Caring for animals is a noble profession. Healing people's pets brings a smile to every veterinarian's face because they have not only helped the animal but have also provided relief to the owners.
Instructions
1. Determine what services you want to include in your practice. Consider adding boarding, grooming, retail and emergency services to your standard veterinary practice. Obtain any financing you need.
2. Locate a space for your office. It should be easily accessible, provide adequate space for patients and have plenty of parking for their owners. Think of a business name and register it with your state. This is also the time to decide what business form you want to operate under (corporation, LLC, partnership).
3. Get your utilities turned on and draw up a floor plan. Hire a contractor to build your walls, then buy your equipment and furniture and move it into place. Stock everything that needs to be stocked, including medications, retail items, food, bedding and water dishes for animals requiring an extended stay. Apply for any necessary permits, licenses and inspections.
4. Hire the staff. If your veterinary office is smaller, you'll need two or three vet techs and a receptionist. Larger offices require more staff, and if you offer additional services, you'll need staff for that as well. Set up a merchant account to accept credit cards and install computers and office equipment; then train employees accordingly.
5. Decide when you want to open and get your marketing materials ready. Place ads in local magazines and print up any brochures you want to provide. You need to get your exterior signage up as quickly as possible to start getting drive-by name recognition.
6. Hand business cards out to everyone you know. If you have regular patients who already see you, let the owners know that you're moving and try to get them scheduled for their next appointments. Write a press release to submit to the local paper.
7. Hold a grand opening celebration to attract potential patients' owners. Do it as a benefit to a local animal shelter and offer services like dog washing, discounted vaccinations and free health checks.
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