You’re fresh out of veterinary school and ready to begin saving the animals in your region.
Or, maybe you’ve been practicing as a vet for a while and you’re just ready to start your own business venture. Whichever category you fall into, starting a vet clinic is a fairly complex process.
To get you started, we covered five steps to take if you want to start running a vet clinic. Keep reading to learn more!
Table of Contents
How to Start a Vet Clinic
The idea of starting your own business can be daunting.
So, let’s talk about how you can get started…
Establish a Location
You’ll have to decide between renting, owning, or building your own entirely new building.
Before you make this decision, think about the space you’ll need. How many people do you plan on hiring? Are you working with other veterinarians? Do you want the office manager to have their own office?
Planning these things out will help you find a building that fits your needs.
Decide Who Will Be on Your Team
Before you can start tending to animals, you’ll need to have a team established.
At this stage, you can decide whether you want to be the only veterinarian or not. If you choose to hire other veterinarians, you’ll want to choose the best candidates, as their practice is what will help you establish a reputation.
Even if you don’t choose to hire other veterinarians, you’ll need veterinary technicians and office staff.
Gain Necessary Licenses
If you aren’t already a practicing veterinarian, it’s important to make sure you have the necessary licenses.
These licenses impact your ability to give narcotics to patients. In addition to the narcotics license, you’ll want to have a license for the business side of your veterinarian office.
Your team should also have the necessary licenses.
Stock up on Supplies
Once you’ve found a location, hired a team, and gained the necessary licenses, you’ll need to stock up your veterinarian clinic.
Supplies you’ll need include:
- Medicine
- Examination tools
- Uniforms
- Office supplies (pens, paper, filing cabinets, etc.)
- Medical equipment (gauze, bandage, etc.)
- Kennels for pets staying overnight and kennel disinfectant
And a variety of other supplies.
Start Marketing
Now that you’re ready for business, it’s time to establish a marketing plan!
There are many options for how you can market your new business. One option is to focus on social media marketing. Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to spread the word of your new business and introduce your staff.
Or, you could focus on building a strong website with SEO-friendly content. Using a combination of these two methods will increase traffic and widen your audience!
Are You Ready to Open Your Veterinarian Clinic?
Once you’ve finally finished the schooling to become a veterinarian, you’re probably anxious to begin practicing.
Many new veterinarians like to start their own practice so they have more freedom and flexibility with their job. Now that you know how to start a vet clinic, check out our other pet-focused content!