What a buyer weighs in a vet clinic
- Active patients
- Pets seen in the last 12 to 18 months, new client numbers and how many come back.
- Doctor production
- Revenue by veterinarian, and how much of it is yours.
- Services
- Wellness, dentistry, surgery, boarding, grooming and pharmacy, and the margin on each.
- Staff
- Associate doctors, credentialed techs, front desk tenure and pay.
- Facility
- Owned or leased, exam rooms, room to grow and equipment age.
Owner Production Is the Key Number
In many clinics the owner is also the busiest doctor. That is the biggest thing a buyer will price. If you produce most of the revenue and plan to stop working soon after the sale, the buyer has to replace you, and that cost comes off what they pay.
Clinics with associates who carry a full schedule sell for more and to more buyers. Hiring or growing an associate a year or two before you sell often pays for itself.
Corporate and Private Buyers
Corporate groups and private equity backed platforms buy clinics across the Southeast, often at strong prices for practices above a certain size. They usually want the selling doctor to keep working for a period after closing, sometimes years.
A private buyer, often a younger veterinarian with an SBA loan, may pay less but give you a cleaner exit. Lenders like veterinary practices. See selling to an SBA financed buyer.
Recasting a Practice
A clinic's profit after the owner's pay depends on what you pay yourself. Buyers recast by setting a market salary for the doctor's work, then counting what's left as the return on owning the practice.
Personal costs run through the clinic get added back. Our valuation page explains how.
The Building and Equipment
If you own the building, you can sell it with the practice, sell it separately or keep it and lease to the buyer.
Buyers will price the clinic at market rent no matter what you charge yourself. Imaging, dental and surgical equipment should be listed with age and condition.
Timing the Sale
From the first call to closing, seven to nine months is typical for a practice like this, and corporate deals can add a long employment period after closing.
Keep the schedule full while it runs. A drop in visits during diligence gives a buyer a reason to revisit the price.
Licenses and Records
Each veterinarian holds their own license, and the clinic's own registrations, including any for controlled drugs, are handled for the new owner by your attorney and theirs.
Patient records go with the practice. Your state and county tax steps are in the tax and filings guides.
To hear what your practice could sell for, fill in the form above or ring (404) 555-0139 on a weekday.