Business

Small business owners are particularly vulnerable to the risks of a prolonged illness or disability, because they're often the business's main asset. In other words, the business's success often depends on the owner's ability to earn income. As a business owner, you need to protect both your personal and business income. And the right insurance provides that protection.

After 34 years in an outdated building, this doctor decided to match the facility to the level of medicine he practiced. The result: Business doubled.

Making money doesn't guarantee a successful and rewarding career or an enjoyable retirement. What you do with the money's far more important.

One of the most often-used consultation summaries, in my experience, comes from the comments on creating our own day.

After Veterinary Economics published "Caught in the Middle: Business vs. Compassion" in June 2004, we received several letters fueling the discussion. One in particular, from Dr. Lowell Novy of Valley Veterinary Clinic in Simi Valley, Calif., provided an interesting solution: Start a nonprofit organization to help cover costs.

Cleveland-Though many veterinarians fret about student loans prohibiting them from buying a practice, the real killer is revolving credit, such as credit cards and car loans.

Minimally invasive surgery is a rapidly developing discipline in veterinary medicine, thanks to its widespread use in human medicine. During the past 20 years, veterinarians have watched a temporally similar development with arthroscopic surgery. While minimally invasive surgery has many advantages over traditional open surgery—including reduced postoperative pain, reduced recovery times, and improved operative results—there is a caveat: It requires specialized training and considerable experience. In this article, I'll focus on one particular minimally invasive technique—intracorporeal suturing.

They might even have to turn off their cell phones and occasionally work a little unpaid overtime for the common good.

What does your staff think of your practice? Are staffers proud of their work? Do they think you offer good services and that you provide value? Do they enjoy working for you? Do they want a career with you, or are you just a temporary paycheck? What do they see as your strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats? Will the answers from lay staff differ from those of associates?

We live in a time when polymer chemists work magic with different suture materials to give them specific properties that benefit surgeons. Today's sutures absorb within a consistent time frame every time veterinarians use them, possess specific handling characteristics, demonstrate good knot security, and cause minimal tissue inflammation.

Imagine exploring the thoracic cavity and performing surgical interventions without using an intercostal or a median sternotomy.

Meeting the three standards, I was ready for euthanasia.

In the past year, I've learned that a little laziness and a lot of assuming can cost big bucks. First it was our radiology badges-I assumed we all paid about the same price for this service. But when an astute colleague asked about the going rate in our area, I learned I was paying four times more than some of my colleagues!

Is it reasonable to charge a holiday surcharge for boarding pets? Hotels charge more during holidays. I want to be fair to my clients, but I also want my clients to be fair to us!

Long before my father was born, the world must have marveled at the steam engine.

IIf my mental calculator is not askew, Caryn and I have just completed Veterinary Productivity's 350th in-house, on-site, out-of-town, hotel food AGAIN, practice productivity consultation. Each one of these veterinary entrepreneurs asked us to help improve their bottom lines. Oh, they said they wanted to streamline their services, make sure that they weren't missing any client service opportunities, yada yada yada. What they all really wanted was more money to play with at the end of each month just in case, however unlikely, they ever decided to retire.

The toughest professional decisions are made with compromise for practice owner Dr. Abby Snyder. She generally reduces the pile of medical charts on her desk by half before going home to her husband and daughter.

Surgical stapling equipment allows the small-animal surgeon to perform a variety of challenging abdominal surgical procedures more quickly and consistently than with conventional, hand-suturing techniques. This article will summarize the use of these devices.

Combining history with innovation is a hallmark of New England. And Gardner Animal Care Center pays homage to that tradition by building its modern, high-tech veterinary hospital adjacent to a 233-year-old restored Massachusetts farmhouse.

Ever wonder if there is just one customer satisfaction survey question that could accurately predict company growth? Consultant and author Frederick Reichheld spent two years researching that question, and published his findings in the Harvard Business Review.

On average, veterinarians say they would prefer to devote more time to personal activities than work.

What do I do with a relief veterinarian who doesn't stick to my fee schedule?

How much am I expected to contribute to my associates' retirement plans? Does this count as part of the compensation my associate earned based on production?

Your white coat holds timeless symbolism that reinforces your medical authority and recommendations to your clients.

The last client and patient left, the phone stopped ringing, and the day's receipts are tallied. It may seem like time to go home, but first you need to make sure your practice is protected.

Set a date for your associate's buy-in, then use this timetable for a smooth transition.

Of course, companies of every size are striving to attract and retain great people. Could you adapt any strategies from these giants in the realm of great employers?

Don't forget Web resources when advertising for a new veterinarian, says Lynette Ott, practice manager at Barton Heights Veterinary Hospital in Stroudsburg, Pa. Classified ads are expensive, so you want to limit the space you use-but you still want to provide potential associates with lots of information before they apply.

A three-ring binder in your lobby can be a valuable client-education tool, suggests Dr. Melisa Hicks of Blue Cross Veterinary Hospital in Long Beach, Calif.

I don't want to leave staff members jobless when I sell my practice. Can I include a clause in the contract requiring the buyer to retain my employees?