VBJ articles

January 2018

What main hurdles do I need to overcome to sell my practice?

In the first of a new series of business articles, legal expert Alan Kelly focuses on the trials and tribulations of selling a veterinary practice and advises owners to run their businesses “with one eye on the exit”.

8 mins
Big 6: growing the market

One topic that kept coming up during the research phase of the Big 6 project was how the profession could expand the market for its products and services. So, we asked our panel to discuss ideas their colleagues in practices across the UK might adopt to generate growth in an increasingly competitive marketplace...

46 mins
Recruitment: how to avoid making a drama out of a crisis

With practices nationwide complaining of a lack of clinical team members for hire, Dave Nicol explores why this is happening, and offers some practical suggestions for maximising your mid to long-term chances of hiring the right people to power your practice.

24 mins
Recruiting for veterinary teams – part 2: contracts of employment

You’ve found your new team member and are ready to draft his or her contract – but this is employment law. Ed Newbould provides guidance on how best to avoid any legal fallout.

16 mins
Setting up a practice: laying firm foundations for success

Owning a practice is the dream of many working in the profession, but can remain a frustratingly elusive goal. Here, Whilmari Swift from Vet Dynamics explains the steps she takes with prospective practice owners to ensure they get it right.

22 mins
How watertight are your procedures in case of fire?

Fire safety in practices is governed by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which covers general fire precautions and other safety duties designed to protect people in the case of a fire. Adam Bernstein explains.

14 mins
Practice profile: Sampson Park Ltd

Sampson Park is fast growing into a mini empire of thriving independent practices, but central to the company's growth is a flexible equity partnership model that gives employees a stake in the business.

1 mins

The Veterinary Marketing Association (VMA) is the representative body for UK professionals working in all areas of the animal health industry and veterinary practice who have an interest in the promotion of products, services or health and welfare information.

12 mins

December 2017

CT, or not CT: just one part of the question…

Choosing which modalities to offer – and how much and when to invest – can be business-critical choices, as VBJ discovered when we spoke to Julien Labruyère at VetCT ...

30 mins
Site unseen? Win the digital dash for client attention

Having a website is no longer enough to cut the mustard. Dave Nicol explains why practices must develop a structured digital strategy to turn those clicks into clients.

29 mins
Shuffling cards: striking a deal on the price of processing plastic

Cash is king when it comes to practice success – yet clients increasingly prefer to pay with plastic. Adam Bernstein shows how to make savings on card fees.

10 mins
How to turn likes and followers into leads and clients

We all know social media is a necessary evil of modern veterinary practice. However, as Julia Bramble spotlights, it can be used as a powerful, bottom line-boosting tool…

32 mins
Practice profile: Swayne and Partners

VBJ heads to Bury St Edmunds and speaks to senior partner Duncan Hole about the practice's decision to stop all large animal and equine work and become exclusively small animal.

5 mins

November 2017

Tips on small animal practice management and profitability

Peter Edmondson, in the second of a six-part article series, summarises an Australian Veterinary Association Annual Conference session on how to increase practice profit.

12 mins
Big 6: career landscape

Of all the debates hosted by VBJ for the Big 6 project, one of the most insightful surrounded the career landscape faced by veterinary professionals in 2017. These discussions ultimately boiled down to one question: whether professionally and financially rewarding careers can still be sustained in private practice.

4 mins
Planes, trains and automobiles – a journey through complementary medicine

When it comes to complementary therapy, many options are available to get to the final destination. Here, Stephen Barabas identifies the correct multimodal therapies for your practice.

32 mins
Recruiting for veterinary teams – part 1: sorting the wheat from...

Recruiting new members to join your team is one of the most crucial processes in any veterinary practice. Here, in the first of a three-part series, Ed Newbould explains the process he undertakes when choosing new staff.

22 mins
New pre-action debt claims protocol: better late than never?

On 1 October 2017, HMRC introduced a new pre-action protocol for debt claims. Corporate lawyers Paul Taylor and Sarah Carlton explain the changes and how they are likely to affect practices chasing bad debts.

18 mins
Employee monitoring and its attendant legal implications

A decision by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights has brought the question of employee monitoring to the forefront of employers’ minds once again. Mark Stevens examines the implications for UK businesses and their staff.

9 mins
Nutraceuticals – which, when and for how long?

Kit Sturgess looks at the decision-making process when prescribing nutraceuticals, reviews the available evidence and emphasises the importance of client comms.

22 mins