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Upcoming Seminars
It's What's Up Front That Counts
- 5/22 - Raleigh, NC
- 6/5 - Eugene, OR
- 6/12 - Jacksonville, FL
- 6/26 - Livonia, MI
Teams That Work
Smart Moves For Technicians
- 6/5 - Dallas, TX
- 6/12 - Columbia, MD
Our Personal Best XX
Can you believe it? This will be our 20th "Our Personal Best" meeting! For those of you that are
not familiar with "Our Personal Best," it is a gathering of the eagles. It is when the best of the
best get together for a weekend of intense practice management, networking and just plain fun. It
is the only meeting where the speakers themselves put together the program so that you have the most
cutting edge information. There is also plenty of time for one on one discussion with the speakers and
everyone else at the conference. It is truly an awesome experience.
This year we will be
holding Our Personal Best XX at the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island. Where is Amelia Island? Off the
coast of Florida. The dates are November 4th - 6th. Mark your and we'll see you there! Click this
link for more detailed information:
Our Personal Best Info
The monthly Financial Tip and QuickBooks Tip are courtesy of
Burzenski & Company, P.C., Certified Public
Accountants and Financial Consultants.
Gary I. Glassman, CPA, is a Principal with the firm. Melody Mann Fox is the Director of Client
Services, Specializing in Veterinary Medicine.
To Contact Us:
VMC, Inc.
30792 Southview Drive
Suite 200
Evergreen, CO 80439
Phone: 303-674-8169
Fax: 303-670-3899
email: vmc@vmc-inc.com
Website: www.vmc-inc.com
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A Busy Time of Year!
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May has been a very busy month for VMC, Inc. We recently graduated a class of twenty students
from the VMC School of Veterinary Practice Management.
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It was an awesome session with students coming from all parts of the country and some very different
types of practices. The instructors, Dr. Mary Ann Vande Linde, Mrs. Sheila Grosdidier, Mr. Gary
Glassman, and myself, found the group very challenging and exciting to work with. We hope that many
of them will go on and become certified veterinary practice managers. Our next session is scheduled
for September 26-30, 2005.
Click here for information
on the VMC School of Veterinary Practice Management.
Here are some words from this May's class:
"Words can't describe my excitement about this last week. The hospitality of your team was more
wonderful than I could have ever expected. Every minute of every day provided so much information for
me to implement at home. I could not have asked for more and I wouldn't change a thing about the class.
You made me think more than I have thought in a long time (no comments!). I also thoroughly enjoyed
your company and hope I can attend one of your classes again soon! I know my bosses will see the
bang for their buck the instant I arrive home. Thanks so much!" Kate Bailey - Shallowford Animal
Hospital
"Thank you for an incredible week. I feel honored to have been a student in your school. I am sure
you are as exhausted as we are at the end of it all! I appreciate your efforts to make us the best
veterinary managers possible! I learned so much and look forward to implementing those
learnings." Debbie Blanton - Animal Medical Hospital
"Thank you just isn't enough!! We had such an unbelievable week at the VMC School. I feel so
privileged to have met you and to have been given the opportunity to work with you. I so enjoyed the
time in and out of the classroom (Denver's gorgeous!). Debbie and I are both looking forward to
using our new tools and resources and continuing to grow not just our toolboxes but our
practice!" Courtney Smythe - Animal Medical Hospital
The team at VMC has been very busy, especially Kristine Smith. The Management Tools book has been
revised and updated. We have done some update packages in the past but this time Kristine basically
revised the entire book. There are new sections such as Human Resources and Client Communications.
Many new forms and materials have been added, others have been replaced. You can read about the new
tools book on our web site at
vmc-inc.com. Of course, everything in the tools book is also provided on a CD so that you can
modify the forms and documents to your practice's needs.
We have also finalized plans for our fall and winter seminar series. Locations and dates have been
determined for the It's What's Up Front That Counts, Teams That Work, and Smart Moves for Technicians
seminars. Please refer to our
web site for the seminar coming to you area. We are proud to welcome a new sponsor to our
programs, Standard Process will officially join us as a sponsor with the fall and winter
series. They will join our long-time and loyal sponsors, Veterinary Pet Insurance and Advanstar. If
you would like to see a specific seminar in your area, call Leona at the corporate office and let
her know.
Our Personal Best XX is coming sooner than you might think. Make sure you plan to attend this
exciting weekend. It will indeed be a gathering of the eagles. It is scheduled for November 4-6, 2005,
and will be held at the Ritz Carlton in Amelia Island. Click here for more detailed information.
Our Personal Best Info and you should
be receiving a brochure by early August. We certainly hope to see you there!!
Remember -
past issues of our newsletter can be accessed on our website. It's a great place
to review past feature articles!
Mark Opperman, CVPM
President - VMC, Inc.
Let us hear from you - tell us what you'd like to see in future issues.
You can contact us at vmc@vmc-inc.com
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Feature Article - Are Your Doctors and Clients Communicating Successfully?
by Mary Ann Vande Linde, DVM
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Facilitating communication between doctor and client often means "bridging the understanding
gap". It's about helping the client understand the partnership - that you have tools and services they
can use to give their pet a quality life. The process breaks down when a client can't decide what to do
because we haven't helped them understand what that tool can do for them. We have to speak their
language and we have to look at the situation from their perspective.
Many times in consultations I hear a veterinarian making a recommendation and spinning off the vast
knowledge he or she has gained in veterinary college...
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Read on...
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May Practice Tips
by Mark Opperman, CVPM
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Practice Tip
Have you ever considered hosting a client appreciation dinner? What if you invited 10 or 20 of
your best clients to a client appreciation dinner? What do you think would happen? If you are
interested, here are some basics for hosting this useful and encouraging event: Think about getting a
private room in a restaurant and have it set up in round tables. Then invite 10 or 20 of your best
clients. During dinner, at least one health care team member should be seated at each table with the
clients. Team members should be instructed to facilitate the discussion. Two questions need to be
asked and answered during the course of the evening. 1- How did our practice meet your
expectations during the past year? 2- What can we do to exceed your expectations during the year to
come? You might be amazed at the information you obtain. Who better to hear from than your best
clients? At the end of the evening, your health care team will feel good about the practice and all they
have contributed and your clients will feel appreciated as well. It is definitely a win/win for the
practice, its clients and the entire health care team.
Personnel Management Practice Tip
Are you performing employee evaluations but feel that they are not as effective as they used to be?
Consider the dolphin theory of management. Have you ever seen the dolphin show where the dolphin
jumps out of the water and through the hoop? How do they get the dolphin to do that? Do they put the
hoop above the water and say, "Jump dolphin, jump!"? No, they place the hoop under the water and
get the dolphin to swim through it, probable by happenstance, and then they reward the dolphin by
giving it a fish. After several successes, they raise the hoop and continue the process until the hoop is
out of the water and the dolphin is jumping through it. Consider this concept when working with your
health care team. Your employees are dolphins and the hoop is the evaluation form.
Once an employee starts to get 90's and 100's on their evaluation, it is time to raise the bar. You need
to substitute new criteria into the evaluation form. Remove some of the old criteria on which the
employee has consistently scored well and substitute some new criteria to give the employee new
challenges. I would always suggest that you give the employee a copy of the evaluation form at the
beginning of the evaluation period so they know specifically what they are going to be evaluated on.
Before you know it, your employees will be "jumping through the hoop"!
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May QuickBooks Tip
by Melody Mann Fox, CPA - Burzenski & Company, P.C.
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Have you closed your QuickBooks for the year?
Now that you have finished the year and filed your respective tax return there are two items
that should be done. One is to enter journal entries provided by your accountant to ensure your records
match theirs and to close the year within QuickBooks.
To close the year within QuickBooks you should do the following:
- Select "Edit" from the toolbar menu
- Select "Preferences"
- Select "Accounting"
- Click on the "Company Preferences" tab
- Enter your year end date, i.e. 12/31/04 in the closing date box. This represents the date through
which books are closed.
- Set a password in order to edit a transaction on or before date above.
By setting a closing date, this will prevent prior year data being changed inadvertently and will ensure
your accounting records match the filed tax return.
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Terminology
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If you have suggestions for Terminology, please submit them to us
for publication.
| Old Term |
New Term |
| Animal |
Patient, pet, animal's name |
| Cheaper |
More economical |
| Competitor |
Colleague |
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