Business

"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.

A++ clients make appointments the day they get your postcard, call, or e-mail. Here's how to help the others make the grade.

Ever wish pets could schedule their own appointments and bring themselves in for care? The key to stopping client-created stress is to see your clients for the different breeds they are—and adjust your approach accordingly.

Conversations may stray more when you're not totally focused.

Are your expenses dragging you down? Use this checklist to discover weak links in your finances.

What's considered an inactive client, and how often should you purge inactive clients?

Clients judge the quality and value your practice offers during the first three minutes of contact.

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.

Use these benchmarks set by Well Managed Practices to see how your expenses measure up.

I do primarily small animal ambulatory work in the Midwest. I'm new to equine practice and trying to get a grasp on fees. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the charges I've seen in our area. Help!

After recent media coverage of canine influenza, you're likely to get some questions about this illness.

This facility offers a mix of holistic and Western medicine. A warm, calming, and artistic atmosphere. And enough space for the specialty medical team to care for pets and their owners.

A disturbing e-mail arrived the other day: Hello, Dr. Bellows: I have a 5-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever that I have routinely cleaned her teeth (with enzyme toothpaste and a brush, recently using Sonicare). Despite all best efforts, she is building up tartar and I think may have a dark spot (cavity on a rear molar).

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

Use these tips to stay sunny even when it seems those rain clouds will never move on.

Are you feeling the pinch of not enough revenue and too much expense? Don't wait until you hear crunching bones to make a move. There's no better time than now to start charming your practice to better financial health.

I'm considering remodeling an exam room. What are the first steps I should take?

I'm having trouble with staff turnover. I train and reward employees, but they aren't sticking around. Any ideas?

After the storm

In the new millennium, everyone can win by joining forces to fight for patients' best interests.

We tried for years to get you all to share your hospital makeover projects—the progress you made with a weekend of work and a bucket of paint. But to no avail.

Do you have an exam room that compromises your dignity? Do clients gawk and children giggle when they step into Room Three? You can remodel this terror of a room without creating chaos. Just ask the team at Great Neck Veterinary Clinic, Virginia Beach, Va., winner of the 2005 Veterinary Economics Ugly Exam Room Contest, sponsored by Veterinary Economics, BDA Architecture, Shor-Line Cabinet Co., and InPro Corp. Great Neck Veterinary Clinic realized it had a problem—and fixed it.

A retainer agreement should include a statement of hourly billing rates.

More than 88 percent of this year's new veterinarians graduated with educational debt averaging $88,077. Now working, they're taking home less than $44,000 a year.

Pet Medical Center of San Antonio doesn't abide by many design rules, which suits this practice crew perfectly. A creative approach helped this doctor create a comfortable, convenient hospital for clients, patients, and staff members.

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.

Our contest winner transformed an exam room. And you can do it, too.

Higher percentages of gross income for any line-item expense should immediately drive management's closer inspection.

Clashing practitioners who stay together too long compromise toward a central level of mediocrity.