2
Roughly months 2-4 of your timeline.
Downloadable: Business Plan Template
| Cost category | Solo-vet | 2-3 vet | 4+ vet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buildout | $150K-$300K | $350K-$650K | $700K-$1.4M |
| Diagnostic equipment | $50K-$100K | $100K-$200K | $200K-$400K |
| Initial inventory | $10K-$20K | $20K-$35K | $35K-$60K |
| PIMS + IT setup | $10K-$20K | $20K-$35K | $35K-$60K |
| Licensing & legal | $5K-$15K | $10K-$20K | $15K-$30K |
| Working capital | $50K-$100K | $100K-$200K | $200K-$350K |
| Total | $275K-$555K | $600K-$1.14M | $1.19M-$2.3M |
A solo-vet practice with $45,000/month in fixed costs and an average transaction value of $180 needs roughly 250 client visits per month to break even.
Related: How Many Clients Can Vets Handle Daily?
Options include SBA loans, equipment financing, a business partner, personal savings, and business credit cards. Worth knowing by name: Live Oak Bank, Bank of America Practice Solutions, U.S. Bank, and Huntington Bank.
Undercapitalization, overbuilding for day-one volume, and underpricing out of competitive pressure.
Examinations ~20%, lab services ~15%, in-house pharmacy ~12.5%, preventive care ~12%, surgical ~10%, vaccinations ~7.5%, dentistry ~3%, other/specialty ~20%.