Vet school prepares you to care for animals. It doesn’t prepare you to read a profit and loss statement, set a budget, or decide whether you can afford a new hire.
Dr. Amara Schnacke and Dr. Darleen Nath learned that when they opened Lakeside Veterinary Care together.
Custom care for every patient
Their practice is built on one idea: every animal is different.
“Lakeside Veterinary Care is unique in the sense that we try to treat every patient individually. What works for one dog is not going to work for all the dogs, so we like to say it’s custom care for each pet.”
We take a similar approach with our clients. No two practices have the same goals, so no two financial plans should look the same.
Opening a practice for the first time
“My business partner, Dr. Nath, and I had not opened a practice before,” says Dr. Schnacke. “In vet school, they don’t teach you that part of it. They teach you the medicine part of it.”
That’s a common gap for first-time owners in healthcare. You’re highly trained in your field. The business side, though, is new territory, and it starts on day one.
Choosing a team that understood their vision
When they looked for financial help, the decision came down to how the conversations felt.
“The thing that we really went off of was the general feel that we got when we spoke to them. They were really nice, they were very affirming. They definitely understood our vision, what we were planning on doing, and especially the long-term goals for us.”
Knowing what they can (and can’t) afford
A growing practice faces a constant stream of decisions: equipment, staff, and expansion. The doctors count on us for straight answers.
“They are the ones that will tell us what we can afford to do and what we honestly can’t afford to do. When they help us with that, we can see our numbers growing.”
The results show it. “Our company is actually doing really well,” they say. “We started July of 2020, and without the help of our amazing accountants, it would be very difficult, honestly, to track the profit and loss.”
Their silent third partner
With the financial side handled, both doctors can focus on their patients.
“Working with the team over at DBA allows us to really focus more on patient care.”
They even have a name for us. "We like to call them our silent third partner in terms of managing all of our profits and revenue, mostly because they’re doing the hard work that normally would fall on a business owner’s shoulders.”
More than accountants
Over time, the relationship has become something more than a service.
“At this point, with everything we’ve been through and everything they’ve helped us through, we kind of see them as family.”
And they don’t keep it to themselves. “They’re amazing. We recommend them to everybody we know that’s starting a clinic.”
What this looks like for your practice
Every Dillon Business Advisors client works with a dedicated Team of 3. A Client Service Manager handles day-to-day bookkeeping, payroll, and QuickBooks. A Client Controller covers tax planning and compliance. A Client CFO helps you plan for growth and understand what you can afford.
Opening a new practice, or ready for a partner on the business side? Book a free business analysis and see what clarity could look like for your practice.
