The Veterinary Management Group (VMG) has created a Business Re-emergence Manual to help its members prepare for the relaxation of lockdown restrictions and for the challenges of rebuilding their businesses in a “new normal” environment. The peer-reviewed Manual, available for download from the VMG website, has been designed to be relevant for any veterinary business and has been developed following a detailed review of the contemporary academic and business literature, with expert input from the VMG Board of Directors.
As they plan for recovery, businesses should consider a “triple bottom line” of:
- People, including new working patterns, communication, training needs and transition plans
- Planet, including sustainability issues, environmental considerations and animal welfare
- Profit, including cashflow, profit and loss and service provision
The VMG’s Business Re-emergence Manual guides users through each of these areas, encouraging them to consider the factors most relevant for their organisation. It also focuses them into thinking about short-term, medium-term and long-term priorities.
Commenting on the Manual, VMG President Richard (Rich) Casey said: “Depending on the circumstances in which businesses entered the pandemic, it’s likely that they will be affected by a range of people, planet and profit-related issues as lockdown restrictions start to ease.
“Our Business Re-emergence Manual encourages veterinary leaders to take a step back and reflect on how their business was performing before the pandemic as a first step before starting to make plans for their future operations. Investing in this ‘thinking time’ now will enable them to ramp up more quickly and more effectively when the time is right. It is an evidence-based and highly practical tool which all veterinary businesses can work through and we hope they will find it useful as they start to plan for a successful future.”
To support veterinary practices and staff affected by the COVID-19 emergency, the VMG is pausing subscription renewals for all of its existing members for three months, in effect, giving them three months’ free membership, including access to resources such as the Business Re-emergence Manual. It is also offering everyone in the sector the opportunity to join the association for three months, also free of charge.
