 Like many other small business owners in recent weeks, I’ve had to take a step back and re-evaluate what is important to my clients and how I can best serve them in the wake of COVID-19.
Thankfully, being a relatively new business (and a sole trader at that) I’ve had the luxury of being able to take some time out to look back at my first six months in business, take some lessons on board and fully re-examine the value of my services to my clients. Impacts of COVID-19 on the Veterinary Industry Feedback from clients, colleagues and industry sources is that Australian veterinary practices are busy. However workflow and revenue are being impacted by the extra time needed to maintain a zero contact environment and to maintain the additional hygiene practices required within the clinic. Staffing levels have for the most part been maintained, however working with split teams can put pressure on practice resources. Some casuals and junior team members have been furloughed and recruitment initiatives have slowed significantly. With a recession likely to bite hard in the next few months, we will see veterinary bookings negatively impacted for perceived non-urgent procedures and treatments such as dentals, desexing and vaccinations. Puppy classes are yet to re-open and discretionary spending on items such as treats and pet shop items will decrease. The challenge for veterinarians will be to maintain revenue and minimise costs whilst still recognising and being understanding of customer financial hardship. New Products and Services Coming in June! With these challenges in mind I have created a new range products and services that are designed to save you time, maximise your nursing hours for patient care, keep you engaged with your customers and yes – make you some money. I’ll be officially launching these next month along with a new look and feel for the Waggy Dog website.
Keep a look out for my competition where you could win a FREE promo pack for your practice! In the meantime, here’s a ‘sneak peek’ of what you can expect to see: - ‘Out of the box’ bundled promo packs customised for your practice and fixed at a one-off affordable price. Includes artwork for flyers and social media, copy for website and newsletter, block of 100 calls to your qualified customers, training notes for your team and a full report at the end of the campaign.
- Client Communications packs. When you don’t have time to be posting on social media and responding to comments at 1am, creating infographics or sourcing content to publish a newsletter, this pack is for you! As with the promo pack this service will be available at an affordable fixed monthly price with no contracts or commitments.
Selling Dentistry Lastly I’m excited to have registered my attendance this month in a 5 part webinar series on ‘Selling Dentistry’. Presented by Dr Gary Turnbull BVSc (Hons) and hosted by IM3, this series provides hints, tips and tricks for getting clients to say ‘yes’ to dental recommendations.
I’ve been making dental estimate follow up calls for many years so I am looking forward to learning more from a different perspective! Have a safe and prosperous month of May, and Happy Mothers Day to all of the Mums out there. Best Wishes from Donna | 
