Frequently Asked Questions
Dedicated to Helping Aspiring Veterinary Clinic Owners
Our mission is to help all practice owners no matter what stage of their career, whether it be looking to expand, remodel, open another location, acquire a practice, or optimize operations at their current practice.
There is no one way to begin the process of opening your own practice, each individual practice has their own unique journey to their grand opening. However, we have generalized three major steps to help you develop your plan which includes feasibility (the general stage of finding a location and what works best for you), planning (the general stage of putting your ideas to paper and working out all of the logistics), and implementation (the general stage of bringing your dreams to life). These stages are not sequential and some steps do overlap one another, so it is important to define your vision from the beginning stages.
As soon as you start considering opening your own practice, it’s time to start planning. The sooner you begin, the better, as planning is arguably the most crucial stage in launching a successful practice. Your first step should be speaking with someone who can provide a clear roadmap for the process and help you navigate the essential steps. An Owner’s Representative is an excellent first point of contact. They can guide you through creating your business plan, manage your budget, coordinate and recommend respective vendors, and ensure that crucial deadlines will be met while handling much of the legwork. Opening a practice from scratch requires 350 hours or more of dedicated time—something most veterinarians don’t have alongside their day-to-day responsibilities. Partnering with an expert from the beginning can save you time, prevent costly mistakes, and make the entire process far more manageable.
Yes! A business plan is crucial to long term success, as opening a practice is not something that can be done well on a whim. Your business plan should include your vision, mission, and values as well as your demographic requirements, budgeting research and financial projections, services you want to provide, staffing requirements and training, as well as marketing strategies. Your business plan will not only help you better manage your business, but will help you secure the financing you need to build it.
Understanding your business plan and the bottom line of your budget is key. There are veterinary specific lending options provided by multiple banks and SBA loans. However, it is important to evaluate and compare ALL of your lending options when looking at financing for your practice in order to optimize and fully utilize what is available to you. It is not just about the rate or how much you can get!
Not every commercial space is suitable for a veterinary practice as cities and counties have zoning ordinances that dictate where veterinarians can build. Some areas may allow general medical offices, but exclude veterinary practices due to noise, odor, or animal-related concerns. There may be extra conditions or restrictions at your desired location so working with a broker that is
knowledgeable in the local market and experienced with veterinary practices is key to starting off on the right foot.
knowledgeable in the local market and experienced with veterinary practices is key to starting off on the right foot.
Leasing offers flexibility and lower upfront costs. Buying provides long-term investment benefits and stability. No matter which option you choose, you should never sacrifice the best location for your practice just because you want to lease or to buy.
Your marketing plan should include branding and website development, social media and content marketing, referral and loyalty programs, and community outreach strategies—an essential but often overlooked aspect of growing your practice.
To start you will need a business entity like an LLC for example, a federal EIN (Employer Identification Number), State veterinary license, a DEA license (if handling controlled substances), business and zoning permits, and employment contracts for hiring staff. Additionally, ensure you have comprehensive insurance coverage that meets all legal and industry requirements.
There are a variety of codes and regulations that apply to different areas of opening a practice. Some general requirements include OSHA and ADA compliance, veterinary-specific design codes for instance radiology and x-ray room requirements, state-specific animal medical record privacy and compliance, DEA requirements for logs and security of scheduled drugs, as well as environmental regulations and animal welfare and professional standards.
The timeline varies but typically takes anywhere between 9 to 14 months, depending on location, permitting, construction complexity, or if you are going into an existing structure or not. If you are developing a lot from the ground up the timeline can increase significantly depending on locality.
It is best to compare all of your vendors within their markets by obtaining quotes from different companies. For example, in the case of construction pricing, obtaining multiple bids on the drawings will help you understand whether your project is being priced out fairly or not and if it fits your overall project budget or not.
Yes! Veterinary clinics have unique needs like ventilation, plumbing, medical gas, floor plan requirements and soundproofing, so working with an experienced designer and contractor is necessary and recommended.
The essential equipment you need to start your veterinary practice will depend on your specialty, the species you plan to treat, and the services you intend to provide in-house versus referring to other practices. For example, if you are a small animal veterinarian, we recommend focusing on key areas such as examination and diagnostics, in-house laboratory testing, surgery and anesthesia, pharmacy and treatment supplies, and waste and biohazard management. If you plan to expand your services or invest in advanced technology, consider waiting until your practice is established before making those additional purchases.
Opening your own practice, whether it’s a lifelong career goal or a path to financial growth, is a significant undertaking. As a practicing veterinarian, a leader to your staff, and most importantly, a business owner, you’ll wear many hats. While it’s wise to include a backup plan in your business plan, you’re not opening your practice with failure in mind! The fear of failure is natural, but success comes from confidence, determination, and strategic planning. There’s always a risk of failure, but success isn’t just a possibility—it’s the result of intentional effort and the drive to achieve your goals.
If you don’t see your question here feel free to contact us!