Business

Interviews are a great opportunity to encourage interest and educate the public about veterinary medicine and public health matters. But good interviews don't happen by chance. It takes thought, skill, and practice to convey your messages effectively. Take these seven steps to make the most of your next media opportunity.

Difficult clients do your practice more harm than good by damaging team morale and causing conflict. Figure out who they are, and let them go.

Promoting dental health starts with your team. So develop a team approach to educating clients?and use tools such as this dental prophy admitting form to help you deliver great care.

I disagree with recent decisions my boss made and with the quality of his practice. After 12 years, I'm ready to move out on my own. I don't have a noncompete agreement and plan to open a practice in the same town. My clients deserve to know I'm leaving and should have the opportunity to follow me. What can I do?

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.

When our owner's out of the building and the technicians perform dentals, does our part-time associate receive credit even if the owner scheduled it and already performed a physical exam?

I'm in the process of buying land for a new practice. How much land do I need if I want to expand in the future?

Dr. Suzanne Miller Hogue, who owns Dr. S.B. Hogue DVM Inc., in Farmdale, Ohio, doesn't accept postdated checks because if something should happen, for example, if the client dies, the check would no longer be good. Instead, she has clients date the check for that day's date and attaches a sticky note with the date clearly marked when the client wants it to go through the bank.

When your team lives by a set of golden rules for client care, you create a clientele that looks and acts more like a fan club. Here's how to tap this energy and fuel your team's success.

Treat your clients better than their own doctor does. And keep in mind, it's small investments in service that make the difference.

High overtime costs prompted Gerard Gervasi, hospital administrator at Collierville Animal Clinic in Collierville, Tenn., and the practice owners to look into the financial impact of being open on Saturdays. "Saturdays were the costliest days of operation for the practice," he says. "And we didn't give the same level of care that we did the rest of the week. By the end of the week, doctors and staff members were tired, and we were only open five and a half hours, which didn't always give us enough time to work up a sick case properly."

From divorce to debt, everyone deals with personal issues?and you may feel you shoulder too big a burden. Use these strategies to manage tough situations when they spill into the workplace.

Are there programs that offer recent grads loan forgiveness?

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Dr. Cyrena Rose, a relief veterinarian in Miami, Fla., suggests technicians check each chart during first puppy visits and annual exams to see whether a pet is microchipped. "If the pet has a chip, scan it to show clients that it's still working and remind them to keep their contact information updated with the company that manufactured the chip," says Dr. Rose. If clients moved or never registered, this helps them realize the importance of registering, she says. And of course, if the pet doesn't have a chip, this gives the technician an opportunity to explain the benefits of microchipping to the owner.

This doctor learned communication is a two-way street. And meeting this small dog in the middle made all the difference in the world.

Dr. Doug Clarke at Pet Veterinary Clinic in Grandville, Mich., says it used to send chills up his spine when clients said they'd been looking up medical information on the Internet.

As you may know, we launched a new magazine especially for team members last fall-Firstline. (Hopefully you've seen it around the practice. I'd be even happier if you saw it in your team members' hands.)

Michigan Veterinary Specialists in Southfield, Mich., is a large specialty practice with a 24-hour facility. Technicians work different shifts and are constantly passing on important information about patients. "To improve communication between shifts, we made cage tags that highlight patients' special needs," says Kathy Estrada, LVT, the practice's technical services manager.

Use these strategies to promote dental health year-round.

"When deciding on a maternity leave policy, you need to consider the legal requirements as well as the total benefits package you want to offer," says Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member Dr. Karen Felsted, CPA, MS, CVPM, a consultant at Brakke Consulting Inc. in Dallas.

Opening your own practice takes courage and vision. And keeping it open requires profits. Tilt the odds for financial success in your favor by answering these six key questions about your new venture.

The goal: As Bob Townsend, former CEO of Avis Rent A Car System LLC, has said, "Create the kind of environment that pays people to bring their brains to work." The more you identify and address employees' job-related needs, the more likely they'll engage in what psychologists call "motivated behavior."

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Use an after-surgery care form like this one to educate clients, bond them to your practice, and advertise your compassion and care.

Backup equipment need not just sit on the shelf waiting to step in when things break down.

"We have a sign in front of our clinic, and we run out of things to say. Do you have any suggestions?"

A relief career takes you from place to place, giving you the opportunity to experience practice in a different way. Yet this lifestyle isn't for everyone. Find out what skills and strategies will make this a successful career path for you.

When you decide to invest in the stock market, keep in mind something that professional analysts must remember: Investing always requires weighing potential risk against potential award.

Should the doctor know the prices for procedures and services?