It's a business

This might seem obvious. In fact, many of you will furrow your brow at what you are about to read. But I think it bears saying, all the same.

It's a BUSINESS!!!

If you are either involved in an animal career or thinking about starting one, you need to remember that although working with animals is a great way to spend the day, at end of the day, at least some of your success is based on the number of clients you saw and the amount of money in your wallet.

It's not all about money, and it's not all about having loads of clients. But in order to keep your business going, you need to mind the business side of your practice.

Some tips:

• Surround yourself with good advisors. At a minimum, you'll need an attorney, an accountant, and a web designer.
• Create a structured schedule. Set aside specific times when you work on sales, marketing, finances, business development.
• Pick one day a week where you do nothing but the business development activities mentioned above.
• Ask for feedback. Your customers can tell you a lot about your business if you just ask.

If you aren't willing to do at least these few steps, then you are likely interested in an animal hobby, not an animal business.