To vet or not to vet

As I mentioned in a previous post, there are varying opinions on how closely a person involved in an animal career might want to partner with a veterinarian. But first, why is this even an issue? Let's look at some reasons:

• Regulation: Depending on where you live, your animal business may be regulated by the state or local veterinary laws. In some states, you may even be prohibited from providing certain services or using certain terms in relation to your business. In other jurisdictions, you might be required to operate under the guidance of a veterinarian. An example of this would be animal massage, which, is regulated to varying levels in different states.
• Liability: Operating your business in partnership with a veterinarian may create a shared liability should a negative event occur.
• Customer base: As mentioned earlier, an established veterinary practice has an established customer base which you can tap into.

These are all pros or cons depending on your viewpoint. Some people want to work alone, and would rather create their business independently. Others are more focused on rapidly building their business into a sustainable entity as quickly as possible, without regard to how their create their success. Either way, when starting your animal business, you should at least consider what role a veterinarian might play, especially early on in the process.