Chapter 23 The Business of Canine Rehabilitation 575and areas of special interest), and testimonials.
Hiring someone who specializes in search
engine optimization is helpful to assure that the
right keywords are used to achieve a high rank
on search engines. As many people access web-
pages via mobile devices, the web designer
should create a responsive website that will
adjust to the size of the screen on which it is
being viewed.
Printed materials
It is helpful to have printed materials such as
brochures/rack cards and business cards that
can be placed at referring veterinary hospitals,
dog parks, pet stores, and other places fre-
quented by clients. Printed materials should be
eye catching with great photos and pertinent
information so that potential clients can make
contact.
Lunch ‘n’ learns
It is important to schedule opportunities to
speak to potential referring veterinarians about
the services provided at the rehabilitation prac-
tice and how this can help their patients and
clients. As rehabilitation is still in the growing
stages, not all veterinarians know what consti-
tutes rehabilitation therapy and how rehabilita-
tion can benefit their patients and improve their
outcomes. Bringing lunch to a potential refer-
ring veterinary clinic, and presenting material
using either a PowerPoint® presentation or a
demonstration using dogs can help these poten-
tial referral sources to better understand the
services offered. These presentations should
make it clear that the rehabilitation practice has
an ethical referral policy in place to prevent cli-
ents from leaving their referring hospital to
receive routine care at the new facility.
Advertising
Print, television, and radio advertisements are
great ways to get a new business name in front
of many potential clients. Television and radio
spots can recruit large numbers of clients but
can be difficult to produce. A “feel‐good” pet
story can lure in a news team from the local tel-
evision station, newspaper, or magazines in the
region of the facility. The rehabilitation team
can offer to write a pet‐related column in a local
paper or in a highly subscribed national maga-
zine to encourage new business. Providing
sponsorship to a local youth sports team or
community event where the business logo is
seen on team jerseys or banners can be very
effective.Social mediaIt is recommended to have a presence on social
media, including Instagram, Facebook, and
Twitter. Giving potential clients a glimpse into
what is going on inside the facility can pique an
interest in the services offered. Existing clients
enjoy seeing their own pet on a social media
page, and may repost the original post, thus
increasing the business’s visibility. Google and
Yelp have business reviews that allow potential
clients to read reviews by existing clients of the
business. A customer review survey in 2016 by
BrightLocal, a Search Engine Optimization
company that helps companies get their busi-
ness found on the internet, showed that word
of mouth is still the most popular (68%) way for
people to recommend a local business (Bonelli,
2016). The survey also showed that 84% of peo-
ple trust online reviews as much as a personal
recommendation. Staying up to date on social
media pages with at least weekly new postings
as well as continued reviews from existing cli-
ents on sites like Yelp, Facebook, and Google
can help to bring in more customers.Conclusion
Opening a rehabilitation practice/department
takes a lot of forethought and energy. Making
it successful and profitable requires hard work
and patience. This chapter was designed to pro-
vide basic insight as to how to build a rehabili-
tation facility. It is wise to consider consulting
with others in the field who have been suc-
cessful to gain insight. Visit existing practices
to learn what has worked well and what the
owners would do differently the next time,
and, no matter what, enjoy the process.