So, you’re thinking about starting your very own veterinary practice? Congratulations!
In this guide, you’ll read all about what it takes to start your own veterinary practice. You’ll get practical advice and actionable tips covering every step of the journey, from business planning and pricing, right the way through to marketing and recruitment strategy.
Let’s get started!
Thinking about starting your own practice? ezyVet has helped launch hundreds of new veterinary practices and we know exactly what it takes to set you up for long-term success. We’ve got the experience, the software, and the know-how to guide you every step of the way. 🦶
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Thinking of opening a new veterinary practice business but don’t know where to start?
In this section, you’ll find a blueprint for planning a new veterinary practice. These steps should be considered suggestive, not prescriptive - a collection of questions to ask yourself and gentle starting points to help get the ball rolling.
Passion alone isn’t enough to succeed in business. Yes, you’ll need a love for animals, but you’ll also need to be pragmatic, numbers-oriented, and bring the right sum of skills, experience, and ambition to the table.
Don’t underestimate the challenges of running your own business. You might have years - even decades! - as an employee in the veterinary world, but that doesn’t necessarily prepare you to be an effective business owner.
Surround yourself with a team who shares your vision and complements your skills, and be prepared to navigate the challenges of practice ownership with determination and resilience.
Now, it’s time to visualise your practice. Define the scope of your services. Narrow down your options into a structured service offering so that you and your clients are on the same page come opening day.
What animals do I want to treat?
Will I focus on general care, or will I offer specialty service?
Will I provide emergency or after-hours service?
Am I going to offer wellness plans and preventive care packages?
Do I need to work with referral hospitals?
Can I implement mobile services?
Will I offer grooming, boarding, or daycare services?
This is also a good time to think beyond the walls of the practice. Consider your personal goals and priorities, and how running a business will fit into those broader life plans. Ask yourself:
Work-life balance: How will you manage your time between the clinic and personal life? Are you prepared for the long hours and intense responsibilities that come with practice ownership?
Personal considerations: Do you have family or personal commitments that will affect your availability? What role will your hobbies and interests play in your life outside of work?
Long-term vision: What are your long-term goals for the practice and for yourself? How will owning and running this practice align with your personal and professional aspirations?
On average, UK-based veterinarians are contracted to work 37 hours per week but actually work 43 hours per week. Owners often work substantially more.
A business plan lays out your goals, strategies, and financial projections, as well as the resources needed to start and sustain your practice. A well-crafted business plan can also help you secure funding from lenders or investors by demonstrating your practice’s viability and potential for profitability.
Your business plan should include:
Executive summary: Overview of your practice, including mission, vision, and key objectives.
Business description: Detailed description of the practice, services offered, and target market.
Market research: Analysis of the local market, competition, and potential client base.
Marketing strategy: Plan for attracting and retaining clients, including branding and advertising.
Operational plan: Outline of day-to-day operations, including location, facilities, and equipment.
Management and staffing: Organisational structure, roles, and staffing plan.
Financial plan: Budget, revenue projections, break-even analysis, and funding needs.
Legal and regulatory compliance: Information on licences, insurance, and legal considerations.
Risk analysis: Identification of potential risks and strategies for mitigating them.
Growth and exit strategy: Plans for future expansion and long-term goals.
Consider including a SWOT analysis in your business plan. A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool used to assess internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats.
Start building your team. As your plan takes shape, surround yourself with experts who understand the nuances of the veterinary industry. Engaging these professionals early in the planning process ensures that your practice is built on a solid foundation.
Veterinary consultant: A seasoned veterinary consultant can offer industry-specific insights, helping you navigate challenges unique to veterinary practice ownership. They can advise on business strategy, clinic setup, and operational efficiency.
Accountant: Engaging an accountant early on will help you understand the financial aspects of starting a practice, including budgeting, tax planning, and financial projections. They can also advise on the most suitable business structure and help manage cash flow effectively.
Legal advisor: A lawyer specialising in veterinary or healthcare law can assist with business registration, contracts, lease agreements, and compliance with industry regulations. They ensure that you’re legally protected and compliant from the start.
Other practice owners: Talk to a range of established practice owners and learn about their experiences. Pick their brains, learn more about what worked and, perhaps more importantly, what didn’t.
Architect: A professional experienced in designing veterinary facilities can optimise the layout of your property for workflow efficiency, client experience, and regulatory compliance. They can help with everything from space planning to obtaining permits.
HR consultant: Setting up good HR practices is crucial for staff recruitment, retention, and compliance with employment laws. An HR consultant can help you establish contracts, staff training programs, and policies that create a healthy work environment.
Thorough market research is crucial to ensure the viability and success of the business. Think about the needs of the community and where your clinic will fit into the wider business landscape.
Local demographics: Analyse the population size in the area you're considering. Higher population densities may indicate a larger potential client base. Research the percentage of households that own pets in the area and assess local average income levels.
The competition: Map out the services offered by local competitors, and use that information to determine the value proposition for your clinic. Read online reviews of your competitors to understand what clients value and where they might be falling short.
Market forces: Consider the health of the local economy - downturns can impact pet owners’ willingness to spend on non-essential services. Investigate trends in pet ownership in the area. Research the availability of qualified veterinary professionals in the area, as well as wage expectations.
The results of your research will determine the viability of your practice and help shape the rest of your business plan.
A good location is one of the most important aspects of running a successful business. There are a bunch of factors at play here, including:
Affordability: There’s a sweet spot to be found between price, demand, and competition. If the perfect location is out of budget, don’t stress. If you provide a quality service, customers will go out of their way to find you.
Suitability: Is the size and location of the site fit for purpose? Think long-term. Does it have the space to accommodate your future needs as the business grows?
Population: Consider demographic trends. What are pet ownership rates like? Is the population growing or shrinking? How affluent are the nearby neighbourhoods?
Foot traffic: High foot traffic can help you build awareness, attract new clients, and get more walk-in appointments. Note that catering to walk-ins can be tricky, especially in the early days!
Accessibility: Customers need easy access to the business. Parking spots, traffic congestion, building visibility, and access to suppliers all come into play here.
Competition: Consider the current availability of local veterinary services and pet stores. Differentiation becomes essential when breaking into a competitive market with established players.
One of the biggest decisions to make is whether you’ll buy, build, or rent.
Start by considering how much space you need. As a general rule of thumb, you need about 100 square metres of space per full-time veterinarian, including reception, consultation rooms, and storage. Additional facilities like surgical theatres or kennels may require even more space.
Renting is often a smart choice from a cash-flow perspective, allowing you to allocate more funds to equipment, staffing, and marketing. It offers flexibility to test your location and scale without long-term commitments. Balance your current needs with future growth - avoid overspending on excessive space, but ensure room for expansion.
Building a facility from scratch is a rare opportunity to design a practice according to your exact specifications. The downside, of course, is that it’s expensive. Expect to pay around £1500-£3000 per square metre in construction costs, depending on location and the scope of the project. That excludes the cost of land, furnishings, and veterinary equipment.
Buying an existing practice provides access to established, desirable locations that might otherwise be out of reach. You also inherit the practice’s client base, equipment, and operational framework, which can provide a smoother transition.Though you might need renovations, purchasing is usually more affordable than building.
Practices are often valued by applying an earning multiple to the EBITDA of the business, with multiples typically ranging from 8x to 13x. For example, an earnings multiple applied to a practice with an EBITDA of £500,000 would lead to a valuation of £4 million.
You have the option to save on location expenses by opening a mobile veterinary clinic. While there are some tradeoffs to be made here, it can be a savvy way to save on rent, outfitting costs, and equipment.
There’s no other way to put it: Starting a new veterinary practice can be expensive. Depending on the size of the practice, its location, and other factors, expect to spend a few hundred thousand on renovations, equipment, fixtures, and more before you even open the door.
Then, you’ve got your ongoing costs to consider. That includes things like:
Insurance.
Utilities.
Accounting.
Legal.
Rent or mortgage payments.
Software subscriptions.
Drugs and consumables inventory.
Your largest and most important expense is payroll - expect it to cost about 40% of your practice’s revenue.
As we’ve learned, starting a practice isn’t cheap. The good news is that banks tend to look favourably at veterinary borrowers, thanks to the stability and revenue generating potential associated with businesses operating within the animal healthcare industry.
Here are some common financing options:
Business loan: The most common option. Most of the big banks offer business loans of varying rates. Secured loans may require collateral, such as property or other assets, while unsecured loans typically have higher interest rates but don't require collateral.
Equipment financing: Equipment financing allows businesses - including aspiring veterinary practice owners like yourself! - to purchase or lease the necessary equipment without having to pay the full upfront cost.
Business partner: Bringing in a business partner can help share the financial burden of starting a practice. Partners may contribute capital in exchange for a share of ownership, which can reduce your need for external financing.
Personal savings: Depending on your business goals and financial circumstances, you may be able to use personal savings as an initial investment or down payment for the veterinary practice.
Business credit cards: Credit cards offer easy access to quick capital and can be a good way to cover day-to-day expenses without stymieing cash flow. High rates typically apply if balances aren’t paid off during the interest-free period.
Government grants: The government often offers various small business grants and start-up loans. These options provide low-interest loans and guidance for new business owners. See this page for more information.
Your pricing strategy has a direct effect on revenue and profit. Most practices in the UK use one or more of the following strategies.:
Cost-plus pricing: Calculate the cost of providing a service (including labour, materials, and overhead) and add a markup to ensure a profit. It’s the most popular pricing strategy because it’s quick and easy to implement, and ensures that a profit margin is achieved.
Value-based pricing: Price services based on the perceived value to the client rather than just the cost of delivery. This method considers how much clients are willing to pay for the quality or outcomes of the service.
Competitive pricing: Prices are determined by considering the prices set by your competitors in the market, rather than basing them on customer demand or production cost. This approach helps ensure that your pricing remains competitive within the local market.
Bundled pricing: Offer a package of services and/or products for a reduced price. Despite items being sold at a discounted rate, this method can increase revenue by simplifying client decisions and encouraging more comprehensive care. Common examples include wellness packages and surgical bundles.
Mapping the revenue journey helps with pricing. If you can determine where the practice will generate, spend, and potentially lose money, you can identify opportunities to increase profitability.
Administrative setup may not be the flashiest part of launching a veterinary practice, but getting it right is critical. By handling the paperwork and regulatory details correctly from the start, you’ll protect your practice and set yourself up for long-term success, allowing you to focus on delivering excellent care without legal headaches down the road.
If you haven’t yet done so, now is the time to choose a name for your business. A name should be memorable, relatable to your target market, and, most importantly, clearly communicate what your business is about. Abstract names can be catchy (think Google, Xerox, Hulu, etc.), but if you don’t have the budget for large-scale branding, the meaning will likely be lost on your prospective clients. Online business name generators like Namelix can be useful for brainstorming purposes.
The name of your practice can’t be the same as another registered company’s name. You can check the Companies House register to see if the name of your business already exists.
Note: The terms vet, veterinary, veterinary surgeon, and veterinary practitioner are protected by the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. If you want to use any of these terms in your proposed company name, you’ll need to get permission from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) - info@rcvs.org.uk.
When starting your veterinary practice, selecting the appropriate business structure is a key decision. Choosing the right structure depends on your goals and risk tolerance. Talk to a professional advisor for more information.
As a sole trader, your income is taxed as personal income using your income tax rate. Profits are added to your personal earnings and taxed based on standard personal allowances and income tax bands. National insurance contributions are also required.
Advantages:
Fewer filing requirements.
No obligation to publicly disclose financial information.
Potential for taxable losses in the first year to offset other income.
Disadvantages:
You’re personally responsible for business debts and liabilities.
Personal credit is used to secure business loans.
All profits are taxed at your personal income tax rate.
See this page for more information on registering as a sole trader.
LLCs pay corporation tax on profits. Shareholders may also face income tax when receiving dividends or a salary. Dividends distributed to shareholders aren’t subject to double taxation.
Advantages:
Limited liability reduces personal risk.
Taxation is only on extracted profits.
Ownership structure can be tailored for maximum tax benefits.
Disadvantages:
Financial details and director information are publicly accessible.
More paperwork, typically managed by an accountant.
See this page for more information on registering as a limited liability company.
In a partnership, each partner pays income tax and National Insurance on their share of profits. How profits are divided directly affects each partner's tax liability.
Advantages:
Business responsibilities are shared among partners.
No obligation to publicly disclose financial information.
Disadvantages:
Partners are personally liable for business debts and claims.
Contracts are in the name of the partnership, holding partners accountable.
See this page for more information on registering as a partnership.
LLPs combine aspects of partnerships and companies. Partners are treated as self-employed for tax purposes but the business itself may pay corporation tax on taxable profits.
Advantages:
Partners aren’t personally responsible for the business's debts beyond their investment.
Allows for flexible management and profit-sharing arrangements.
Disadvantages:
Financial information must be filed with Companies House and made publicly available.
More administrative work compared to a general partnership, including annual filings.
Regardless of business structure, you’ll also need to register for VAT if your practice turns over more than £90,000 annually.
Once you’ve locked in a name for your business, secure a good domain name for it
Your domain name is the address of your website that people type into their browser address bar to visit your website. It represents your business so it should be closely aligned with the name of your veterinary practice and something that potential clients can quickly find online.
Here are some tips for choosing a good domain name:
Make it easy to spell.
Keep it as short as possible.
Avoid numbers and hyphens.
Make it memorable.
Include keywords relevant to your business.
Check that a similar domain name doesn’t already exist.
You can use Namechk to check the availability of a domain name or social media username.
If you’re planning on employing someone, or if you’re drawing a salary as director of a limited company, you’ll need to to register as an employer with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
You need to complete registration before the first payday. It can take up to 30 working days to get your employer PAYE reference number. You cannot register more than two months before you start paying people.
Becoming an employer comes with certain legal obligations, including:
Employment contracts: You’re required to provide employees with a principal statement of employment on their first day of employment. This includes key details like job role, salary, working hours, and notice periods. A wider written statement must be provided within two months of their start date.
Pay: Pay agreed salaries, which must be at least equal to the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, depending on the employee's age.
Pension contributions: Under the auto-enrolment pension scheme, you must enrol eligible employees into a workplace pension and make minimum employer contributions. Employees can choose to opt-out if they wish.
Health and safety: You’re legally obligated to ensure the workplace is safe for employees, providing appropriate training, equipment, and procedures to avoid accidents or injury.
Working hours and breaks: Ensure employees adhere to the Working Time Regulations, which include limits on working hours, rest breaks, and paid holiday entitlement. By law, employees are not allowed to work more than 48 hours a week on average.
Equality and anti-discrimination: You must comply with the Equality Act 2010, which sets out rules regarding fair treatment regardless of characteristics like age, gender, disability, or race.
Meeting these legal requirements helps protect your practice from potential claims and ensures a positive working environment for your staff. For more information, speak to a legal adviser.
Don’t mix your personal finances with your business finances. Establishing dedicated business banking and credit cards helps you to protect your personal assets, build good business credit, and simplify your accounting and tax processes.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is a comprehensive data protection law that applies to businesses across the UK and EU. Complying with GDPR is crucial, as it regulates how personal data is collected, stored, and used. Non-compliance can lead to significant fines.
Here are the basic foundations of GDPR compliance:
Understand data collection: Identify the types of personal data you’ll collect (e.g., client information, employee details).
Get consent: Obtain clear consent before collecting and processing personal data.
Data security: Implement strong security measures to protect data from breaches.
Create privacy policies: Provide a transparent privacy policy outlining data usage.
Data access and erasure: Allow clients to access their data or request its deletion.
Train staff: Ensure all employees understand GDPR principles and their responsibilities.
See this excellent resource from the RCVS for more information.
All veterinary practices in the UK must be registered with the RCVS. To register:
Complete the Register of Veterinary Practice Premises Form.
Email your form to registration@rcvs.org.uk within four weeks of your premises opening date.
The RCVS will send you a pre-registration email detailing how to set up your practice on My Account.
Pay the registration fee via My Account.
Check this page for more information.
Take the time to secure all necessary permits and licences to operate in your area. Licence requirements can vary by region but may include:
RCVS registration.
Registration of premises.
Controlled drugs licence.
Imported medicines certificate.
Health and safety compliance.
Waste disposal permits.
If your veterinary practice employs anyone, you’re legally required to have employers’ liability insurance. This protects your business if an employee claims they’ve suffered an illness or injury due to their work. If you don’t have employers’ liability, the Health and Safety Executive can fine you £2,500 for each day you lack coverage.
You should also consider:
Public liability insurance: Covers legal fees and compensation if a member of the public is injured or their property is damaged due to your business. It's essential for protecting against costly accidents and may be required by clients and suppliers.
Professional indemnity insurance: Protects your practice if a client suffers financial loss due to errors in the services or advice you provide. It covers legal fees and compensation costs, and may be required by clients for certain contracts or partnerships.
Contents and portable equipment insurance: Protects your on-site equipment from theft, fire, or damage. Portable equipment insurance covers items like smartphones, laptops, and tablets used off-site.
Locum insurance: You can use locum insurance to insure the key members of your practice (usually vets) if they become injured or ill and be unable to work. This allows you to hire a locum, ensuring your practice can continue to trade without additional cost to the business.
It’s not often that you get to start a veterinary practice from scratch. You’re working with a blank slate, so use this as an opportunity to overhaul your processes and explore new systems that will allow you to do business on your terms.
In this section, you’ll discover the essential tools your practice will need to hit the ground running.
These days, practice management software underpins just about every aspect of your veterinary clinic. All the little tasks that make up the daily grind - appointment scheduling, invoicing, communication, note taking, inventory, team management, and more - can be done directly inside your practice management system.
The time-saving potential is enormous - but only if you select the appropriate solution for your needs. Pick the right software and life gets a whole lot easier. Pick the wrong software and, well, there’s a very real risk that you won’t notice any meaningful benefit at all.
Here are some key features to look for when shopping around:
Cloud technology.
Automated communications.
Automated invoicing.
Reporting and analytics.
Inventory management.
Appointment scheduling.
Cloud-based practice management software can run on any reasonably modern device. So, if you decide to go the cloud route (and, let’s face it - there’s no reason not to), you have a lot of flexibility in terms of what your hardware environment looks like.
Your front desk teams might require fixed stations with multiple large monitors, while your veterinarians and vet techs might like the flexibility to move around the practice and record clinical notes on tablets and iPads. An all-in-one touchscreen computer might be useful for your practice manager to track staff and patient progress.
You generally get what you pay for when it comes to IT hardware. You might have to pay a bit more upfront for modern, high-spec devices, but the business advantages - workflow efficiency, ease of use, futureproofing, etc. - tend to far outweigh the costs in the long term.
Talk to your software provider for more information about device compatibility and hardware requirements.
Invest in a sturdy internet connection with sufficient bandwidth to support all your devices. Bandwidth requirements vary between practices. Small practices should aim for minimum download speeds of 20 Mbps, while large practices should have download speeds of at least 50 Mbps.
In addition to bandwidth, consider what type of internet connection you’ll use to run your practice. A wired connection offers fast and consistent data transfer speeds, but you’ll also want a strong Wi-Fi network to allow your staff to work from mobile devices and laptops from different locations within the clinic.
Depending on the size and layout of your clinic, you might find it useful to invest in a Wi-Fi router that’s capable of handling both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands. A 2.4 GHz connection provides greater coverage but delivers slower speeds, while a 5 GHz connection provides faster speeds at a shorter range.
Equip your clinic with diagnostic tools, X-ray, and ultrasound capabilities. Some diagnostics hardware providers, such as IDEXX, may even offer special deals to new veterinary practices. This gives you an easy and cost-effective way to establish robust diagnostics processes right from the get-go.
IDEXX offers a range of in-house analysers, including:
...and more. See this page for more information.
To simplify your patient management processes, consider investing in patient care software like Vet Radar, which integrates natively with ezyVet. While your practice management software is used to manage administrative tasks, Vet Radar focuses on the care aspect of daily veterinary work.
Integrations allow you to connect your practice management software with other tools that you use to run your practice. Instead of using multiple applications, an integrated solution allows data flows between your practice management software and your other tools, eliminating double-handling of data and minimising the risk of data entry errors.
Popular integrations include:
Payment solution: Allows for seamless in-person and remote payments directly inside your practice management software, reduces manual entry errors, and improves cash flow. Integrated payment terminals ensure faster, more secure transactions.
Product supplier: Integrating your system with product suppliers makes ordering and receiving simple. Create your purchase orders from inside your practice management software, send the order directly to the supplier with the click of a button, and receive the invoice and inventory straight into your practice management when the order is delivered.
Accounting: Streamline your accounting processes. When a financial transition is completed in your practice management software, the record automatically syncs to your accounting software, reducing double-handling when issuing invoices, receiving money, or entering supplier’s invoices.
Controlled drug management: For safety and compliance purposes, you’ll need to invest in secure storage solutions for your prescription drugs. Smart storage tools can automate a large part of the administrative work involved with housing and dispensing controlled medicine. They also help drive practice revenue by ensuring that your drugs are accurately recorded and charged for.
Pet insurance: Offering pet insurance can be a savvy way to remove some of the financial barriers to care, improve client retention, increase revenue, and achieve better health outcomes for patients. Pet insurance integrations allow you to manage insurance claims directly within your practice management software.
The range of integrations on offer can vary significantly between vendors, so be sure to weigh up your options carefully before making any decisions. Think of your future needs, too. Integration compatibility might not currently be a priority, but that could change in the future as your practice grows or you expand your service offering.
ezyVet offers more than 60 integrations with some of the world’s leading providers. For more information, check out the full list of integrations.
You’ve put a business plan together, you’ve sorted your finances, and you’ve got a clear idea of the tools you’ll need to run your practice. Now, it’s time to hire your team and establish a strong brand image!
Unless you’re planning to do it all yourself, you’ll need to start assembling a team. Starting by forecasting how many people you’ll need in each area of the business.
Most practice owners start by hiring a practice/office manager. With the help of your practice manager, you’ll need to look for technicians, receptionists, nurses, kennel attendants, groomers, and any other specialists your practice will need. Seek professionals who have a strong understanding of the veterinary industry, the right attitude, and a passion for animals and people.
Understand your needs: Tailor staffing based on clinic size, services offered, client demographics, and peak times. Define roles with clear job descriptions to attract suitable candidates.
Attract the right candidates: Build a strong employer brand that highlights your clinic’s culture and values. Use targeted job platforms and offer competitive compensation, including professional development perks.
Streamline selection process: Use structured screening, interviews, and reference checks to assess candidates. Involve team members to ensure a cultural fit.
Onboarding and retention: Provide thorough onboarding, offer mentorship, and foster growth opportunities to retain staff and ensure job satisfaction.
Ensure legal compliance: Stay updated on employment laws, contracts, and practice standards to avoid legal pitfalls and maintain a good reputation.
Besides the usual job search platforms, Vet Record Careers (owned by the British Veterinary Association) can be a good channel to connect with qualified candidates. There are also a number of veterinary-specific recruiters to explore.
As you undoubtedly know from experience, high workloads, emotional strain, and burnout are far too common in the veterinary industry.
As an aspiring practice owner, you’re in the unique position to do things differently. You have the opportunity to prioritise the wellbeing of your team from the outset and create a sustainable business where staff feel empowered to do their best work.
Design a sustainable workload: Set realistic schedules with manageable caseloads to prevent burnout. Implement flexible work hours and ensure adequate time off, allowing your staff to recharge. Consider rotating shifts or offering part-time positions to maintain a balanced workload. Practice management software can automate many repetitive daily tasks, allowing staff to focus on more meaningful work.
Create a supportive environment: Foster an open-door policy where staff feel comfortable discussing their mental health without stigma. Encourage regular check-ins and promote mental health awareness in team meetings.
Promote work-life balance: Encourage your team to disconnect after hours and resist the urge to check work emails at home. Promote activities that allow staff to relax, such as team outings or wellness days. Work-life balance is key to long-term mental health and job satisfaction.
Invest in professional development: Giving your team opportunities to grow professionally can boost morale and reduce job stress. Provide ongoing training, mentorship, and career development opportunities. Recognising and rewarding achievements helps staff feel valued and motivated.
Implement stress management programs: Introduce wellness initiatives like mindfulness sessions, yoga classes, or mental health workshops. Regularly assess workplace stressors and seek feedback on how to improve the work environment.
Lead by example: As a practice owner, your attitude towards mental health will set the tone. Show vulnerability, share your own challenges when appropriate, and model healthy work habits.
By prioritising mental health, you’ll not only create a more resilient team but also set your practice up for long-term success, attracting staff who value a supportive and sustainable workplace.
Every year, ezyVet celebrates Mindful May, a month-long initiative dedicated to promoting mindfulness and wellbeing in the veterinary industry. It's a great opportunity to learn from some of the most highly respected thought leaders in the veterinary wellness space as they discuss practical strategies you can use to build resilience, create a positive work culture, and maintain love for your career - and for yourself.
All of the events are free and RACE® CE accredited. Learn more here.
You can’t run a successful business without any clients. And you can’t get clients if nobody knows your business exists.
In this section, you’ll find some effective ways to let your local pet-owning community know that you’re open and ready for business.
A website isn’t just the backbone of your online presence - it’s one of your most important business assets.
You can build a basic website yourself using drag-and-drop website builders like Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress, or hire a professional to build it for you. Expect to pay a UK-based freelancer at least £1,000 for a simple site, and considerably more for a custom, complex site.
Whether you hire a professional or go the DIY route, think about what you want to put on your website. This might be your clients’ first point of contact with your practice, so consider your prospective clients and the information they would expect to find on your website.
This can vary from business to business, but generally speaking, there are seven fundamental pages that every veterinary website should have.
Homepage
About
Services
Meet the team
Contact
Privacy policy
Terms of use
50% of visitors leave a website within 8 seconds, so aim to create a homepage that captures their attention and entices them to view the rest of your website.
A strong social media presence is crucial for increasing brand exposure and connecting with your clients and community outside of in-clinic interactions. Facebook and Instagram are a great place to start - and the sky really is the limit in terms of content.
Not sure what to post? Here are some ideas to get you started?
Cute patient photos.
Animal care tips.
News stories.
Animal trivia.
Community events.
Staff spotlights.
New product arrivals.
Sales and discounts.
Email marketing is a powerful tool for building relationships with your clients. Use it to keep your audience informed, engaged, and connected to your practice.
Build relationships: Email marketing helps you stay connected with your clients. Regular newsletters, pet care tips, and personalised reminders keep your practice top of mind.
Boost engagement: Promote services, announce events, or offer exclusive discounts. Engaging content can drive bookings and encourage repeat visits.
Segment your audience: Target different client groups with relevant content - new pet owners, senior pet care, or seasonal health tips - making your emails more impactful.
Measure success: Track open rates, clicks, and conversions to see what resonates with your audience and refine your approach.
Some practice management solutions enable you to automatically send personalised communication reminders to your patients. Book a demo with ezyVet to learn more.
Paid advertising allows you to quickly reach a targeted audience, boost brand awareness, and drive traffic to your practice with measurable results.
Reach pet owners fast: Use Google Ads and social media ads to quickly connect with local pet owners interested in veterinary services. Drive them directly to your booking page or site.
Budget control: Set daily or campaign-specific budgets, ensuring you never overspend. You pay only when someone clicks, so your investment is direct and measurable.
Targeting: Target the ideal audience by specifying location, age, interests, or even pet ownership status, helping you focus your ads on the most relevant potential clients.
Awareness: Ads increase brand visibility quickly, even before organic search rankings take effect, helping you stay top-of-mind with pet owners from the start.
In the modern veterinary landscape, digital marketing undoubtedly rules the advertising roost - but that doesn’t mean that you should ignore traditional channels.
Scouts.
Girlguiding.
Church groups.
Sports teams.
Animal fairs.
Senior centres.
School events.
Fundraisers.
Dog groomers.
Dog walkers.
Pet sitters.
Pet photographers.
Pet trainers.
Cat cafes.
Horse and livestock appraisers.
Horse trailer hire companies.
Animal show management businesses.
What your customers have to say about business holds a whole lot more weight than what you say about your business, regardless of how awesome your services are or how authentic your brand might be.
An easy way to capture the opinions of your clients is through Google Reviews. Google Reviews are the online reviews of your business, written by your clients, that Google displays next to your Business Profile in Google Maps and on the Google search engine results page. A healthy collection of Google reviews can greatly boost the credibility of your business and improve your online visibility. Best of all, it’s completely free to use.
Here are some tips to help you get more Google Reviews.
Create a Google Business Profile: With a Google Business Profile, you can take ownership of your business profile, maintain your contact information, post photos of your business, collect and respond to client reviews, and more.
Just ask: When a client is checking out, take a moment to ask about their appointment and - if they seem to be satisfied with the experience - politely ask if they’d be willing to leave you a quick Google review.
Ask in your communications: Sending a direct link to a review request allows your client to leave a review in privacy and at their leisure, removing most of the obstacles involved with gathering reviews in person.
Respond to clients: Making the time to respond to feedback shows clients that you care about their experience, encourages others to share their own reviews, and indicates that you’re active and ready for business.
82% of consumers read negative reviews to see how a business responds to criticism.
Effective veterinary marketing isn’t just about client acquisition - it’s also about keeping your current customers loyal and engaged.
The average companion animal practice loses 10-15% of its client base each year. Given the high cost of client acquisition - acquiring a new client costs around five times more than retaining an existing client – client attrition can have a major impact on revenue.
Below are some practical strategies to help minimise the risk of customer attrition.
The last thing to keep in mind is that it’s highly unlikely everything will go as planned when starting your business. Expect to encounter some teething issues when you open for business. Roll with the punches, expect the unexpected, and be prepared to revise your plans as you go. Growing pains are normal, and it can take a few years before it feels like your practice is running smoothly.
Keep pushing through the challenges - it’ll make success that much sweeter in the long run. Don’t forget to pause every now and then to celebrate the wins, reflect on the losses, and set new goals for the future.
Best of luck!
Thinking about starting your own practice? ezyVet has helped launch hundreds of new veterinary practices and we know exactly what it takes to set you up for long-term success. We’ve got the experience, the software, and the know-how to guide you every step of the way. 🦶
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