It’s Okay to Admit You’re Not Doing as Well as You Hoped in Practice Ownership

Let’s get one thing straight. Owning a veterinary practice is hard. Really hard. And it’s okay to admit that you’re not doing as well as you thought you would be.

You went to school to become a veterinarian. Not to read profit and loss statements. Not to manage cash flow. Not to lead teams or track key metrics. You went to school to help animals. That was the dream. And for a lot of us, it still is.

But then you opened a practice or took over a clinic and suddenly you were expected to be the doctor, the leader, the businessperson, the HR rep, the marketer, and the janitor. You might have figured some of it out as you went, or maybe you had no idea where to start and just kept showing up trying to stay afloat. Either way, if you’ve ever felt like a failure, you’re not alone.

Here’s the truth. Most veterinarians weren’t taught any of this in school. And the few who did figure it out early usually had one of two things: either a parent who was already in business or a personal interest in the topic. But that’s not most of us. And it definitely wasn’t me.

I talk to practice owners all the time who are quietly drowning. On the outside, things might look fine. They have a decent team, the phones are ringing, the schedule is full. But inside, they’re exhausted. They don’t know where the money is going. They’re not sure if they can keep up. And they feel like they’re the only ones who haven’t figured it out.

Let me tell you something. You are not the only one. And you’re not a failure. If anything, the fact that you’re even questioning your performance as an owner means you care. You’re trying. That already sets you apart.

Unfortunately, if I’m honest, a good percentage of the practice owners I meet would probably become a statistic if they hadn’t made the admirable decision to ask for help. And I get it. It’s not easy to admit that what you’ve built isn’t working the way you hoped. But that decision, that moment of vulnerability, is what changes everything.

The good news is you don’t have to figure this out on your own. There are consultants out there who live and breathe this stuff. People who have been where you are, who have owned practices, managed teams, juggled numbers, and made the same mistakes you’re making right now.

If you’re going to bring someone in, talk to a few first. Find someone you connect with. Someone who makes sense to you. Someone who isn’t just giving you a checklist or a sales pitch but is willing to roll up their sleeves and get to know you. You want someone who listens, not just talks. Someone who understands VetMed but also understands you.

And even if you’re hiring someone to help with the business side, it’s still important to understand what some of the numbers mean. You don’t need to become a financial wizard. But knowing the basics of your practice’s health, like payroll percentage, operating expenses, and how to spot red flags in your financial reports, can be empowering. It gives you a sense of control. It gives you options.

This isn’t about pretending everything is fine when it’s not. It’s about being real. Owning a practice isn’t easy. And it’s okay to say it out loud. It doesn’t make you weak. It makes you honest. It makes you smart.

So if you’re not where you thought you’d be, take a breath. You’re not broken. You’re not bad at this. You’re just learning a part of the job no one taught you.

And the best part is, you don’t have to learn it alone.