The day-to-day responsibilities of running a successful veterinary clinic are more than enough to fill a person’s schedule. But the clinicians cannot only focus on the here and now for a clinic to succeed. They must set their sights on the future and think of ways to improve constantly.
Veterinarians who want to make changes to their clinic should study the strategies to generate more revenue at your veterinary clinic. You almost certainly have areas that need improvement. Let this list guide you to a brighter, more profitable future.
Set Goals
Setting specific, measurable goals is the first step in generating revenue for a veterinary clinic. One of the most common mistakes made by veterinary clinics is they fail to articulate clear goals. Where do you see your clinic in five years? 10? Is there any equipment you think will make your clinic thrive? Knowing what you are working toward will help guide your decision-making. Without goals, your clinic is stagnant and, therefore, far less likely to make additional revenue.
Specificity is important. It is not enough to say, “I want my clinic to make more money.” You must have a more precise plan. For instance, a good goal is to increase new clients by 20 percent within eight months. That goal is precise with measurable numbers. Allowing a goal like that to lead your decision-making will yield more revenue.
Build Strategic Business Relationships
One of the best features of the pet industry is your customers likely frequent the same locations. Once a town establishes its preeminent dog park, pet store, and veterinary clinic, all the local pet owners gravitate to those locations. As an intelligent business person, you should think of ways to leverage these other companies. You want to build business relationships across the board to help lead your customers back to you.
For instance, you could create a referral partnership with your local pet store. You can pass out referrals and flyers for their business at your practice if the pet store owner does the same at their store. Since pet owners trust referrals from people who look after their pets, a pet shop partnership could bode well for your business. Just make sure you have partnerships with reputable, respectable businesses.
Train
Your staff is the strongest resource your veterinary clinic has available. One of the best strategies to generate more revenue at your veterinary clinic is to improve the training you give your staff. Your employees must know your practice’s goals and how they can help achieve those objectives. Furthermore, well-trained staff can increase revenue through upselling and forward-booking.
Spend some time thinking of areas where your practice could improve, and then think of how you can train your staff to make these improvements. For instance, you might want to train your receptionist on methods to keep a fuller appointment book, or you should train your technicians to recommend more services or products to patients.
Improve Your Web Presence
Businesses need a competitive web presence to exist in the marketplace. When searching for a local veterinarian, like nearly every other service, most people begin by looking online. You should strive to be the top search item when people in your area search for “veterinarians near me.” You can work with experts who will optimize your website for Google searches.
You can also consider other methods of online marketing. For instance, some people find success running ads with Google or on social media networks. If you can figure out how to cut through all the noise people see on their computers, you are one step closer to a veterinary clinic with increased revenue.
Keep Track
You should know right now which of your services are the most and least profitable. If you do not have that information at the top of your mind, it probably means you need to invest more into your record keeping. You want to keep close tabs on all the money coming in and going out so that you can identify areas where you can make more profit.
For example, you could discover that vaccinations make up a good deal of your revenue through your record keeping. With that information now uncovered, you can market your business to point out that service to potential customers. You also might spot products or services that would generate a lot of revenue if the price increased.
Create Easy Payment Processing Options
Amazon has trained the modern consumer to expect extreme ease of use for payment. It is hard enough for customers to part with money in the first place; you should not complicate the matter by adding difficult rules for payment. All payments should be accomplishable online in the fastest and most convenient way possible.
When you give clients various patient options, they feel that your business is looking out for their time and needs. You may increase your revenue by offering processing options like:
- Autopay for your regular clients
- An online portal
- Mobile pay
- An interactive voice response
Offer Financing Options
Clients can and often do buy veterinary insurance. However, those insurers can only offer so much. If a pet gets a particular illness, insurance may not cover them. Clients that do not have the money to pay for the treatment out of pocket find themselves in a startling, difficult position.
You should offer clients financing in a way that meets their needs. As a business leader, you should create solutions that fit their budget. This will benefit you as you work with people you may have otherwise turned away, and the kindness may get you a client for life.
Summation
As the leader of a veterinary clinic, you must always keep your eyes on the future. Your business needs constant improvements to compete with other clinics. By working alongside people you trust and researching the cutting edge of veterinary medicine, you will bring your clinic to the next level.
If you ever need medical equipment updates, look at ExamVue Digital X-ray, where you can find an amazing flat panel X-ray detector.
