4 Things You'll Need To Do When Starting Your Own Veterinary Practice

Have you finally completed veterinary school and find yourself ready to start practicing? Or maybe you've been working as a veterinarian in a vet clinic for some time and you're ready to start your own practice. No matter what the case, there are some things you'll need to do when starting your own veterinary practice. Here are four of them.

Set Up Your Business

Your veterinary practice will be a business so you'll need to know how to properly set up your business structure and have the right kind of insurance. An accountant can help you establish your business structure, which might be one of the following:

  • Sole proprietorship
  • Partnership
  • Corporation
  • Limited Liability Company

You'll also need to ensure you have adequate insurance. A commercial insurance agent can help you find the right business liability insurance, along with insurance for yourself and your staff.

Purchase Equipment and Supplies

You won't be able to practice veterinary medicine without any equipment or supplies. When you're just starting out, you may not need everything all at once but you will need the basics including:

  • Examining and surgical tables
  • Kennels and cages
  • Scales

As your practice grows and you add more services, you may need diagnostic equipment for x-rays and ultrasounds, as well as a cauterizing machine and anesthesia machine. Because you're also running an office, you'll need office equipment such as computers, desks, and filing cabinets. All of this equipment can be expensive, so it may be a good idea to buy used veterinary supplies, along with used office supplies.

Hire Your Staff

You most likely won't be able to work every hour that your veterinary practice is open and handle all of your client's needs, which means you'll need to hire an additional veterinarian. You may also decide to hire a veterinary assistant or technician that can do things like assist with surgery, draw blood, and give medications. One more person you'll need to hire is an office manager that can handle scheduling, filing, answering the phone, and greeting clients as they walk in the door.

Do Your Own Marketing

Chances are you're not going to be able to hire your own marketing agency right away, so you'll have to do that as well. Some ways to get the word out about your new veterinary practice include:

  • Using social media
  • Hosting an open house
  • Placing ads in the local newspaper

You can also ask your family and friends to do business with you and have them spread the word.

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