VBJ articles

March 2021

The concept of T-shaped skills is a metaphor often used by recruiters to describe the abilities of persons in the workforce. It is also an excellent framework to plan a veterinary CPD programme that’s going to deliver plenty of bang for your bucks…

20 mins

Change stories are a simple yet effective tool to engage your team and bring it with you to achieve your practice’s goals. Learn how to create your own and share it with your team.

15 mins

February 2021

Spending a small fortune developing a business is probably not at the top of the agenda for most people in their seventies. But Duncan MacIntyre of Bute and Cowal Vets is not most people, as VBJ discovered when he spoke to us last month about his ambitious plans for expansion…

33 mins

One of the best ways independent practices can compete with the big boys is to cut costs by joining a buying group. Adam Bernstein takes a look at how these groups have evolved and how your practice can make the most of membership…

27 mins

Setting up and running your own independent veterinary practice may have become the road less travelled in recent years. But independent practice ownership is still one of the most fulfilling paths a veterinary professional can take in his or her career, and a journey that’s well worth making…

26 mins

January 2021

One of the many lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that sustainability and the need to live more lightly on our planet have now become urgent objectives for everybody and every business. For experienced small animal vet Rob Douwes, these concepts were the driving force when he opened Green Vets in York 18 months ago…

24 mins

Most within the veterinary profession recognise the need to integrate environmental ethics into the way they work, but the daily pressures of practice mean it’s not always easy. It’s a journey and to make sustainability work for our planet, it’s a journey we need to take together...

23 mins

Burnout is known for its impact on individuals, but it can also significantly influence business success – affecting client satisfaction, care quality and staff retention. Here Mark Turner, with RCVS Knowledge, sets out simple strategies managers can use to tackle this issue…

33 mins

December 2020

In a three-part series, vets and tech consultants Guen Bradbury and Greg Dickens have been exploring communications, smart diagnostics and smart surgery. In their final article, they estimate the profession’s surgical needs in the next five years and explain how all of us can learn to select the right tools for our practice…

30 mins

Given their spending power, millennials deserve the attention of your veterinary practice. This generation – born between 1980 and 2000 – is 13 million strong in the UK, and it’s finding the right mix of authenticity and technology that will bring them to your consult room...

10 mins

The VMG has reviewed and rebuilt its flagship qualification to ensure it remains at the forefront of 21st century veterinary leadership. Here, the association explains the reasons for this and what it means for the sector.

13 mins

Coronavirus continues to dominate the agenda, but for some the Brexit deadline is now starting to loom just as menacingly. For practices like Parklands Veterinary Group in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, what happens on 1 January is of huge significance, as VBJ discovered when we spoke to clinical director Eamon Donnelly…

24 mins

In 1909, Harry Gordon Selfridge, the founder of Selfridges department store, invented the phrase “the customer is always right”, which was immediately adopted by other businesses and used as a standard. The intentions were good, but, as Alan Robinson explains, things have changed a great deal during this past century – and particularly in the past 12 months…

22 mins

November 2020

Three practices share their experiences with the veterinary solutions provider.

Leading the organisation through a pandemic has been a big job for president Anna Judson, but it’s a job she has clearly relished as SPVS has adapted and evolved to the fast-changing demands of the situation...

11 mins

Coronavirus has changed the world – and it has also changed what clients expect from their veterinary practice. Change is often a scary thing, but with a planned and pragmatic approach, your practice can survive and even thrive in a post-COVID world...

26 mins

One of the most persistent myths attached to owning a practice is that it’s impossible to maintain a sensible work-life balance when you’re running the show. But the reality can be very different, as VBJ discovered when we paid a visited to Henlow Veterinary Centre, an independent first opinion practice in Bedfordshire…

5 mins

Nutrition is one of the cornerstones of pet health and is not just a one-off decision, as the needs of animals change throughout their lifetimes. So it is absolutely crucial to ensure your practice is able to give the latest up-to-date advice and the most informed recommendations to often uninitiated clients…

32 mins

Part two of a series of features with the VMG discussing a groundbreaking new framework for the future.

37 mins

October 2020

After all the recent upheaval, it is imperative that practices are getting their teams back in shape, and working towards a harmonious and focused workplace to move forward. MWI Business Academy leader and VN Bobbie Flight shares a few ideas to help keep your team on track.

15 mins