A Guide To Start Your Own Veterinary Clinic

Starting a business can be a difficult task but with proper and careful planning, the process can run quite smoothly.

There are numerous fulfilling and lucrative career paths for people with a passion for animals and starting a veterinary clinic is one of them. To ensure that your veterinary practice start-up is a success story, follow these steps to be on your way to building a thriving veterinary clinic.

Business plan

It’s important to take time in the initial planning stages to complete a business plan. A good business plan will give you a clear direction for the setup and running of your clinic, and allow better control over your clinic’s future. Your business plan should include answers to the following questions; who is your ideal patient base? Will you specialise in large or small animals? Has all your staff been trained to deliver a quality customer experience to your pet parents? What makes your clinic and service unique and different?

Competition Research

It is really important for a business to know about its competition. Before starting a veterinary clinic you should have the knowledge of whether there are other vet clinics in close proximity to your clinic premises. If so, how will you differentiate your clinic and its benefits? What will encourage patients to choose your clinic over your competitors?

Finances

From day one it’s imperative that you have accounting systems and processes in place to monitor cash flow through your clinic. Talk to your accountant or finance specialist to gain a better understanding of how to structure your finances to suit the clinic’s needs.  Take control of your financial situation and check your progress. Know where and what you need to be doing to maximise your income. Stay in control of your finances by making a commitment to undertake regular financial health checks.

Legal formalities     

Make sure you understand your legal and compliance obligations. There is a wide range of legal obligations to consider during the set-up of your clinic. It’s important you seek professional legal guidance to ensure you comply with all the necessary regulations. Talk to your finance specialist about how to access insurance policies designed to protect the personal and business assets of healthcare practitioners.

Build a team of trusted advisors

A good accountant, legal advisor and a finance specialist with vet industry expertise can help make your set-up less stressful and more likely to succeed. If you don’t already have a team of trusted advisors, why not ask a colleague for recommendations.

Location

Selecting location of your premises is the key step to the success of your veterinary clinic. So, choose your location wisely. A veterinary clinic built on a busy road may be highly visible to passing traffic; however, the parking area should be designed to enable clients to safely transfer their pets from their car to your reception area. Once you have decided on the right address for your new practice, consider the pros and cons of buying versus leasing your premises. Talk to a veterinarian finance expert so that you are informed about the true pricing implications of your decision.

Create a Marketing Strategy

 A good marketing strategy can help you to grow your patient numbers. Your marketing strategy should include programs to attract the attention of new customers and retain existing customers. Remember to include ideas for keeping in touch with your client base, so that you can promote special offers and new services –a discounted ‘tic season’ check for example.