Owners

At Catawba Animal Clinic in Rock Hill, S.C., it truly pays to be a longstanding employee.

Take these steps to document poor performance.

In October 2005, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed S.B. 861, which allows cities and counties to enact dog-breed-specific ordinances pertaining only to mandatory spay and neuter programs and breeding requirements.

Background checks are not a waste of time or money. Here's why.

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My assistant dispenses advice liberally. While it's typically correct, I don't think she should be giving medical advice without my approval. What sort of guidelines should I set?

"Increased customer loyalty is the single most important driver of long-term profitability," say Scott Robinette, Claire Brand, and Vicki Lenz, authors of Emotion Marketing: The Hallmark Way of Winning Customers for Life (McGraw-Hill, 2000).

Give your team the freedom to make the practice shine.

"We all want our staff members to work together as a team, but it's hard to ask this of your staff unless they know the steps to take," says Julia Culbreth, the practice manager at Jefferson Animal Hospital in Louisville, Ky.

It's easy to overlook the problems that come with making clients wait. We think, "Hey, it comes with the territory." We make excuses. And we hedge our bets, knowing most clients only grow dissatisfied when they wait more than 30 minutes. But that approach won't wow clients. In fact, even a short wait may leave clients disgruntled. So it's an issue you should aim to manage.

Do you give this critical player the respect and responsibility she deserves?

Use this sample as a starting point to develop your own survey.

As the captain of your practice, it's your job to set the course and take advantage of the wind, urging the ship toward your destination. But you can't maneuver this behemoth alone. You need a crew. When they're truly onboard, your team members will have one eye on the horizon and another peeled for potential problems, and they'll help keep the practice on course.

Solid business ethics can help you establish a profitable, successful practice. And your clients will see your good side, too. Here are seven principles of admirable business ethics:

Learn the potential legal ramifications of terminating an employee.

Q: How can I protect my nonveterinarian significant other's investments in the practice—both monetary and sweat equity—in the case of my death?

Lester Crawford, DVM, Ph.D., who was the highest-ranking veterinarian serving in public office, has resigned as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

A veterinarian I don't know that well offered me an opportunity to work for a clinic she's purchasing, promising that if we're compatible, she'll allow me to buy in. How do I formalize our agreement?

Many veterinarians donated their time and expertise after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. You, too, may have considered volunteering.

There's never enough time in your day—so make every moment in the exam room count. And remember, even small improvements in exam-room procedures can dramatically improve your whole team's efficiency.

Every member of your practice team can help increase security.

How do I know how much I need to save for retirement?

You can enhance your professional career every time you step up to the lectern—provided you've mastered the all-important basics of public speaking.

Find out what parting staff members really think about your practice-and use that information to make it a great place to work.

In July, the AVMA held a diversity symposium to address ongoing racial and gender issues impacting the veterinary profession.

A new federal rule requires you to properly dispose of sensitive information derived from credit reports. Effective June 1, The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act disposal rule says you must burn, shred, pulverize, erase, or otherwise destroy electronic and hard-copy files you've obtained from a consumer-reporting company for employment reasons.

Prescribing the medicine is easier than taking it, but if you want to uphold your standard of care, you need to ditch your excuses.

The Pet Animal Welfare Statute of 2005, introduced in the Senate (S. 1139) and House of Representatives (H.R. 2669), is designed to strengthen the regulation of the pet industry.

Starting in October, it'll be harder for people to file for personal bankruptcy under Chapter 7, says Veterinary Economics Personal Finance Editor Fritz Wood, CPA, CFP. Under Chapter 7, debtors can wipe away unsecured debts such as credit card bills after certain assets are liquidated.