tackle your new position—or if you think you might be on that path—don’t panic! Know that there are many resources to help you learn management skills, and even your mistakes can be opportunities to improve. READ MORE
Written by Sandy Walsh, RVT, CVPM, PetOps, LLC, for Today’s Veterinary Nurse
Marketing & Communications
Don’t Call Us – We’ll Call You!
The concept of callback systems is not new. We started years ago with lab results and then added surgery callbacks a day or two after the procedure. Sadly, many hospitals stop here – thinking that’s enough. These practices are missing an opportunity. READ MORE
Written by Sandy Walsh, RVT, CVPM, PetOpps LLC
Measuring Marketing ROI
Take a look at marketing strategies found today in veterinary practices. You’ll find very quickly that they differ greatly from what was taking place just a few short years ago. READ MORE
Written by Michelle Guercio-Winter, CVT, CVPM, Patterson Veterinary
Individualized Customer Service: Tips to Improve Your Client Relations
The challenge for every business, including veterinary practices, is to provide a client experience that each individual client perceives to be a positive one. READ MORE
Written by Carolyn Shadle, PhD, and John L. Meyer, PhD, Interpersonal Communications Services
Why Don’t we Offer More Wellness Plans?
Discusses and overcomes the reasons practices do not implement wellness plans. READ MORE
Written by Debbie Boone, CCS, CVPM, 2 Manage Vets Consulting, for Veterinary Team Brief
Rethinking the Sales Funnel
Use a four-step online strategy to capture new clients and re-engage pet owners who showed initial interest. READ MORE
Written by Robert Sanchez, Digital Empathy, for Today’s Veterinary Business
Critical Points of Contact Build Pet Owner Loyalty
When pet owners visit a veterinary practice, their first and last interactions are typically with the front office team. Consequently, client service representatives (CSRs) need to be well-trained to create positive impressions. READ MORE
Written by Amanda Donnelly, DVM, MBA for Today’s Veterinary Business
The Calm After the Storm
Soothe angry pet owners and raise the level of service by training the team to listen carefully and respond the right way. READ MORE
Written by Amanda Donnelly, DVM, MBA for Today’s Veterinary Business
Asking the Right Questions at the Right Time
For veterinary teams, asking questions is a valuable communication skill. It increases trust with pet owners and in turn builds stronger client relationships. READ MORE
Written by Amanda Donnelly, DVM, MBA for Today’s Veterinary Business
Medical Management
How to Have a Feline-Friendly Practice
It is worth stating again: Cats are not small dogs! Treating cats is critical to a veterinary practice’s success and no one can afford to handle and treat cats the same as dogs. Misconceptions and biases about cats (and their owners) mean they often do not get the care they need and deserve, and practices lose revenue. READ MORE
Written by Pamela Stevenson, CVPM, VetResults, for Veterinary Team Brief