Business

Q. How many hours can an associate work and still be considered part-time? Do on-call hours count?

From the windows to the walls, smart construction leads to big energy savings.

The first step: Figure out what type of client you are. Then choose an architect whose strengths match your needs.

The entrants in the Veterinary Economics Hospital Design Competition represent the best practices built every year. Check out these lessons learned from their designs.

A chart to help you find the right level of comfort for the different areas in your practice.

Drains and air-return ducts may not seem sexy, but thoughtful choices about behind-the-scenes tools let your new practice work harder for you.

Two detail-oriented doctors, technological advances, and a tight floor plan combine at Harden Ranch Veterinary Hospital. The result: 10 pounds of practice in an 8-pound space.

Read "What's In It for Me?" and then solve the puzzle.

Well, clearly a lot. Enough that they buy them designer clothing and luxurious dog beds, in addition to the basics. (The APPMA estimates that we'll spend $38 billion on pets this year.) Enough that they rearrange their lives to accommodate pets' needs, getting out to give that walk or making time to tease with a feather toy. And pet owners rearrange their finances, of course, to pay for veterinary care-and food and toys and daycare and carriers.

Consider these five roads out of practice, and start planning your journey now.

EVERYONE IS CAPABLE OF MULTITASKING, but equine practitioners take the gold medal: driving the truck to the next appointment, talking on the cell phone, writing invoices, and keeping up with new technology. But at what expense? And how can you manage all those jobs and still focus on providing high-quality medicine?

The honeymoon is over. You've settled into your new place, routine has set in, and you're starting to realize this marriage thing isn't exactly how you dreamed it would be. Sound familiar?

Dr. Brad Rosonke, owner of Hillside Animal Hospital in Scottsdale, Ariz., has little interest in dentistry. But he knows that offering dental services means better care. His solution: Hire a dental resident.

When clients visit for routine checkups or care, send them home with a pet health report card, suggests Martha Harmon, office manager at Riverdale Animal Hospital in Riverdale, Ga.

Stagnation isn't an option. So use these strategies to paddle along the always-swelling river of new information. You'll find they make professional growth easy and exciting-and keep your passion for practice alive.

I heard that a veterinarian was audited and fined more than $30,000 in back taxes for not claiming discounted pet care as taxable income on his employees' paychecks. I've been offering $300 in pet care per year per full-time employee (and half that for part-timers). If an employee goes over the $300 limit, he or she gets a 50 percent discount on additional care. Have I been doing it wrong all these years?

Is there a less complicated way to offer pet care to my employees than offering discounted services?

Higher building costs coupled with clients' higher expectations for care put you in a challenging position. Adopt these forward-thinking strategies to position your new practice for success.

2006-2007 Firstline MVP Nomination Form

Customize this sample Word document to terminate a doctor-client relationship politely and professionally.

As the continuing education season is well under way, the time has come for another practical quiz.

These specialists designed their facility to reflect the care they give, focusing on traffic flow, workflow, and the potential for expansion. Today, clients and employees of Veterinary Specialty Center of Tucson know the facility supports their goals.

Shawnee, Kan. - Bayer HealthCare, Animal Health Division, announced that it reached an agreement for U.S. distribution rights for Switzerland-based Datamars' ISO-approved microchips and scanners for companion animals and horses.

A corporate trustee won't die, move away, take a vacation or be biased or distracted by personal concerns.

Not using demographically determined fees eventually leads to mediocrity or worse.

Too often practitioners who thought they were on the doorstep of retirement are finding they need to work three to five years longer than they thought-or even more. The problem: When they have the practice valued, they find a gap between the retirement they envision and what they can actually afford.

Dr. Daniel Brod, co-owner of Deer Creek Animal Hospital in Littleton, Colo., says that in about one of every four senior dogs he tests, he identifies early disease processes, such as renal, liver, or thyroid disease?that's about 15 percent higher than in younger dogs at his practice. And he sees similar results in his feline patients. So the benefits of testing are clear. And his team took just a few steps that helped to increase compliance.

Don't buy home computers for the office?even if the price seems irresistible. You'll save on aspirin when you spend a little more on business-grade machines.

Should we charge separately for blood pressure evaluations or incorporate these fees into our annual exam fees for pets 5 and older and ill pets?

During the spring and summer, shelters face a deluge of kittens. The American Humane Association estimates that 70 million cats in the United States need homes. If you want to help, June?which is the designated Adopt-A-Cat Month?could be a great time to focus on helping potential pet owners find feline companions.