New clients are essential for practice growth and success. Ideally, you'll see about 25 new clients per doctor every month. If you're doing a good job, happy clients will refer neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family, and your number of new clients will go up.

Tracking the source of new clients is also important. Once you understand where they're coming from, you can better target your marketing. On every new-client information form, ask how the clients found your office. Typical responses include referral, front sign, yellow pages, and Internet. Use a monthly spreadsheet to plot out the responses. We've learned that word-of-mouth and signage are big for us; we get less value from the phone book, mailer coupons, and marketing to new residents. Your results will vary.

Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member Dr. Jeff Rothstein, MBA, is president of Progressive Pet Animal Hospitals in Michigan.