Karl R. Salzsieder, DVM, JD, CVA

To keep a veterinary practiceand its staffstable, take this advice to heart after the death of the practice owner.

Q: I opened a new practice three years ago in a leased building. I love how the design turned out, but we're rapidly growing and I'd like to put on a small addition. My landlord doesn't have the funds for it; I'm willing to cover the costs, but is it too risky to do it on my own, especially since I don't own the building? How should I handle this situation?

Expert advice on a progressive idea.

Wellness plans aren't milking clients dry. They're swelling veterinary hospitals with income and helping spot patient problems. Learn what set-fee-for-service packages can do for your practice.

When you bundle services for veterinary clients, you should accommodate a variety of needs.

A hard-working veterinary assistant at my practice is having money troubles and turning to payday loans to make ends meet. Our salaries are fair and reasonable for our area and our economy. I'm worried this is a poor personal financial decision on his part. What should I do?

Nonveterinarian ownership is a mutually beneficial option.

What's the best way to compensate on-call technicians? Should we pay them simply for carrying a phone at all times?

Employment contracts exist even if they are not in writing. The problem with oral contracts is in trying to enforce them. Contracts require a meeting of the minds of two persons followed by some form of payment for enforceability. Employees, although commonly intimidated, must realize they are on equal footing with the employer.

Exit strategy or practice succession planning can include every aspect from financial planning for retirement to where will I find a buyer. This retirement financial aspect would include planning for the future practice sale value. That is another session not covered in this topic.

A buy-sell agreement or shareholder's agreement or operating agreement is a written statement of plans about how owners can slow down or get out of the practice at a set time or occurrence. It is the shareholder's agreement for a corporation or an operating agreement for an LLC.

A lower risk practice purchase means the buyer and seller both win and the practice sells. It may be obvious that win-win is best, but sales are made that are not win-win or low risk. The practice sale may be to an independent third party or to an inside person, usually an associate doctor.

The time for a practice sale depends on the following items: timing, personal health, interest in work, motivation for work, age, stress, funds, alternative investments and alternative activities. Some say you need 15-20 times your current earnings in investment funds for retirement.

Non-DVM practice ownership has long been the standard in most states. This is because the practice acts require it in slightly more than half the states. The remainder of the states may or may not allow non-veterinary ownership of a veterinary practice, but do not directly address the issue in their practice acts.

I plan on leaving my job as an associate. How much notice should I give?

Tips to increase veterinary practices' bottom line during a recession-or any time.

Staff management can be a fun cooperative project or it can be a daily drudgery depending on the cooperation and staff participation in discussions and agreements on the staff culture or some would say corporate culture.

Practice management involves managing staff (the HR issues), managing client and patient care (the quality and control compliance issues) and managing the practice profit, or more importantly, managing the practice cash flow.

Veterinary practice success today is about relationships between the client and the veterinary practice team.

Increasing practice value is very easy in most practices if there is understanding of how a practice value is determined and how changes in management will affect the bottom line.

The practice liability audit is intended to cover the liability risks of veterinary practices.

I'm considering a merger with another local practice. How do I go about it?

What are the rules regarding veterinary practice rent?

Can I question my employee who's revealed a history of mental illness and prescribed medications to control it?

I've recently won a lawsuit. What's my next step?

Clients need to know if stable hospitalized patients will be unattended at night.

If a client shows up with a stray but doesn't want it scanned for a microchip, am I legally required or legally forbidden to scan the pet or contact the chip registrant?

What do I do when an associate gets sick? What do I need to know about disability insurance?

I'm an associate, and my boss recently changed the way my production is assigned-not in my favor. What recourse do I have?

A longtime staff member who's in her late 50s is having trouble learning our new computerized billing system. We don't want to fire her, but we need to replace her with someone who can handle our new technology. If we asked her to retire, would we risk an age-discrimination suit?