Business

A new client makes inappropriate comments to one of my employees. She asked him to stop, but he hasn't. Should I dismiss the client?

By 2010, almost 40 million Americans will be 65 years old or older. Are you prepared to meet the needs of these clients?

This doctor spent nearly 15 years planning his addition and renovation. Along the way, he learned to expect pitfalls, use long-lasting materials, and dream big.

When you remove barriers, you're free to realize your true potential.

Acres Animal Hospital in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, has found a way to help both the practice and its clients see green.

I'd wanted to be a veterinarian since I was 7 years old, but after 12 years in practice, I didn't know if I could stand another day. I was frustrated, tired, and worn out by the constant stresses of practice, including staffing headaches, client turnover, and financial strains. And those stresses were having a profoundly negative influence on my personal life, too.

The day you become an owner is the day you should start planning to sell. Here's why-and a look at what to consider.

E-mails you send to clients to inform them of new offerings or to update them on practice happenings could be considered spam under the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act (CAN-SPAM). To stay on the right side of the law, follow these guidelines, set forth in the CAN-SPAM Act, for commercial e-mails to existing and potential clients:

I own a feline-exclusive practice. Our prices are comparable to others in the area, except for our physical exam, which is $6 to $14 lower than most of my colleagues'. I've been thinking of raising it by $6 or $8, but several members of my team think our lower-priced office visit gets clients in the door. Once they're here, they rarely decline any additional recommended services. My team feels that without the enticing exam price, potential clients might be tempted to go elsewhere. What should I do?

Is it possible for a start-up to be profitable from the beginning? If so, how?

Suddenly, in the midst of attempts to grow your practice, you find your cash flow dried up. And let's say your bank, no matter what you do, can't help you. What else can you do?

During the first few years of practice, it's not unusual to dig through textbooks, go online, or read up on cases during spare time. But somewhere around the third year of practice, most of us gain a level of comfort with medicine that stems late-night reading. We go on autopilot.

Long-range strategic planning requires making hard decisions in your practice. First, you must decide what you and your team are going to do more of. What's working? What services, activities, and products generate the most practice growth and are the most profitable? For example, are pre-anesthetic risk assessments profitable—and good medicine? If so, you may want to challenge your team to increase clients' acceptance of such procedures.

OLYMPIA, WASH. - 4/21/05 - Washington lawmakers have deferred a bill formalizing veterinary technician training to the House Department of Health's Sunrise Review.

So, you have found the perfect person to fill the position of veterinarian (or technician, client service representative).

Three-quarters of people still paying off their student loans say the payments are large enough to keep them from buying a car or a house, says the Cambridge Consumer Credit Index.

Have you ever stopped at a traffic light or just walked through a new section of town and inhaled the smell of garlic coming from a local Italian restaurant or the unmistakable aroma from a BBQ eatery? When you are paying the bill, do you ever wonder how you made the decision, spur of the moment, to fill up with pasta or ribs?

Commit to these 10 culture changes to build a terrific practice.

You know the product or service you're recommending could help your patients. The problem is holding clients' attention long enough to explain the benefits.

Veterinary practice can be fun, or it can be stressful. The trick is to figure out how to minimize stress points so you can experience enjoyment the majority of the time.

The careful design of this 3,010-square-foot hospital and the luxurious finishings belie the small footprint and reasonable price tag.

Want to avoid regrets about management? Learn to avoid these common missteps, pulled from candid conversations with practitioners.

Lack of respect for the facility can signal deficits in pride and care that hurt more than just the building if left unchecked.

With the advent of e-mail, it's easy to jot a disjointed note and send it off to clients or colleagues. But a slap-dash approach may lead you to say things you'd never consider appropriate if you were using a pen and paper. Keep out of trouble with these e-mail etiquette tips:

Student loan rates are at historic lows, says Veterinary Economics Personal Finance Editor Fritz Wood, CPA, CFP, but not for long. Wood says recent and soon-to-be graduates should act now to consolidate their student loans.

Regret is inevitable, but we don't have to hold onto it and the pain it causes.

Dr. Brad Rosonke, owner of Hillside Animal Hospital in Scottsdale, Ariz., has little interest in dentistry. But he knows that offering dental services means better care for his patients. His solution: Hire a dental resident--in his case, Dr. Peter Bates--to visit his practice on a regular basis. "This is a win-win-win situation," says Dr. Rosonke. "Dr. Bates needs to see more patients during his residency, I'm now free to see other patients while he's taking care of dental issues, and our clients get more complete care for their pets."

If you and your employees use work-related e-mail addresses, you probably face in boxes that bulge with spam, technically known as unsolicited commercial e-mail. And you're not alone in the battle against notices for low mortgage rates and questionable pharmaceuticals.

Studies show morale and turnover improve when team members feel appreciated.

A growing business adds customers, expands inventory, buys equipment, and hires new staff. The future looks great on paper, but the additional expenses bring a cash crunch, particularly if collections are slow.