Business

Profanity in the workplace is on the rise along with court filings and complaints to EEOC.

How should I pay part-time veterinarians and gauge their benefits?

You may like the sound of doing it all, but that's not usually the most efficient way to work. So change your tune and leverage your team members more to increase your sanity?and the practice's profitability.

We asked new grad Dr. W. Andrew Rollo to team up with experienced practitioner Dr. Philip VanVranken to talk about the worries practitioners face in that first year?and what owners and associates can do to smooth the transition to practice.

Just ask a client which part of the anesthetic monitoring or pain relieving medications you should leave out to save them money at the expense of their pet's health.

Physicians once said nurses would dilute their earning power and endanger patient safety.

Like it or not, lay people can learn to competently perform many routine tasks.

Only about 80 percent of time slots will be accomplished despite the best plans, but it's better than 20 percent without a plan.

Well-managed practices work on management issues proactively, looking for ways to improve and innovate rather than just responding to the fires that arise each day. Of course, striving for excellence isn't a one-person job. And getting your team involved in finding better ways to serve clients is a great first step to being more proactive.

Q I'm a recent graduate, and I find that the clients I see have no preference for which doctor examines their pet. How can I develop my own clientele?

A new campaign launched by the American Association of Equine Practitioners and Fort Dodge Animal Health aims to let owners know their horses should get exams twice a year—in the spring and fall.

One of the great things about working on a magazine is that every month our team gets to meet more veterinarians. There are always new people calling with a question, sending us letters and practice tips, and submitting articles. Building those new relationships is very rewarding. And each one of you has an interesting story to tell.

At one time, the mass market was every veterinarian's target population. Today's best strategy, however, is niche marketing, which targets a specific population of pet owners, identifying their needs, and then addressing those needs more competently than anyone else.

Starting this month, 401(k) plans can offer a Roth 401(k) provision—which could be a better option for your retirement savings.

My practice has a steady client base, but we'd like to increase our new clients. What's the most effective way to grow?

Most real issues are unspoken and well recognized at the staff level.

How important is it to buy telephone-directory advertising?

Metabolic profiling and its results have disappointed me several times during my career. Yet I recently had success using an approach promoted by University of Wisconsin (UW) associate professor Dr. Gary Oetzel, who believes two subclinical syndromes account for a large percentage of dairy farms problems.

Practices whose staff are so well treated that they feel like family may be harder to compete with.

In the wake of the 2004 tsunami, Dr. Kerry Levin did the almost unthinkable?she put her solo practice, North State Animal Hospital in Ukiah, Calif., on hold and ventured across the world to volunteer. Armed with a passport, some past veterinary experience in third-world countries, and a desire to help, she traveled alone to Sri Lanka in February.

Starting this month, 401(k) plans can offer a Roth 401(k) provision—which could be a better option for your retirement savings.

Acres Animal Hospital in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, relies on hot-water bottles to help provide comfort to patients.

I'm considering remodeling an exam room. What are the first steps I should take?

Offering to put them in contact with a financial planner may just be the ticket for some new grads.

I'm tired of having a huge pile of accounts receivable. How can I manage this better?

Conversations may stray more when you're not totally focused.

I do primarily small animal ambulatory work in the Midwest. I'm new to equine practice and trying to get a grasp on fees. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the charges I've seen in our area. Help!

Use these tips to stay sunny even when it seems those rain clouds will never move on.