October 2018

It is often said the best things come in small packages. For a branch of Cromwell Vets, that package proved to be a 9m by 4m prefabricated box. It’s not a lot, but, as VBJ discovered, it's already having a big impact ...

28 mins

Medivet senior partners Adi Nell and Erwin Höhn, in the first of two articles, look at the manpower problem as a precursor to delivering a framework for analysis and a strategic plan for all stakeholders in part two ...

36 mins

James Westgate, VBJ editor, visits two practices using complementary therapies as a viable alternative revenue stream ...

21 mins

September 2018

“There are times when we are not in control of our minds. Why? Because part of our brain has its own agenda – we are the source and the solution to our own problems” – Leonie Lightfoot.

28 mins

Liz Barton discusses the issues and challenges surrounding returning to work in the fourth instalment of her groundbreaking series.

19 mins

Employment law can be a minefield – especially for vets without formal qualifications in the area. Anne Harvey explains how to avoid the pitfalls.

21 mins

Nuala Summerfield explains that rather than being a cause for concern, technology provides real opportunities for anyone prepared to embrace it.

34 mins

While running a practice is one part of the commercial equation, getting paid is the other, as Adam Bernstein explains.

24 mins

Anyone opening their own veterinary practice has to be a pretty remarkable person. So when VBJ heard about a woman who did just that in less than six weeks for £150,000, we just had to pay her a visit.

7 mins

August 2018

Just being good at medicine is no longer enough for practices hoping to attract and retain clients. Experience is a big priority for owners visiting and, as Simon Power explains, getting your branding right is a crucial start.

23 mins

With clients able to access many sources of information, tone and nature of conversations with their vet have evolved. This can be a challenge; however, a change of approach can mean clients and clinicians leave the consult happy.

26 mins

Medivet is now one of the biggest practice groups in the UK, with more than 250 sites across England and Wales. To get a better idea of how the business works, VBJ paid a visit to the place where it all began more than 30 years ago.

3 mins

July 2018

One of the most powerful hiring and motivational tools you have in your workplace is a job description for each employee. Good ones will help you find the right person for the job and team members focus on doing their jobs well, so it is worth spending time to get them right ...

22 mins

Engaging and communicating with pet owners is essential if vets are going to administer consistent patient care and remain relevant as animal experts. Engagement begins with outreach, and outreach originates in need ...

37 mins

RVNs play an invaluable role, yet are increasingly harder to recruit, and arguably harder to retain, than vets. For practices to remain successful, recognising, rewarding and developing VNs is no longer an optional extra ...

17 mins

Health care plans can be a great way of protecting pets, bonding with clients and marketing a veterinary practice. But the devil's in the detail when it comes to deciding what to put in, what to leave out and how much to charge ...

17 mins

After looking at the challenges around the perinatal period. Liz Barton discusses parental leave and discovering it’s perhaps not the long, relaxing career break imagined.

26 mins

The automatic joining of workers to a company pension scheme – known as auto-enrolment – celebrated its fifth birthday in October 2017. On 1 February 2018, the process was finally completed, but, as Adam Bernstein explains, auto-enrolment is still a big and potentially costly issue for British business ...

22 mins

New research from Miele reveals vets’ concerns over the impact of negative online reviews and what matters most to their customers.

19 mins

There is something very British and familiar about a high street veterinary practice based in a converted red brick house. Late Victorian and Edwardian era buildings often ooze character and charm, but also present some unique challenges to a growing business...

11 mins