VPN Plus+ ExclusiveHow to build or buy a vet practice even when you don't want to be a practice ownerApril 15, 2021By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBAFinancially savvy new grads often share homes, apartments, and even cars. Why not band together to build or buy a practice? This arrangement isn’t as common as it once was, and yet it’s more necessary than ever. This model can work for veterinarians in different stages of their careers, as well.
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Tips on how you can say no with graceMarch 16, 2021Saying “no” is an art form; it takes time and practice to perfect your toolkit. Regardless of how you say it, do it politely, firmly, and honestly.
Have clients gone COVID crazy?March 1, 2021Many people are fed up with stay-at-home orders, indoor dining disappearing, and freedoms lost during the pandemic. Clients may feel like grounded teenagers and act out with bad behavior.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTo 'dental month' or not to 'dental month?' February 5, 2021Veterinary technicians sound off on whether National Pet Dental Health Month is something worth celebrating.
The three Es—A strategy to win clients overJanuary 27, 2021The concept of the three Es—energy, empathy, and edification—is an important secret you can use to wow clients.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveReducing HAIs in the practiceDecember 11, 2020Animal patients are also at risk for hospital-acquired infections after surgery. Keys to prevention include cleaning and disinfecting common areas around the clinic, not just exam rooms and surgery tables.
VPN Plus+ ExclusivePlaying monopoly with real money: How veterinarians are losing the price warOctober 30, 2020By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBACompetition is alive and well in veterinary medicine. But as our industry confronts increased corporatization and consolidation, the word has acquired a new resonance for many of us.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveA captive audience: The power of digital communicationOctober 20, 2020I usually get the same answer when I ask what the biggest issue in the veterinary practice is: Communication. Most, if not all, problems within a practice or any business really stems from poor communication. Poor team, poor client, or poor owner/manager communication. The effects COVID has had on communication between clients and the practice has been dramatic to say the least. So how can we connect to our disconnected clients and improve communication? How can we use our social media platforms to bring our clients into the fold of the practice all while being online? Social media can be bittersweet for many veterinary practices. The time and effort it takes to plan and post good quality content is generally the biggest and most common hurdle. Some practices have turned to keeping clients informed on changes and updates by posting to their website, but often overlook their social media pages. Last March, everyone faced a major communication hurdle and in a lot of ways, digital communication was the primary method people used to stay in touch. Veterinary practices had to pivot quickly and adopt lots of new ways of delivering patient care and good client communication. They turned to video, …
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveWhen bad reviews happen to good veterinariansOctober 14, 2020By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBAEveryone reacts differently, but there’s no getting away from the fact negative reviews hurt, which is exactly what the reviewer is trying to achieve.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveHow to service a mixed-demographic clienteleOctober 1, 2020 It should go without saying, not all veterinary practices are alike. Not all regions of the country are alike. Not all communities are homogeneous. Not all clients have unlimited resources to devote to the care of their pets. Yet, over the years, we have found ourselves frequently confronted with opinion pieces, written by practice management "experts" whose advice may be distilled down to one catchy phrase: "Charge what you're worth." Those of us who have been doing this for a while know things aren't always quite that simple. My practice of 27 years was a good example. We were located equidistant from million-dollar homes and Section-8 housing. The former group of clients appreciated the fact we kept our pricing under control, the latter group absolutely required it, and we serviced every demographic group in between. The real cost of treatment A litany of very good reasons is always advanced for raising prices, including the rising debt-to-income ratios of our newer veterinarians, the need to attract skilled support staff into our clinics, and the overall rising cost of doing business, which always seems to exceed the rate of inflation. None of this is disputed; nevertheless, …
