Starting A Veterinary Clinic On A Budget
Starting a veterinary clinic after finishing veterinary school might be tough because your budget may be small. The equipment you need is still going to be expensive but if you can find ways to buy used equipment, you might find it is easier and fits the budget better than if you tried to buy all new equipment. Here are some idea that might help you get started.
Finding Your Location
The first step in starting your own clinic is deciding where you want to work and what kind of animals you want to work with. If you want to work with large animals like horses and cows, you might want to find a location around some cattle ranches or dairy farms. If you focus is small animals like dogs, cats, and other pets, setting up your offices in town makes more sense. So decide what your practice will focus and set up your clinic or practice accordingly.
Finding A Space
Once you know where you want to practice, you will need to consider the space you need to work out of. If you are specializing in large animals, you are going to need a lot of space. You will need room to house sick animals as well as areas for procedures, exams, and treatment. For smaller animals, you need the same areas but you can work with a lot less space. If you can find a building that once housed a vet clinic or office, you could potentially make a start with much less work and could help keep the start-up costs down.
Startup Equipment
Finding all the equipment you will need is a little tough if you are working on a tight budget, If you can buy out a vet that is going out of business, that would be ideal, You might be able to get the entire practice for one price but if they are leaving the business, ask them why because you don't want to buy into a practice that is failing because of a lack of clientele.
Used Equipment
You can source the equipment you need from auctions and private sales as well. If you start with used equipment than you can potentially get more for your money and working on a budget means capitalizing on every deal you can find. Don't be afraid to try and negotiate prices down to get more of what you need. Take the age and condition of the equipment into consideration as well. You want to be sure that whatever you buy is working properly or there is little reason to purchase it.
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