Business

Creating unity among clients whose pets have passed away helps solidify their bond to your practice-and shows great empathy.

Read how competing veterinarians wound up in the same band.

We get into deeply seated patterns of thinking and acting, and at some point we lose sight of other possibilities and opportunities.

If you don't have a strong desire to be wealthy, you're in good company in the United States.

The brain chemical that motivated cave-dwellers to hunt will get your staff excited about performing well.

We've adopted a major hotel chain's steps for providing excellent client service. Of course, we aren't in the hotel industry, but we are in the hospitality industry.

Who would have guessed that the great debate of this decade would focus on vaccine protocols?

Help your team develop a year-long plan to improve on weaknesses and let them run with it.

Testing, treatment, and public health all play a part.

For many years, the risk of a tax audit was barely on the radar for most veterinarians, but today the chances that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will flag a practitioner's tax return for an audit are noticeably greater.

A humble-sized facility loaded with extras, Atascocita Animal Hospital in Humble, Texas, is the 2007 Veterinary Economics Hospital of the Year.

Most of my clients would never suspect that I'm an active skateboarder. I'm certainly not a stereotypical skater who speaks in "dude" ...

Don't wait until you collapse on the floor of your clinic to make much-needed changes to your lifestyle. Personal wellness is crucial to fulfilling, successful practice ... and it could save your life.

What's the difference between a client care coordinator and a receptionist? Is there a pay difference between the two?

A humble-sized facility loaded with extras, Atascocita Animal Hospital in Humble, Texas, is the 2007 Veterinary Economics Hospital of the Year.

Q. I'm an associate who's paid on production only. Does this system discourage me from taking unpaid vacation days? Do I really even have any vacation time?

You've got a bunch of different personalities buzzing around your clinic, but that doesn't have to mean a lot of stinging and biting.

I'm a new associate at a small-animal practice. Some of the team members seem resentful of me. What can I do to earn their trust?

Don't let tax season strike fear in your heart. Play by the taxman's rules, and if he shows up for an audit, you'll be ready.

You've put it off long enough. Make time to check your numbers so you can make smart financial decisions for your practice.

I thought I knew what the ideal veterinary client looked like-the one who's willing to pay for the highest level of care. I was wrong.

Q. I'm looking to retire in a couple of years. How long would $600,000 last me if I withdrew $31,000 annually?

I have met many good surgeons like J.D. over the years. They are surgeons in the true sense and love their work. Yes, they are surgeons even if they are not board-certified, but they are a dying breed.

How one hospital design winner suprised his family with the big news.

Your compassionate care for patients, clients, and staff has a limit. Here's how one doctor learned where his responsibility ends.

Firstline gathered a group of consultants to discuss how to keep technicians in the profession.

Want a fun, educational way to jazz up your reception area? Post a quiz on your bulletin board, says Laura Greer, practice manager for Above and Beyond Pet Care Hospital in Lubbock, Texas. Her practice uses quizzes to keep waiting clients informed and entertained. For example: I come in sizes that range from 2 pounds to 200 pounds, and I sweat through my feet. What am I? Answer: a dog.

Do your prescription call-ins get lost in the paperwork on the doctor's desk? Marty Strauss, the practice manager for St. Charles Veterinary Clinic in St. Charles, Ill., recommends using colored paper to highlight medication refills.

Instead of having new associates handwrite their names on existing business cards, have a supply of cards printed with their names before they begin at your practice.

All life forms appear to have a central inner drive - a soul, a balance of yin and yang or one of many other concepts that are more than this publication, I am sure, wants to address. This is not about religion.