Business

I have a present for you, Mrs. Client. It's behind that door over there. And I know you are going to love it!

Before you can choose a consultant you need to know what you want them to do for your practice.

I had a dream last night, probably because of dinner I over-consumed as usual.

As of this writing, milk prices have shown a desperately needed improvement from the dismal levels that prevailed for much of 2002 and 2003.

Missy answered the phone on the second ring.

A job description is a listing of specific tasks to be done while an employee is on the job any given day.

Washington-The government might start paying off veterinary student loans to entice new graduates to work in underserved areas.

Last week I attended a social event in the area where I first practiced. Returning home, I drove along a 10-mile stretch of route 611, between Martin's Creek and Mt. Bethel, Penn. As I did so, nostalgia ran strong, as I recalled names like Budd Ott, Floyd Ott, Mike Palmer, Charlie Diehl and many others. These were all active dairy farms in the 1970s, when milk prices were strong and dairy practice relatively simple.

Jerry Vandever sat across the table from his accountant. Herbert Johnson, CPA, had been an accountant for many years and was looking over the tops of his reading glasses at the file for Patch-a-Pet Animal Hospital.

Examination is 50 percent of the work of our profession. Examination is the key to our success or failure in the pursuit of our profession. Examination is the most botched up service performed by fully 50 percent of our colleagues in both its qualitative and quantitative aspects.

Dr. Susan calls my consulting office in distress because her first employer DVM, after only six months on the job, has met with her and explained she?s not working enough hours, she?s not being active enough in civic and community activities and he doesn?t understand why she wants every-other weekend off.

Failure to address these 25 issues is central to limiting a practice's patient care success.In other words, address these issues in your business plan to ensure success.

Finding the right job takes planning; know what you want personally, professionally for longevity, satisfaction

You know the type. You might even be the type-the DVM who routinely puts in 12-plus hour days, never takes vacations, can't bear to delegate, feels anxious and purposeless when not on the job.

State and local governments are focusing on stricter enforcement and higher fees to meet budget shortfalls. At the same time, the principals in many veterinary practices are discovering just how much government services cost their practices - and how many of those increasingly more expensive licenses and permits they do not have.

Our universe is governed by laws. Natural laws. Laws that are as immutable as the laws of gravity and thermodynamics and these impact each and every one of us every day and in every way.

"One, zero, eight, nine, eight." I presume the sales representative was stating the price in this manner to lessen the impact.

Whether adding staff or services, veterinary hospitals commonly have a hard time accepting change.

Dr. Vernon Wolinski looked at the faxes piling up on the fax machine.

No other single marketing decision impacts your bottom line as directly and powerfully as pricing.

Special events can draw a great deal of attention from both the public and the media.

You're lucky you don't have any competition. If you did, you wouldn't be here today."

How are we adapting to the veterinarian labor shortage? By having effective teams.

Tommy Wright was sitting at his desk staring blankly at the wall. He had just arrived home from a meeting on the West Coast and was excited on the flight home about what he had learned at a practice management seminar given by a large drug company.

Welcome back, intrepid readers.

Dr. Larry Bramlage, MS, Dipl. ACVS, incoming president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, humbly says he has no "grandiose" plans for his 2003-2004 term.

Despite the nationwide recession, Elsewhere Animal Hospital was chuggin' along.

Drs. Bernard Rollin and Joseph J. Bertone explore the ethical debate surrounding use of pirated products.