Business

Young veterinarians seek and value mentoring in their schooling and in the early years of practice.

Think you're communicating--and selling--your services effectively? Here are some key points to consider to help you make powerful and persuasive recommendations to your clients

Clearly separating practice functions set the tone for VCA Arroyo Animal Hospital--and created a unique design feature. Then the design team added a superbly crafted 7,850 square-foot floor plan and thoughtfully chosen materials, securing the 2005 Veterinary Economics Hospital of the Year award.

In prior articles, I gave advice on creating and writing a strong, compelling vision for your life and work. But crafting the vision is just the first step. Next you must figure out how to make your vision a reality.

A potential buyer will want to know what it would cost to provide the same services you offer.

Coddling is a new buzzing issue in human resource management and with good reason.

Clearly separating practice functions set the tone for VCA Arroyo Animal Hospital--and created a unique design feature. Then the design team added a superbly crafted 7,850 square-foot floor plan and thoughtfully chosen materials, securing the 2005 Veterinary Economics Hospital of the Year award.

Welcome new associates to your practice with some functional fanfare that simultaneously introduces them to the public. Running an announcement ad in your local paper provides increased visibility for your practice and establishes the new associate as part of the community.

Not all tax deductions are created equal. When it comes to building projects, the normal write-off for building costs is 39 years. However, with a little homework and the help of a builder and architect, you can accelerate deductions. The concept at work: cost segregation.

Work better with goal planning.

Practice consultants work hard for their clients and are well aware of the investment a practice makes for their services. To do the best possible job for you, they need you to be prepared, complete documents as requested, and dedicate the necessary time to the improvement effort.

This goal planning form helps you think through the steps you'll take to achieve your objective and spot potential obstacles. (PDF)

Different people find different situations stressful, but some stressors transcend personal differences and affect a majority. Many such key job stresses are associated with these six categories:

Use these strategies to make sure tension never becomes toxic for you or your team.

Is it better to schedule performance reviews during regular office hours or after hours, when I know we won't be interrupted?

For years, veterinarians practiced reactively, primarily treating illnesses and administering vaccinations. Not anymore. According to the 2004 AAHA Pet Owner Survey, 94 percent of respondents take their pets to the veterinarian for regular checkups to ensure their quality of life. In fact, 58 percent of respondents visit their pet's doctor more often than they visit their physician.

Neel Veterinary Hospital in Oklahoma City, a paperless practice that purchased its first computer and electronic medical record system in 1993, prides itself on its commitment to using the latest technology. ?Adding computer radiography was a natural step in the evolution of our practice,? says co-owner Dr. Tina Neel.

What's the most pressing issue for small businesses that Congress and the President should address?

Effective delegation is undoubtedly the strongest productivity-improvement tool available. But here's a harsh reality check: Only 47 percent of staff members responding to a VetMedTeam survey indicated that their doctors delegate 80 percent to 100 percent of possible tasks.

My office manager suggested that we discount hard-to-collect, 90-day-past-due accounts as an incentive to encourage patients to pay at least something. We'd offer up to 25 percent off the bill, depending on how much the patient pays. We'd require the patient to adhere to a payment schedule until the debt's paid off. Is this a good solution or does it contribute to the problem?

Is it legal to leave a message on a client's answering machine saying that you received a returned check? What's the best way to handle this situation?

If you are upset or angry about something, you need to confront the situation. Avoidance of co-workers and strained relationships can result in further problems. However, this doesn't mean you have to confront immediately if you are too angry to be constructive right that minute.

Exit interviews are your best tool for learning why employees leave and how you might encourage them to stay. Use this form to gather this precious feedback from departing team members. (PDF)

Use this list of benefits to guide conversations with clients about spaying and neutering pets. (PDF)

This sample phone script shows the kind of professional, accurate answers you can develop for team members to use in all their interactions with clients. (PDF)

When you conduct regular performance reviews, you build better understanding with your employees, clarify your mutual goals, and give employees feedback about where they excel and could improve. Use this form to get started. (PDF)

What does your receptionist say to a client who claims to have forgotten his or her checkbook? Or how does your technician respond to an angry client? In such cases, is everyone following a similar script? Is what they're saying the best response? If not, role-playing may help.

Last month, we discussed the power of crafting a compelling practice vision. The next step: putting your vision in writing. As you're writing, see your vision as an already-accomplished reality, not merely as something you hope will happen. Write in the first person and present tense, creating a vivid mental image with as much detail as possible to bring your vision to life. Use all your senses—sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste—to develop your description.

I'm a solo practitioner with only three employees. Are exit interviews really necessary?

It's difficult to really know what a job offers until you've been there a while (Catch-22!), but a little astute questioning can help. Use these questions as aids. Don't read them to prospective employers as a list of demands—gently work them into interviews when appropriate.