GROW YOUR PRACTICE
Practices grow because of location, online ads, signage, and the appearance of the facilities. However, most growth will occur due to referrals from clients. The "Grow Your Practice" plan will increase the likelihood of your clients referring new patients.
Practices grow because of location, online ads, signage, and the appearance of the facilities. However, most growth will occur due to referrals from clients. The "Grow Your Practice" plan will increase the likelihood of your clients referring new patients.
Over the course of my career, I have extensive experience in human relations and different business opportunities. I was in the Army for two years as a food inspection officer. I was in charge of 66 mess halls where I was responsible for ordering, delivering, sanitation, and quality. After the service, I graduated with honors from vet school. After vet school, I interned for two years with Dr. M. R. Blackstock. He was the first veterinarian in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.
Over the course of my career, I have extensive experience in human relations and different business opportunities. I was in the Army for two years as a food inspection officer. I was in charge of 66 mess halls where I was responsible for ordering, delivering, sanitation, and quality. After the service, I graduated with honors from vet school. After vet school, I interned for two years with Dr. M. R. Blackstock. He was the first veterinarian in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.
At the time, an office call was $2.50. It was a mixed practice, and as you might imagine, I have a lot of stories that we can discuss another time. I then moved to Hendersonville, NC and started Hendersonville Veterinary Hospital. Four other veterinarians had tried to make a living in Hendersonville, but all had failed.
At the time, an office call was $2.50. It was a mixed practice, and as you might imagine, I have a lot of stories that we can discuss another time. I then moved to Hendersonville, NC and started Hendersonville Veterinary Hospital. Four other veterinarians had tried to make a living in Hendersonville, but all had failed.
My practice was the first successful one in the area. I later built three additional practices. After selling these practices, I started a building company and built over 400 houses - 84 in one year. I acted as a consultant for a few years helping young veterinarians find locations and start practices. In 2008, USDA made me an offer to work for them. I accepted and was in the food safety service for eight years - in charge of a chicken production plant in Vienna, Georgia. I worked until I was 88 years old. Currently, I use my expertise to help other veterinarians be successful.
My practice was the first successful one in the area. I later built three additional practices. After selling these practices, I started a building company and built over 400 houses - 84 in one year. I acted as a consultant for a few years helping young veterinarians find locations and start practices. In 2008, USDA made me an offer to work for them. I accepted and was in the food safety service for eight years - in charge of a chicken production plant in Vienna, Georgia. I worked until I was 88 years old. Currently, I use my expertise to help other veterinarians be successful.
You Need a Plan
You Need a Plan
Most veterinarians do not have a practice plan in place before they establish their hospital. They worry about location, buildings, and signage. Every veterinarian should make goals concerning their practice. If you ask most veterinarians what their primary goal is, they will say keeping and making animals as well as possible. It is an extremely important goal to have, but it shouldn't be the first.
Most veterinarians do not have a practice plan in place before they establish their hospital. They worry about location, buildings, and signage. Every veterinarian should make goals concerning their practice. If you ask most veterinarians what their primary goal is, they will say keeping and making animals as well as possible. It is an extremely important goal to have, but it shouldn't be the first.
Your primary goal is to make clients happy! After all, they are the ones that make the appointments, tell others how wonderful you are, and pay the bills. My plan will influence your clients to refer patients to you. Furthermore, it will influence every person that you have a relationship with to send their friends your way. It is a mighty big goal to have, but my plan will make it possible.
Your primary goal is to make clients happy! After all, they are the ones that make the appointments, tell others how wonderful you are, and pay the bills. My plan will influence your clients to refer patients to you. Furthermore, it will influence every person that you have a relationship with to send their friends your way. It is a mighty big goal to have, but my plan will make it possible.
Historically, within two years, half of your loyal clients will refer a new client to your hospital. Then, historically, almost 90% of those new clients will refer new clients to your hospital as well. The income from new clients over the life of a pet is worth $5000-$20,000, so do the math. Your income will dramatically increase! The cost of my plan is drastically less than the income you will get from one referral. You can't go wrong!
Historically, within two years, half of your loyal clients will refer a new client to your hospital. Then, historically, almost 90% of those new clients will refer new clients to your hospital as well. The income from new clients over the life of a pet is worth $5000-$20,000, so do the math. Your income will dramatically increase! The cost of my plan is drastically less than the income you will get from one referral. You can't go wrong!
How It Works
How It Works
The following is an example of how the "Grow Your Practice" plan works:
The following is an example of how the "Grow Your Practice" plan works:
A vascular surgeon called me and explained that he had been in practice for a year and a half and couldn't pay his bills. The medical College of Charleston was asking him to come back and teach because he was more than capable of doing his job. He was just lacking people skills. We conversed with each other for about 45 minutes while I explained what he should do to make his practice grow. He followed my instructions to the letter and in six months his gross income was about $10,000 per day. Within a two year period, he purchased property adjacent to Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville North Carolina. He built a huge office building that contained four office suites and three surgical suites. During this time, he gradually hired three other surgeons to assist him. His practice had grown at a phenomenal rate. He bought a six-bedroom luxury home that had been constructed by an airline pilot. He also bought 500 acres of land adjacent to Acalahawa Creek. He named his farm Three Arrows Farm, and it still exists today. He constructed a huge barn and a guest home on this property and started raising registered Angus cattle. If you would like to grow your practice too, contact me today. Let's discuss your situation!
A vascular surgeon called me and explained that he had been in practice for a year and a half and couldn't pay his bills. The medical College of Charleston was asking him to come back and teach because he was more than capable of doing his job. He was just lacking people skills. We conversed with each other for about 45 minutes while I explained what he should do to make his practice grow. He followed my instructions to the letter and in six months his gross income was about $10,000 per day. Within a two year period, he purchased property adjacent to Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville North Carolina. He built a huge office building that contained four office suites and three surgical suites. During this time, he gradually hired three other surgeons to assist him. His practice had grown at a phenomenal rate. He bought a six-bedroom luxury home that had been constructed by an airline pilot. He also bought 500 acres of land adjacent to Acalahawa Creek. He named his farm Three Arrows Farm, and it still exists today. He constructed a huge barn and a guest home on this property and started raising registered Angus cattle. If you would like to grow your practice too, contact me today. Let's discuss your situation!
Results
Results
"Grow Your Practice" teaches you how to influence your current clients to refer new clients to your hospital. Historically, approximately 50% of your loyal clients will refer new clients to you within a two-year period. Then, 90% of the new clients will refer others to you. If you already have 2000 clients on your books and half of them refer patients to you, then you will have 1000 new clients in the first two years you use my plan. Statistics show the income you derive from each referral ranges from $5000-$20,000 over the life of the pet. Using average figure, the results in each referral being worth 1000 times $10,000 or a total off $10 million. Over a 15-year period this equals $666,666 per year. The figure doesn't include all those new clients sending other clients to you. According to my calculations, these figures should almost double during the 15-year time frame. There are some variables in these calculations. Obviously, these clients have to be available in order for these figures to be valid. You will also receive your competition's unhappy clients.
"Grow Your Practice" teaches you how to influence your current clients to refer new clients to your hospital. Historically, approximately 50% of your loyal clients will refer new clients to you within a two-year period. Then, 90% of the new clients will refer others to you. If you already have 2000 clients on your books and half of them refer patients to you, then you will have 1000 new clients in the first two years you use my plan. Statistics show the income you derive from each referral ranges from $5000-$20,000 over the life of the pet. Using average figure, the results in each referral being worth 1000 times $10,000 or a total off $10 million. Over a 15-year period this equals $666,666 per year. The figure doesn't include all those new clients sending other clients to you. According to my calculations, these figures should almost double during the 15-year time frame. There are some variables in these calculations. Obviously, these clients have to be available in order for these figures to be valid. You will also receive your competition's unhappy clients.
Funny Stories from Herb
Funny Stories from Herb
Veterinarians have to deal with people that are about two French fries short of a happy meal all the time. People that don't have relationships with other people really love their animals. They needed me to keep their pets alive, in order to have meaningful relationships. One day about 8:30am, I came to work and met a little old lady in the yard. She came up to me and asked where the rent payment was. She said that she had not received it that month. Well I owned the building, so I told her the check was in the mail. She left happy. About 10 minutes later, the phone rang and a lady wanted me to hide her dog for a week. She said she heard that the chief of police was plotting to kill it. I told her that I had I cage in the dark back corner, and I would be sure the chief of police couldn't find the cage. A few minutes later, another lady called and said a neo-Nazi group had thrown acid on her dog and wanted me to check it. When the dog arrived, it had a hotspot on its neck which is caused by localized itching. The dog scratched it until the area was inflamed. You don't tell those people there is no such thing as a neo-Nazi group in Hendersonville, North Carolina or they would think you were president of the organization. I managed to treat the dog without mentioning how bad neo-Nazi groups were, so the lady left happy. A little while later another lady came in with a milk sample and wanted me to check it for poison. She said she had given a cup full to her dog that morning and that it had passed out. She was sure someone was trying to kill her. I sent the milk to the lab. Guess what? It came back negative. I had eight surgeries to do that day, so I told my assistant that I needed to go down to the Skyline Restaurant and get a bowl of soup to try and relax. When I arrived, there was a man about 30 years old sitting at the horseshoe bar across from me. In the back of the room, there was an older lady that looked about 70 years old sitting in the booth. About the time my soup came, the young man got up, came over, and sat down to my left. He asked, "Do you know who that is in the back booth." I answered, "No". So, he said in a whispering tone, "Well, I do. It's that SOB from Detroit. They've sent her down here to kill me." I bowed my head and asked, "Why me, Lord? Why me?" When I got back to the hospital, I told my assistant that maybe we should just lock up, and call it a day. I saw those kind of folks every day but that was the worst day that I had the whole time I was in practice. Must've been a full moon.
Veterinarians have to deal with people that are about two French fries short of a happy meal all the time. People that don't have relationships with other people really love their animals. They needed me to keep their pets alive, in order to have meaningful relationships. One day about 8:30am, I came to work and met a little old lady in the yard. She came up to me and asked where the rent payment was. She said that she had not received it that month. Well I owned the building, so I told her the check was in the mail. She left happy. About 10 minutes later, the phone rang and a lady wanted me to hide her dog for a week. She said she heard that the chief of police was plotting to kill it. I told her that I had I cage in the dark back corner, and I would be sure the chief of police couldn't find the cage. A few minutes later, another lady called and said a neo-Nazi group had thrown acid on her dog and wanted me to check it. When the dog arrived, it had a hotspot on its neck which is caused by localized itching. The dog scratched it until the area was inflamed. You don't tell those people there is no such thing as a neo-Nazi group in Hendersonville, North Carolina or they would think you were president of the organization. I managed to treat the dog without mentioning how bad neo-Nazi groups were, so the lady left happy. A little while later another lady came in with a milk sample and wanted me to check it for poison. She said she had given a cup full to her dog that morning and that it had passed out. She was sure someone was trying to kill her. I sent the milk to the lab. Guess what? It came back negative. I had eight surgeries to do that day, so I told my assistant that I needed to go down to the Skyline Restaurant and get a bowl of soup to try and relax. When I arrived, there was a man about 30 years old sitting at the horseshoe bar across from me. In the back of the room, there was an older lady that looked about 70 years old sitting in the booth. About the time my soup came, the young man got up, came over, and sat down to my left. He asked, "Do you know who that is in the back booth." I answered, "No". So, he said in a whispering tone, "Well, I do. It's that SOB from Detroit. They've sent her down here to kill me." I bowed my head and asked, "Why me, Lord? Why me?" When I got back to the hospital, I told my assistant that maybe we should just lock up, and call it a day. I saw those kind of folks every day but that was the worst day that I had the whole time I was in practice. Must've been a full moon.
I had a client that every time she returned home from visiting my office, she would call back and say someone had broken into her house. I always asked if they did any damage or did they steal anything. She always said they just rearranged the furniture. I guess she would forget where it was located.
I had a client that every time she returned home from visiting my office, she would call back and say someone had broken into her house. I always asked if they did any damage or did they steal anything. She always said they just rearranged the furniture. I guess she would forget where it was located.
I had another client that was about 100 years old. She had a medical box that she used for her dogs and her pills all mixed together. When she thought she needed a pill, she reached in and took one and swallowed it not knowing if it was really for her. I called her Dr. to see if there was anything that I should do about the problem. He laughed and asked, "Is there anything in there that would kill her?” I told him probably not. He said don't worry about it then.
I had another client that was about 100 years old. She had a medical box that she used for her dogs and her pills all mixed together. When she thought she needed a pill, she reached in and took one and swallowed it not knowing if it was really for her. I called her Dr. to see if there was anything that I should do about the problem. He laughed and asked, "Is there anything in there that would kill her?” I told him probably not. He said don't worry about it then.
Special Pets
Special Pets
Boa Constrictor: A circus brought me an 18 foot boa constrictor that had been constipated for a month. They were feeding him live chickens.The feathers and bones were too much for his digestive system. You don't give an enema to a 200 pound snake, so he needed special attention. I went down to the city dump and shot a wharf rat. I skinned it and filled it with about a pound and a half of Vaseline. I sewed the skin up with cat gut. It cleaned him out as slick as a whistle.
Boa Constrictor: A circus brought me an 18 foot boa constrictor that had been constipated for a month. They were feeding him live chickens.The feathers and bones were too much for his digestive system. You don't give an enema to a 200 pound snake, so he needed special attention. I went down to the city dump and shot a wharf rat. I skinned it and filled it with about a pound and a half of Vaseline. I sewed the skin up with cat gut. It cleaned him out as slick as a whistle.
Seeing-Eye Dog: I was going to work one day about 8:30am and saw a seeing-eye dog standing on the side of the road trying to get in every car that came by. He had a harness on at the time. I was afraid he was going to get killed. I opened the door, and he jumped in. I took him down to the office ,put him in a cage, and called the sheriff to tell them that if anybody called I would be glad to return the dog. In about 30 minutes, the sheriff called and said it belonged to a lady out on Patterson Road. Her nephew had accidentally left the door open and the dog had escaped. I told him that I would return the dog shortly. Next door to my office was a garage and filling station that sold illegal baseball cards and did a lot of gambling. There was always eight or 10 good old boys hanging around. I thought it might be fun to play like I was blind, so I had the dog lead me around three or four different cars trying to find my own. I felt the headlights and fenders, and I eventually wound up at my vehicle. It had a tailgate, so I felt around the car and put the dog in the back. There were eight or 10 guys standing there watching this process. The next week one of them told the story to a reporter for the Times news paper. The article reiterated all of the above, but the last line said the last time I saw them the dog was sitting in the backseat telling him which way to go.
Seeing-Eye Dog: I was going to work one day about 8:30am and saw a seeing-eye dog standing on the side of the road trying to get in every car that came by. He had a harness on at the time. I was afraid he was going to get killed. I opened the door, and he jumped in. I took him down to the office ,put him in a cage, and called the sheriff to tell them that if anybody called I would be glad to return the dog. In about 30 minutes, the sheriff called and said it belonged to a lady out on Patterson Road. Her nephew had accidentally left the door open and the dog had escaped. I told him that I would return the dog shortly. Next door to my office was a garage and filling station that sold illegal baseball cards and did a lot of gambling. There was always eight or 10 good old boys hanging around. I thought it might be fun to play like I was blind, so I had the dog lead me around three or four different cars trying to find my own. I felt the headlights and fenders, and I eventually wound up at my vehicle. It had a tailgate, so I felt around the car and put the dog in the back. There were eight or 10 guys standing there watching this process. The next week one of them told the story to a reporter for the Times news paper. The article reiterated all of the above, but the last line said the last time I saw them the dog was sitting in the backseat telling him which way to go.
Arnold: One Saturday morning, an old man brought me a hound dog that was very sick. He was comatose and had shallow breating. In other words, he was about to die. I checked him out, and he had parvovirus. At the time, there was no vaccinations and very few treatments. A high percentage of the sick animals would die. I told him there was very little chance the animal could live. He told me Arnold belonged to his granddaughter. Therefore, I had to try and save him. The little girl and her parents were living in a rented home in Fletcher, North Carolina while waiting for their house to be built. I hooked him up to everything but the kitchen sink and watched him for a couple of hours. Of course, there was no improvement, so I left the IV in place and went on home to Columbus, North Carolina. About 4 o'clock, the father of the little girl called and asked if she could possibly see Arnold. I told him I would meet him at the office in 30 minutes. All the way up the mountain, I prayed that Arnold wouldn't be dead when the little girl saw him. When we saw Arnold he was alive but no improvement. The little girl maintained control and only teared up a little bit. The next morning was Sunday, and when I checked Arnold, he was still alive but no better. I changed his fluids and went back home. Sunday afternoon, when I checked Arnold, his eyes were open and his breathing had improved. Monday morning he was 80% better and even ate a little bit. I could've sent him home Tuesday morning but decided to wait until that afternoon to be sure this miracle recovery would last. When the mother came to pick him up, she told me this story. The family had gone to a little church in Fletcher that had about 35 members. The little girl got out and asked the congregation to hold hands around the perimeter of the church and pray for Arnold. Looking at this time line, I had never had a patient recovered this fast that had been as sick as Arnold was. I told the lady that I wish she hadn't told me that story. She asked, "Why? I thought it was sweet." I told her it was, but I thought it was my good doctoring that had gotten Arnold well. I didn't realize that God had a hand in it. I realize that the rapid recovery was due to that little girl's faith and the prayers from the people in that little church.
Arnold: One Saturday morning, an old man brought me a hound dog that was very sick. He was comatose and had shallow breating. In other words, he was about to die. I checked him out, and he had parvovirus. At the time, there was no vaccinations and very few treatments. A high percentage of the sick animals would die. I told him there was very little chance the animal could live. He told me Arnold belonged to his granddaughter. Therefore, I had to try and save him. The little girl and her parents were living in a rented home in Fletcher, North Carolina while waiting for their house to be built. I hooked him up to everything but the kitchen sink and watched him for a couple of hours. Of course, there was no improvement, so I left the IV in place and went on home to Columbus, North Carolina. About 4 o'clock, the father of the little girl called and asked if she could possibly see Arnold. I told him I would meet him at the office in 30 minutes. All the way up the mountain, I prayed that Arnold wouldn't be dead when the little girl saw him. When we saw Arnold he was alive but no improvement. The little girl maintained control and only teared up a little bit. The next morning was Sunday, and when I checked Arnold, he was still alive but no better. I changed his fluids and went back home. Sunday afternoon, when I checked Arnold, his eyes were open and his breathing had improved. Monday morning he was 80% better and even ate a little bit. I could've sent him home Tuesday morning but decided to wait until that afternoon to be sure this miracle recovery would last. When the mother came to pick him up, she told me this story. The family had gone to a little church in Fletcher that had about 35 members. The little girl got out and asked the congregation to hold hands around the perimeter of the church and pray for Arnold. Looking at this time line, I had never had a patient recovered this fast that had been as sick as Arnold was. I told the lady that I wish she hadn't told me that story. She asked, "Why? I thought it was sweet." I told her it was, but I thought it was my good doctoring that had gotten Arnold well. I didn't realize that God had a hand in it. I realize that the rapid recovery was due to that little girl's faith and the prayers from the people in that little church.
Herman: Herman was a little house mouse. He had a benign tumor that needed to be removed. Herman was very small, so anesthesia was a major problem. His veins looked like spiderwebs. There was no way to give him an interveneous aesthetic. I had a plastic facemask that was used to give gas anesthesia to larger animals. I put Herman in the mask and turned it upside down on the surgical table. Herman scratched his nose a couple of times then ran up into the hose and disappeared in the anesthesia machine. We tore the machine apart and retrieved Herman. He was no worse for wear and other than being a little groggy was very normal. I put cotton in the hose to keep Herman from escaping, and other than cutting down on the flow of anesthesia, it worked extremely well. I sent Herman home the following day looking and feeling absolutely perky. I mentioned this story to the Executive Director of the Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association. I thought it was funny, but she wrote it up as a warning to not inadvertently commit malpractice.
Herman: Herman was a little house mouse. He had a benign tumor that needed to be removed. Herman was very small, so anesthesia was a major problem. His veins looked like spiderwebs. There was no way to give him an interveneous aesthetic. I had a plastic facemask that was used to give gas anesthesia to larger animals. I put Herman in the mask and turned it upside down on the surgical table. Herman scratched his nose a couple of times then ran up into the hose and disappeared in the anesthesia machine. We tore the machine apart and retrieved Herman. He was no worse for wear and other than being a little groggy was very normal. I put cotton in the hose to keep Herman from escaping, and other than cutting down on the flow of anesthesia, it worked extremely well. I sent Herman home the following day looking and feeling absolutely perky. I mentioned this story to the Executive Director of the Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association. I thought it was funny, but she wrote it up as a warning to not inadvertently commit malpractice.
Dr. Cosgrove's German Shepherd: The Cosgroves brought me their German Shepherd. He was about 15 years old and had been paralyzed for three days. I treated him for about three days, and one morning at about 2 o'clock the police called and said my front door was standing open at the hospital. I immediately got up and drove to the hospital. When I arrived, I saw the shepherd had broken out of his cage and was missing. There was a Dutch door between the hall and the reception area. The shepherd had tried to get over the half door but had failed. He then went into the exam room, opened up a cabinet door, and devoured two packages of vitamins. There were teeth marks in the brass doorknob that he had made trying to open the door. The policeman said you sure are lucky. I said, "Lucky? I'm going to have to spend the rest of the night looking for that dog." I spent the night driving between my hospital and the Cosgrove's home. I called their home about 8:00am and wanted to know if they had seen their dog. She said he was sitting in the kitchen floor begging for food. She wanted to know which one of her children had picked up the dog. I wanted to say the little one, but decided to tell the truth. They were just happy, but not as happy as I was about him being able to climb a mountain for 3 miles after being paralyzed just three days before.
Dr. Cosgrove's German Shepherd: The Cosgroves brought me their German Shepherd. He was about 15 years old and had been paralyzed for three days. I treated him for about three days, and one morning at about 2 o'clock the police called and said my front door was standing open at the hospital. I immediately got up and drove to the hospital. When I arrived, I saw the shepherd had broken out of his cage and was missing. There was a Dutch door between the hall and the reception area. The shepherd had tried to get over the half door but had failed. He then went into the exam room, opened up a cabinet door, and devoured two packages of vitamins. There were teeth marks in the brass doorknob that he had made trying to open the door. The policeman said you sure are lucky. I said, "Lucky? I'm going to have to spend the rest of the night looking for that dog." I spent the night driving between my hospital and the Cosgrove's home. I called their home about 8:00am and wanted to know if they had seen their dog. She said he was sitting in the kitchen floor begging for food. She wanted to know which one of her children had picked up the dog. I wanted to say the little one, but decided to tell the truth. They were just happy, but not as happy as I was about him being able to climb a mountain for 3 miles after being paralyzed just three days before.
Anytime that you can get your name or stories in the newspaper, it will make your practice grow more rapidly than normal. I had only been in practice about a month until one of the local reporters dog got strychnine poisoning. I sat up all night and was fortunate enough to save the dog's life. Anytime after, if I had a pet story to tell he would print it for me in the community news section. I'm not telling you to poison a dog, but try to make friends with someone in the news community. Make it one of your primary goals.
Anytime that you can get your name or stories in the newspaper, it will make your practice grow more rapidly than normal. I had only been in practice about a month until one of the local reporters dog got strychnine poisoning. I sat up all night and was fortunate enough to save the dog's life. Anytime after, if I had a pet story to tell he would print it for me in the community news section. I'm not telling you to poison a dog, but try to make friends with someone in the news community. Make it one of your primary goals.