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Increasing news reports on the rise of unemployment and commercial bankruptcies might have some business owners a little spooked.
In the equine world, news of irresponsible owners turning horses loose to fend for themselves is downright scary. In times
of economic hardship, some practitioners might be asking if fee schedules need to be adjusted to ease the financial burden
on clients, but there's no reason to start discounting based on media hype or isolated incidents. Instead, focus on developing
smart, short-term business practices that will keep your revenue stream flowing and strengthen your bond with clients.
Turn off the TV
The media projects the illusion that another Great Depression is upon us to garner ratings and sell newspapers—but things
may not be as bad as they seem. According to the U.S. Department of Labor statistics, the number of people working in November
2008 was only 2 percent lower than in November 2007. Gary I. Glassman, CPA, principal of Burzenski's Veterinary Financial
Management Services arm, says to some extent, the negative attitude surrounding the state of the economy is hype. "We read
about what the press wants us to, but that doesn't mean it's a reality for everyone," says Glassman. "The question is: How
is it affecting your practice, location, and geographic area?"
Identify invoice patternsThe first step in determining the status of your business is to evaluate your practice. Compare the total number of invoices
you receive from month to month. Has there been a decline? Are you seeing a consistent pattern? If so, then it might be time
for a change. Mark Baus, DVM, managing partner of Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, Conn., says that laying off staff
or discounting fees are last-ditch efforts. "Those are regressive moves that are hard to undo," he says. "There are other
things you can cut before going there."
Tackle fixed and variable expenses first
Keep up with markups
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Most equine practitioners are ambulatory, so their main expenses relate to the field. Glassman says now is a good time to
shop around for more competitive rates on general business and truck insurance, supplies, and cell phone service. "The businesses
that provide these services know that many people are having financial issues," he says. "Their main priority is to get a
sale, no matter how low it is. But you won't know how low you can bargain for if you don't ask." If you can negotiate lower
terms on these fixed expenses, it directly increases profit.
Dr. Baus says inventory control is crucial when cutting back on variable expenses. Install strict controls by limiting access
of how items are checked in and out and keeping as little on the shelf as possible. Divide drugs into two categories—highly-shopped
with a low margin (drugs that people would commonly buy on an internet pharmacy) and drugs that are used at the point of services
(steroids, nerve block solutions, etc.). "Stop purchasing the highly-shopped drugs and lock down the pharmacy," Baus says.
"There's a lot of shrinkage that goes on, and it can bleed you to death."
Finally, if you have to reduce staffing expense, put a freeze on wage increases, reduce the hours worked each week, and place
strict controls on overtime before resorting to layoffs.
