EXISTING VETERINARIAN PRACTICES

No Two Clinics Share the Same Starting Point.

Veterinary practices evolve through different stages of ownership and operations. Each stage brings its own priorities, challenges, and financial realities. At PracticeDen, we meet you where you are and help you move toward where you want to be.

Which Stage Are You In?
Which Stage Are You In?Which Stage Are You In?
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Discover the different stages.
Which one are you in?

Survival State

Maintenance Mode

Growth Goals

Transition Track

  • Survival State

    When a practice is in the Survival State, everything feels urgent. The financial picture may be unclear, reports are outdated, and there’s a general sense of being one step behind. There may even be a slight sense of denial. In this stage, our role is to restore order and create dependable systems...with no guilt.

    • Common indicators

      • Accounting records are behind or unreliable

      • Tax filings are late or uncertain

      • The owner spends too much time reacting instead of planning

      • Limited clarity on profitability or cash position

    • Our focus

      • Catch-up and cleanup accounting

      • Timely and accurate tax filings

      • Error-free compliance and clear communication

      • A path toward stable monthly reporting and dependable financials

    • Illustration of an orange dog sitting on a pillow using a laptop, with a potted plant and framed picture of a bone on the wall.

      Steps

      Once a practice reaches financial stability and trust in its numbers, it becomes ready to transition into Maintenance Mode or, if capacity allows, begin pursuing Growth Goals.

  • Maintenance Mode

    Maintenance Mode is where structure and consistency take hold. The books are clean, the systems are in place, and the focus shifts from fixing to fine-tuning.

    • Common indicators

      • Clean books and timely reporting

      • Predictable cash flow

      • A small team that understands basic financial processes

      • Interest in saving time and improving efficiency

    • Our focus

      • Ongoing accounting with monthly financial statements

      • Timely tax preparation with a focus on accuracy and planning

      • Implementation of accounting technology and automations

      • Regular review of financial reports to identify opportunities

    • Cartoon giraffe wearing a white sweater and boots holding a steaming coffee mug, standing between two potted plants.

      Steps

      Practices in this stage often use our advisory, tax, and accounting services to create space for smarter decisions, leading naturally into Growth Goals when the team is ready for more complexity.

  • Growth Goals

    The Growth Goals stage is about building scale. Owners in this phase are investing in people, equipment, and facilities with smart tax strategies. They want to increase profit, optimize time, and gain control through data.

    • Common indicators

      • Expansion plans, partner additions, or facility investments

      • Interest in advanced KPls and benchmarking

      • Desire to improve cash flow, profit, and owner time

      • Motivation to use data for decision-making

    • Our focus

      • Strategic tax planning and proactive strategies

      • Advanced financial analysis and forecasting

      • Support for financing, acquisitions, or partnerships

      • Integration of real estate and entity-level accounting

    • Cartoon goat wearing an orange sweater and yellow boots watering a plant with a green watering can.

      Steps

      Growth naturally raises the bar for what “maintenance” means. Once a new level of performance is achieved, our systems ensure that success becomes your new baseline.

  • Transition Track

    Transition is both a financial and emotional process. Whether transitioning privately or selling to corporate, our goal is to help you protect the value you've built and exit with confidence.

    • Common indicators

      • Planning for retirement or partial ownership change

      • Considering a private sale or corporate acquisition

      • Desire to reduce personal involvement and simplify systems

      • Focused on maximizing after-tax value

    • Our focus

      • Exit planning and transaction support

      • Entity and real estate coordination for sale preparation

      • Pre-sale tax strategies and structure optimization

      • Coordination with brokers, lawyers, and other advisors

    • Steps

      A well-planned transition allows you to harvest the value you've built and hand off your practice with confidence and clarity.

Let's Start Where You Are

Maybe your books need attention. Maybe your team is ready to grow. Or maybe you're thinking about how to step back. Wherever you are in the journey, we'll help you make informed, confident decisions.

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Why they choose us

Testimonials

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"We hired PracticeDen prior to completion of our practice sale. It was great to be able to start out on the right foot and ask questions prior to day 1. He was able to handle both our personal and business taxes and answered endless questions we had as first-time practice owners. Going into this without ownership experience has been scary, but we always know who to ask questions to... Accounting is one of our bigger expenses, but we know we are doing things correctly and it takes a big mountain of worry off our shoulders knowing it is prioritized. Worth every penny!"

— Ms. Frances & Dr. Scott Hoffman

Owners and DVM, Gig Harbor Veterinary Hospital

89%

of customers recommend PracticeDen

"My business partner and I hired PracticeDen in 2014 following the retirement of our accountant at the time. Dean was not only knowledgeable about the needs of our business, but also the best communicator. We received timely and accurate reports including valuable information on key performance indicators. My partner and I were so impressed with Dean that when the time came to sell our practice, we hired him to mediate offers from prospective buyers. Now that I am retired, Dean and his team continue to take care of my personal tax needs even though I live in a different state."

— Dr. Susan R. Zakos

DVM, former owner of Diamond Veterinary Hospital

89%

of customers recommend PracticeDen

"We needed a new bookkeeper and accountant and PracticeDen provided both services which made things flow. It has made our lives much easier. I like that we can contact our bookkeeper anytime during regular working hours and get a reply quite promptly. I am glad we found PracticeDen since they are familiar with the veterinary field and they are professional and competent, which alleviates my concerns and allows me to spend more time with my patients."

— Dr. Swaran Dhaliwal

DVM and Owner, Orcas Veterinary Services

89%

of customers recommend PracticeDen

FAQs

There is no good time or bad time. Most don’t know what they don’t know?!?! When in doubt start conversations now! A few triggers are…If you are curious about maximizing your tax savings, want more insights into your business, or feel like there isn’t enough time in the day to do all the things. The sooner a professional can diagnose your situation the faster you can take advantage of tax savings, reduce your time, or get support to move your practice to the next stage.

Yes, we do. We offer personalized QuickBooks training and access to a collection of resources designed to make bookkeeping easier and more accurate. Whether you handle it yourself or have an in-house admin, we will help you build confidence and efficiency in your process.

Absoutely! Absolutely! We run projections that show what your taxes may look like when you retire or sell, giving you clarity and time to plan a tax efficient transition.We run projections that show what your taxes may look like when you retire or sell, giving you clarity and time to plan a tax efficient transition.

We translate your financials into everyday language so you can make decisions quickly and confidently. Wellness and Advanced Care clients get monthly video breakdowns, and Advanced Care adds live meetings for deeper strategy.

Yes. Word of caution…be wary of practitioners that auto default practices to S-Corps. Entity choice is not one size fits all. Factors like taxable income, location, number of owners, and long-term goals impact the entity of choice. Of course, tax savings are top of mind, but need to be balanced with other impacts to business operations.

Yup! We manage both your practice and real estate filings through separate service packages. This allows you to choose the level of support that works best for each while keeping everything aligned and accurate.

Yes! If a notice is generated due our work product we we resolve it at no charge. However, if a notice is out of our control we charge extra for support, unless you are covered under our protection program. Our Strategic clients are fully covered for audit and notice response. Our Advisory clients can add this support as an optional service. We do not offer the protection program for our Basic clients.

Yes, we can. We design our services to grow with your practice. Whether you are opening your first location, bringing on new doctors, or expanding across multiple sites, we will guide you through each stage and keep your finances running smoothly along the way.

We prepare each entity and individual return independently, but we analyze the puzzle and execute in a holistic manner. That way, your whole structure stays accurate and optimized.

We encourage it!  We provide one time strategy sessions designed to find savings and outline next steps even if you are not ready for a continuous engagement.

Still have a question?

Can’t find the answer to your question? Send us an email and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

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