The 6 P's for starting a new veterinary practice

Starting a new veterinary clinic comes with a host of hurdles you have to get over that will make certain that when you open your doors to new clients, that your business is fit for purpose.

We hosted a webinar with a knowledgeable panel of experts to discuss the topics new veterinary practice owners should consider before leaping into a new venture. One of our panelists was Melanie O'Donoghue RVN (Founder, VetAssist Practice Development Consultancy) - an RVN who leads VetAssist; improving patient and practice teams’ facilities through practice design, team training and business overhauls. Melanie has a very simple framework that can guide every entrepreneur that is taking the leap and starting their own veterinary clinic.

Melanie provided us with her practical guide to use when opening up a new clinic:

When you're looking at setting up your clinic, I like to break it down and keep it as simple as possible.

There are six critical areas you need to consider. And I always say to myself, it's the six P's that you need to think about.

1. Purpose - Why are you doing what you're doing? This is important. So what's your mission statement? Why are you doing it? This is very important for you as a leader in terms of how you're going to lead your veterinary team.
2. Premises - Is the property you're looking for fit for purpose? So that's an important consideration.
3. Personnel - This is specific to the senior team first and foremost. but other personnel too. Who do you need in your team? Think about the day to day running of your practice - nurses, support staff, vets but also outside personnel such as accountants, lawyers and cleaners. Develop a team around you that can help guide you through the minefields - internal or external.
4. Practice management system - Your practice management system (PMS) is important - to make sure that you've got a good veterinary management system that'll support your clinical work, but also your business as well. It should help with pulling your KPIs and tracking your business progression.
5. Pricing - Ensure that you've got your pricing correct. You need funds coming in to cover everything that you're doing. While also remaining competitive in your local pet care market. So think about your pricing very carefully.
6. Protocols for the practice - This comes down to leadership as well. By putting systems and protocols in place you will ensure that your business is running smoothly from day 1.

They would be my six key areas of consideration when setting up your new veterinary practice.

The 6 P framework from Melanie really is a simple and practical guide that will make opening and opperating a new veterinary clinic that much easier.

PetsApp works with many veterinary practice startups from day zero to ensure best-in-class client and team communication and engagement.