The materials in
The Housecall Veterinarian's Manual are the result of interviews with housecall veterinarians all over the country. Some have been in practice for years and others are just starting their business. The accumulation of all their questions and experiences, plus my own hours of study in small business has combined to give you all the information you need.
The Housecall Veterinarian's Manual will help you create a profitable, enjoyable business. As a housecall practitioner, you are the chief executive, the main employee, and in many cases, the bookkeeper, technician, receptionist, and veterinarian all rolled into one. Is housecall work appropriate for your personality and circumstances? Consider the following questions when making your decision:
* Since you will have an office in your home, does your local zoning code allow for home-based businesses?
* Do you have the space for an office in your home?
* Are you interested in operating your own business and being self-employed?
* Do you have the self-discipline necessary to organize your working hours, manage your business, and schedule non-work time? Or do you prefer to have your schedule managed by someone else, so that you only have to show up and get to work?
* Are you able to work alone? Do you have enough experience to handle, by yourself, any situation that might arise?
* Are you comfortable working with people on a one-to-one, friendly basis?
* Are you accustomed to a qualified technician's assistance? Do you thrive on the exchange of ideas and information that occurs among veterinarians in a group practice?
* Do you have enough money to cover your living expenses until you start earning money? Do you have a good credit rating that will allow you to borrow money to start your business? Will your family help you out financially?
* Can you integrate your "business self" with your "friendly doctor" self? That is, can you continue to charge a fair rate and set limits on your hours, while simultaneously maintaining that friendly, house- doctor attitude?
* If your abilities or the home environment are inadequate to perform a particular treatment, are you comfortable with referring that patient? Are you willing to give up performing certain procedures because they must be done in a hospital?
* Are you able to maintain your high standards of practice in spite of your surroundings?
* Are you ready to assume the liability inherent in performing house calls?
* If you anticipate difficulty with any of the above questions, do you want to start a housecall practice badly enough that you can prepare yourself to overcome these obstacles? What steps will you take to do so? You will find many ideas throughout this manual.
Why have a housecall practice? Everyone has their own list of reasons for choosing housecall practice, but most of them focus around greater flexibility and control. You can:
* Pursue dual careers, or go back to school while still working;
* Ease into retirement;
* Recover from burn out;
* See more of your family, or pursue your hobbies and interests;
* Work in a challenging environment that's different each day;
* Work weekends and holidays, or not;
* Work by yourself, without employees;
* Work part-time, full-time, or over time;
* Have your own practice with low overhead;
* Take more tax deductions than an employee would;
* Gain control over your personal and work life.
You and your clients also benefit from a housecall practice, because you can: * Develop a more personable relationship with your clients;
* Create a more leisurely schedule that gives you and your clients a better attitude;
* Enjoy the calmer behavior of animals not stressed by a car ride or clinic atmosphere;
* Assist those who are unable to transport pets to a clinic, or who cannot leave the home;
* Perform behavioral consultation more effectively;
* Work around your client's schedules more effectively;
* Evaluate the effect of a pet's environment on its health;
* Get more done at your own home, since you aren't stuck sitting around at a workplace when there's no work to do.
Housecall practice isn't all roses, though. Some disadvantages to consider are: * You may expect that you'll have more personal time, but being self-employed could mean that you work longer hours than ever.
* You may have difficulty separating your work and personal life.
* You are responsible for managing your time and your schedule.
* You are dependent on a vehicle that runs well.
* You may miss the camaraderie of working with other veterinarians.
* Most surgery must be done at a clinic, not in the home, so it is difficult to do a lot of surgery.
* Clients who are friends may tend to assume you are always available.
* It may be difficult for you to charge appropriate fees to clients who are friends.
* Your liability may be higher because you often have pet owners assist you (a main cause of lawsuits is injury to pet owners who restrain their own animals).
* Phone calls must be taken by someone else or a machine while you are working.
* You have to put up with driving and traffic.
* You have less assistance than you would in a hospital.
* Because of the increased client interaction time, plus travel time, fewer clients can be seen per day.
* You may perform more euthanasias, since those are likely to be referred to you from other clinics.
* You aren't building up equity in something you can later sell, as you would with a normal clinic it is hard to sell good will and a client list.
* Being self-employed means you pay more taxes and have more costs than when you were an employee.
* You have the responsibilities of a business owner. You are responsible for paperwork, inventory, billing, and all the other chores of owning a practice. If you hire someone to help with any of those, you have to manage your employees, fill out employee-related paperwork, and so on.