Veterinary Business Channel: Recent Episodes
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Podcasts, Videos and timely text from leading veterinary business services and marketing providers. Keep updated with products, services and the latest industry news.
Dr Emma Davis is a well known Aussie Veterinarian who has taken a side step in her career to help vets (in her words) "to create fabulous, profitable careers that make this world a better place!"
For some being 'just a vet' with the day to day pressures involved in practice often leads to well educated and capable people leaving the profession altogether. But Emma's passion for helping vets find the right work - whether 100% veterinary based or a mix of 'something different' such as a lecturer, community adviser perhaps or even just a change of scenery for a while hopefully means vets will keep their passion for the career's they've spent their lives working for.
In this short podcast we recorded outside a local coffee shop in Yass, Emma explains why she started Veterinary Careers.
Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs, in association with Royal Canin and Greencross Vets, will be hosting the inaugural Seeing Eye Dogs Veterinary Symposium at its state-of-the-art national training facility in Melbourne 11-12 September 2018.
Colleagues from Australia and overseas will be coming together to share knowledge on common and emerging canine health challenges within the service dog, shelter and kennel medicine industry.
This event is open to all veterinarians, vet nurses, kennel attendants, shelter managers, breeding program operators, dog trainers and students alike who are invested in service dog health and development, or vet care in kennel and shelter environments.
The event is being run in conjunction with the biennial International Guide Dog Federation Conference which is being held in Sydney 14-16 September 2018.
As a vet, how many cases of animal abuse do you think you've seen that were presented as (say) 'hit by car'? or 'fell off the verandah?' - Perhaps a better question might be - how many have you missed?
And was the client really telling the whole story? - after all they may well have been the other 'victim' of what is increasingly becoming more common here in Australia.
Violence against animals at home almost always has a link to domestic violence in those same human/animal relationships.
Well known blogger from Small Animal Talk Dr Anne Fawcett recently attended the AVA's annual conference in Adelaide and in particular 2 sessions on Animal Abuse.
This is an important story and we hope you get to share it with your colleagues and other team members.
Are you the best sales-person for your business?
Veterinarian's are more often than not into 'fixit' mode rather sales. And pet retailers, groomers etc get into a pet related business because they like the idea of working with animals.
But that doesn't necessarily make you the best one to fund the 'passion' now does it?
In this short podcast Steve Jensen from Impact Training provides some great ideas to get your business back on track with less involvement from you or just an attitude adjustment from you.
Whether we like it or not, we all make mistakes.
So as a vet - what do you do?
Dr Jo Sillince from Pets Australia has some advice you may have heard before but worthwhile hearing again to be reminded of what to do and how to do it.
You don't have to be a vet or vet nurse to experience stress!
We all experience stress of one kind or another on a daily basis - work, family, money problems?... but how do you deal with it?
Linda Campbell is a Sydney based hypnotherapist and counsellor and we thought we should have a chat about an issue that affects most of us.
Linda has a range of personal services available via her website here: http://www.yourmindmastery.com/
Hard-hearted or a soft-touch? How do Veterinarians make life or death decisions for animals who can’t speak for themselves?
It’s not a topic you’re likely to come across in main-stream media… but issues such as ‘consent’ and ‘wildlife’ loom large in this week’s VETtalk ONLINE exclusive conversation with Dr Anne Fawcett, co-author of the brand new must-read ‘Veterinary Ethics – Navigating Tough Cases’.
There are also some funny bits! 😊
Anne’s book is now hot off the press - details where it is available at the end of this video.
There's a brand new book co-authored by well-known Aussie vet, lecturer and journalist Dr Anne Fawcett and the Uk’s well-known Dr Siobhan Mullan...
It’s called ‘Veterinary Ethics – Navigating Tough Cases’ and it approaches ethical issues in a very different way.
Anne very kindly agreed to give us the very first interview about the book given our long association with her and the wider veterinary profession and I think your followers will find the resulting chat absolutely riveting.
No money for marketing? What about a referral?
So many times we hear vets and others say "I'm not going to waste money on marketing - it doesn't work"
Really? - We'd agree that quite often it's harder to measure ROI on marketing efforts but did you know you really don't have to spend a lot to make an impact?
Steve Jensen from Impact Training has a few ideas that might just get you thinking about ways to market your business without breaking the bank!
Ever wondered why some Veterinarians seem to be more successful than others?
What do they do differently that’s allowed them to find that elusive work/life balance and can anyone do it too?
Those are some of the burning questions which prompted Dr Diederik Gelderman to track down and interview some of Australia’s veterinary leaders for a book called ‘Veterinary Success Secrets Revealed’ so of course we asked him to reveal all in this edition of the VETtalk.BIZ Podcast.
Now imagine this… your entire veterinary practice now has glass walls so clients can see ‘out the back’ and everything that’s happening to their pet?
You're probably squirming right now right?...
So we might let Judy Gillespie from Vetanswers explain why she thinks revealing all will be good for business just like an open plan restaurant.
Globally, profit for vet practices is around 6-8% of annual income. But imagine if there was a way - some kind of 'formula' - that could double that figure in around a year!. Sound too good to be true?...
Not according to Dr David Stasiuk from Cheltenham Vets in Victoria who struggled for more than 6 years trying to make a go of his new business.
But it's not just about making money either as you'll hear.
Got a special interest in business? Then get one, STAT.
That’s the tip from one of the country’s leading veterinary businessmen and specialist, Dr Mark Ethell BVSc MVetClinStud MACVSc FACBS Diplomate ACVS.
Mark reveals the moment he realised being a veterinary specialist wasn’t enough to have the future he wanted… what he did about it and why he encourages other vets to jump in the deep end when it comes to learning about business.
It’s no secret that veterinarians are great at healing animals but aren’t taught business skills and few enjoy that aspect…often to the point of becoming depressed or nearly throwing in the towel… as some of our guest veterinarians have told us recently…
A number of vets who told us they’re now enjoying a happier life because they literally bit the bullet and learned how to make a profit rather than simply scrape out a living.
One of the companies whose name keeps cropping up as providing the right kind of help… is Turbo Charge Your Practice… and we spoke to it’s principal Dr Diederik Gelderman
You dreamed of being a vet right? Studied hard for 5+ years, passed all the exams... then established 'ABCXYZ Vets' - great!
Then you discovered you're not 'just a vet', you're a manager with staff, bills to pay and legal stuff to address and being honest with yourself realise you're working flat out yet rarely do better than break even.
It's a road familiar to far too many vets including Dr Richard Lucas from Busselton Vets in WA who was actively contemplating giving up and working for someone else - or giving up completely... until he took it upon himself to seek help.
The results have amazed even him!
Check out this link!
http://www.veterinarypracticeconversionformula.com/
There's a lot of mis-information out 'there' particularly from anti-vaccination campaigners.
Headlines like "Vaccines With Mystery Ingredients Harm Our Pets!" not only confuse the general pet owning public, the figures quoted are often out of context and make some pet owners believe the data and then refuse to vaccinate their pets.
Dr Jo Sillince from Pets Australia has been actively involved in discovering the truth behind some of these alarmist claims and joins us again on VETtalk.BIZ
Labrador HBC - simple FX - owner happy – bill paid. Good result for the veterinary practice… except this time there’s a lawsuit and it’s NOT from who you’d expect.
Welcome to Australia’s increasingly litigious citizens – and the nice driver who took the injured lab to the vet for help now wants the dog’s owner to pay for the damage to his car!
It’s a true story and the case is happening right now.
To find out more, VETtalk spoke with Dr Joanne Sillince from Pets Australia about how Practices need to prepare for and deal with these types of situations.
Would you be able to take a client 'out the back' into the tearoom at a moments notice and not be embarrassed?
According to former HR Manager Judy Gillespie from Vetanswers.com.au the 'Dirty Dishes' syndrome can actually be a warning sign that something else - something more important than just an un-washed coffee mug, is happening at your practice.
If everyone is claiming "but I washed mine", then who is leaving the mess in the kitchen..and critically…why?
Perhaps it's the same person not writing up patient history properly or being less than particular when it comes to cleanliness/sanitation generally?
Would you like a pay rise?.. Well why not just go and ask for it.. Easy right?
WRONG! - According to Dr Natasha Wilks from www.HighPerformanceVets.com asking is not the problem... HOW you ask is what will determine whether you actually get that pay rise or not... especially females.
This week we thought we’d give you a quick listen to some of the interviews we did at the recent AVAPM Conference with the theme ‘Solving Your Practice Headaches’.
One of the biggest things to stand out for us was about improving communications with clients and the highlight of the conference was of course the very engaging Dr Alison Lambert from OnSWITCH which is a well respected marketing & training company in the UK – After one of her talks about improving communications with clients we asked Dr Alison “what have Aussie Vets been doing wrong?
Full videos of each of the speakers in this weeks show can be seen at www.VETtalk.BIZ
Every year the same cry is heard from small business owners..."Why am I paying so much tax?"... "How can I have more super"?.
As small business owners ourselves we too wanted answers to these questions and more...
Which is why we sent out the detector dogs and tracked down Adrian Raftery - aka 'Mr Taxman' to help answer just a few of the many questions we all have more often than not every year right after the June 30 deadline! (Australia tax year end)
After listening to this podcast you'll be prepared for the next EOFY with things like...
How to legally get 'free $'s' with your Super contributions
How to keep track of travel & car expenses in less than 60 seconds
Learn about the new ATO 'app' makes tracking expenses & travel even easier
Tax benefits from all those hours spent doing paperwork 'after hours at home'
* What to look for in an accountant
PLUS....
An insight into Adrian's very popular book for small business owners...
"101 Ways To Save Money On Your Tax - Legally!"
Two stories this week:
1 - Make It Easier For Clients To Find You! - Dr James Ramsden
The theme for this year’s AVAPM conference is ‘Solving Practice Headaches’ – and one of the biggest pains for managers everywhere is also the least understood - how to stand out from the crowd on the Internet. Dr James Ramsden President of the AVAPM reveals a timely tip on being 'found' online!
2 - A 4 Day Feline Fiesta Of Facts - Dr Kath Briscoe
When a cat has cardiac disease or renal disease, what’s the best management for them? That question and many other controversial topics will be ‘debated’ later in June at the 'Valentine Charlton Feline Conference'. Dr Kath gives us an overview of what to expect.
The theme for this year’s AVAPM conference is ‘Solving Practice Headaches’ – and one of the biggest pains for managers everywhere is also the least understood - how to stand out from the crowd on the Internet.
While most Aussies will be heading to the polls on the first weekend in July 2016, Practice Managers,
Owners and Clinic Principals from across the country will be in Sydney gaining inspiration from some of the best in the vet biz, such as Dr Alison Lambert from the UK who has some very different and effective ideas to create customer-centric practices.
How to find those newly fabulous practices? AVAPM President Dr James Ramsden from Pet Pack promises to make the technology like child’s play.
SHOCK HORROR! - It's 2016 and STILL women are being paid less than men! Really?...
While we know some veterinary practices and related businesses have equal pay for males and females, many are still stuck in the 50's and 60's when it comes to weekly pay packets.
If you're an 'equal payer'we'd love to hear from you.
Meantime Dr Diederik Gelderman from www.TurboChargeYourPractice.com has a few ideas to help close or remove the gap entirely.
This week...
@ 00'30"- Animal Blood Bank Donors Needed - Bec Charteris
@ 06'58"- Keeping Pets Safely Warm This Winter - Nadia Crighton
@ 15'26"- Life As A 1st Year Vet Student - Claire Fu
As a vet, how many cases of animal abuse do you think you've seen that were presented as (say) HBC or 'hit by car'?
Perhaps a better question might be - how many have you missed? And was the client really telling the whole story? - after all they may well have been the other 'victim' of what is increasingly becoming more common here in Australia.
Violence against animals at home almost always has a link to domestic violence in those same human relationships.
Well known blogger from www.smallanimaltalk.com Dr Anne Fawcett recently attended the AVA's conference in Adelaide and in particular 2 sessions on Animal Abuse.
This is an important story and we hope you get to share it with your colleagues and other team members.
You can also read Anne's blog here: http://bit.ly/1sO5ekL
Most people in the veterinary industry would know that dogs are the most common pet, with 39% of us owning one of the 4.2 million pet dogs in Australia.
Next are the 3.3 million cats making them the second most common pet.
But what about fish? Almost unbelievably there are 10.7 million pet fish which amounts to around 18% of the total pet population but how many fish vets do you know?
You could probably count them on one hand.
And that is a big problem according to The Fish Vet Dr Richmond Loh who is out to change all that with the end result being a positive impact on your practices bottom line!
Most people in the industry know that dogs are the most common pet, with 39% of us owning one of the 4.2 million pet dogs in Australia. Next are the 3.3 million cats making them the second most common pet.
But what about fish? Almost unbelievably there are 10.7 million pet fish which amounts to around 18% of the total pet population but how many fish vets do you know?
You could probably count them on one hand.
And that is a big problem according to THE Fish Vet Dr Richmond Loh who is out to change all that.
2016 AVA Conference delegates advised to focus on improving communications to identify problem behaviours earlier – in people as well as pets.
Improving personal resilience, reversing the obesity crisis with plain language, acting on animal abuse suspicions…just some of the highly emotive yet practical presentations being delivered this week in Adelaide at the country’s biggest annual get-together of vets, nurses and others in the industry.
Of course the yearly talk-fest also has its fair share of fun events…culminating in a Gala Ball this evening…as AVA President Dr Robert Johnson reveals.
Mental health problems are rife within the veterinary industry but the problem is usually kept hush-hush. But not for much longer with two pioneering Vet nurses launching a new charity to fund resources to help people in their own industry as well as drought-stricken farmers.
The first event – a dinner in Wollongong on June 25th 2016 - emceed by the irrepressible duo ‘ The Village Vets’.
If that date has passed by the time you see this, please take a moment to listen to this ladies very inspiring goal!!
Vets –remember your first day/first months on the job as a brand new practitioner of veterinary science? A bit scary for some right?
There’s a new crop of Vets about to graduate who could really benefit from a mentor who can spare a small amount of time to make their transition into the workforce as smooth as possible.
There are numerous benefits for volunteer mentors… including training, access to resources, VetEd points, plus the biggest bonus of all, according to the AVA’s Mentor Program coordinator MONIKA COLE; the ‘feel-good’ altruistic factor of giving back to the profession you love.
To contact Monika; mentoring@ava.com.au
MARKETING MADE EASY – REALLY?
How would you feel if you could easily turn your current clients plus potential clients into loyal, lifetime clients…as quickly and easily as you sort out their pet’s problems?
That was the seemingly impossible target set for 50+ Vets and Practice owners from across Australia who attended a 3-day workshop in Sydney as part of a 6 month course on ‘Marketing Made Easy’.
How’d they go? VETtalkTV’s Kaye Browne was invited along to find out first-hand and spoke with both attendees and course creator, Dr Diederik Gelderman from Turbo Charge Your Practice.
You don't have to be working with cattle to be exposed to this problem! Q-Fever recently struck veterinary staff working with cats and dogs in small animal practice.
The disease causes severe flu-like symptoms but can easily progress to the victim being unable to work for months, even years while suffering the pain of chronic fatigue symptoms, or worse, liver or heart damage.
However Q-Fever is a disease which is entirely preventable thanks to Australia having the world’s only vaccine… but not all veterinary workers are currently protected… Dr Guy Weerasinghe who’s head of the Australian Vets for Public Health explains more.
- How To Conquer 'Vet Speak!' *
Becoming a Vet involves mastering a number a extraordinary skills, not least of which is essentially learning another language, the very complicated terminology used in Veterinary Science. For many vets, using veterinary terms, aka 'vet-speak', becomes automatic which can make it difficult for pet owners to understand what they're saying and what they're being asked to do. Is there a way around this problem?
To find out, we're joined by Judy Gillespie from Vet Answers who discovered that VETtalk's co-host Kaye Browne is an experienced voice and presentation coach, who's also lectured in journalism and communications skills... who might have some answers. So this time, Judy's going to ask the questions!
This Week ...
SEO Optimised, Responsive Design, Browser Compatibility... just three of the many 'technical' aspects of any website - but what about the content and overall design? Does yours stack up?. .
@ 00'28"- Does Your Vet Practice Website Underwhelm? Judy Gillespie
This Week ...
As a vet your day consists of treating 'client pain' right? But super communicator Steve Jensen believes vets are dealing with the wrong 'client' and proposes a simple method that will really 'ease client pain' and increase your bottom line!
@ 00'50"- How To Solve Client Pain - Steve Jensen from the National Sales Academy (edited version)
This week:
Something were sure will be of use to many veterinary practices....
@ 00'28"- Pricing Veterinary Drugs Strategy - Dr David Butchart
OK - do the math... leaving GST aside for now...
You buy veterinary drugs from a wholesaler for $100.
You mark this up 100% so you charge $200 to your client.
You then find a supplier you can buy the SAME or non branded drug for just $50 - WOW! - So you mark that up 100% and charge $100. Cool - the client gets the benefit right? - Sure.. but you miss out on potentially another $50 - $100... Why?
Dr David Butchart from the Platinum Vet Alliance explains.
Summer in Australia usually sees plenty of opportunities for vet practices - big and small - to flourish.
But every year - practice owners sees a lull - a slump if you will - as soon as the weather gets cooler. There's certainly plenty of reasons for this but how can vet practices cope?
What do they need to do... And will a 'business plan'REALLY help"- Dr David Butchart from the Platinum Vet Alliance has some ideas that might help
This week...
@00'27" - Will A Business Plan Really Help?
@10'28" - Who Are Kaye & Brian? + Better Client Communications
We're the first to admit - we're not business experts - but we DO know plenty of them and we do know what most small businesses need to do to be successful. More than that, part of being successful is knowing how to communicate better.
In this podcast we'll tell you a very (very!) brief background on each of us and let you in on a new online program we're building to enable better vet / client communications.
There’s some really good sales and marketing options out there for veterinary practices which is all well and good… but none of that is going to help your business if people are put off going to your practice because it’s just way too stressful.
Dr Marty Becker – who was in Australia recently – and several other well known vets including our very own Dr Kim Kendall from the Chatswood Cat Palace - have created what they call ‘Fear Free Vet Visits’…
And if you haven’t seen or heard about the ‘Fear Free’ initiative, then we know you’ll enjoy this story.
Busy busy busy!.... Is that you?...
You might like 'being busy' but is that really the best way to run your practice... or even your life?
Dr Anne Fawcett from the great blog SmallAnimalTalk.com has some insights into what it means to take some 'ME' time - and also what the colour of your... errr... wee really means :-)
This week....
@ 00'45 - How To Make Vet Visits 'Fear Free' - Dr Marty Becker
@ 07'00" - Why Vets Need More 'ME' Time! - Dr Anne Fawcett
Got a story, product or service you'd like to share with AU;s veterinary businesses? - Just go to www.VETtalk.BIZ and click on the 'Contact Us' link! We'd love to hear from you
The Platinum Vet Alliance (PVA) is a collection of independent veterinary practices who have joined together to negotiate purchasing agreements that are superior to what individual practices can attain.
But unlike many other buying groups the PVA offers more... much more with Puppy, Kitten, Seniors, Weight Loss and Dental Programs on offer.
Executive Director of the PVA Dr David Butchart explains how PVA started with just 3 local veterinary practices and has grown into 30+ right across Australia.
And it's not just a buying group as you will hear!
Well known American business strategist Shawn McVey was in AU last year at the inaugural Platinum Vet Alliance Conference talking about how to improve veterinary businesses.
But we couldn’t resist taking the opportunity to ask him what’s the biggest challenge facing vets today?
This Week ...
@ 01 03" - The Pathway To Success For Vets - Shawn McVey
@ 03'47" - Platinum Vet Alliance - More Than Just Buying - Dr David Butchart
@ 10'43" - Look What's Out The Back! - Judy Gillespie
Dr Diederik Gelderman from Turbo Charge Your Practice speaks about the meaning of 'Success' - what it means to different people and how we measure it...
Also in the podcast - Millenials. As a vet you probably employ a few... but do you know what they want? - Really?
Did you know simply adding some nicely crafted phone messages for your clients to listen to while they are inevitably put on hold actually 'adds value' to your practice?
Of course we'd recommend www.petsonhold.com.au - why wouldn't we? We're the ONLY vet specialist on-hold service in Australia!
Also in this podcast Judy Gillespie from Vetanswers.com.au gives even more tips about adding value to your practice.
This week the VETtalk Business Channel podcast discovers how to get FREE marketing for your practice.
Judy Gillespie from Vetanswers is back with some great ideas on how you can show value to your clients.
And Dr Diederik Gelderman from Turbocharge Your Practice explains 'success' and what it really means - Plus a quick look at millenials - those 'younger' vets, nurses etc that you employ and what makes them tick!
@ 01'25" No Cost Marketing - Steve Jensen - Impact Training
@ 06'47" Adding Value + CPD Calendar - Judy Gillespie
@ 11'49" What Is Success? + Millenials - Dr Diederik Gelderman
In this show...
@ 01'25" What's Vetanswers All About? - Judy Gillespie
@ 14'18" All About Turbocharge Your Practice - Dr Diederik Gelderman
Most Aussie vets would have heard of Dr Diederik Gelderman. One of the busiest, most dynamic, engaging and exciting speakers in the veterinary sphere.
With over 15 years of experience speaking both to small intimate groups as well as audiences of many thousands he empowers people with his confident, energetic, entertaining and accomplished presentations.
Having run his own practice for over 35 years he learnt the hard way about 'economic success' having failed miserably initially. But after realising the hard truth about being in business he implemented some basic strategies that transformed it into a multi-award winning and highly profitable enterprise. He now shares these and other practice success strategies with audiences all over the World.
In this podcast Diederik outlines how he 'saw the light' and re-built a failing vet practice into an award winning facility
While vets and vet nurses are busy every day saving animals, some people - like Judy Gillespie are just trying to save vets! Well vet practices anyway...
Check out this very informative chat we had with founder of Vetanswers, she might just be the 'answer' you've been looking for, for your practice!