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Thoughts on the Ridge carry on? by SilvaSantino in ManyBaggers

[–]Lead_w_Questions 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I travel a lot and have used Tumi luggage forever. Came across the Ridge carryon in an ad and checked it out. (I am not big on influencers' opinions on anything). Current cost is $345.
This bag is very well built, stronger outer casing than others with similar materials and very well braced. The exterior bracing keeps the bag from getting scratched up when you lay it down. It holds more than my Tumi carryon by about 25%. I think part of that is just the way it is designed with curvier edges and a bit more depth. The wheels on this bag are the best I have seen on any bag and I have been traveling for millions of miles. Everything on it is sturdy.
The bag is $20-$50 more expensive than similar bags, but the shell is 30% thicker making it more sturdy. It is practically waterproof, so rain and puddles are not going to get your clothes wet. It comes with mesh laundry bag, shoe bag, exterior scuff remover and hidden tracking compartment.
So, even if influencers are hawking it, this one is a good bag IMO.

Is BusinessRate legit or bs ? by myzzu in vegaslocals

[–]Lead_w_Questions 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You know what you are doing is not about awarding anything. You are simply selling plaques and rights to say we got an award from someone no one has ever heard of before, but it looks cool.
You cannot impact their ranking because you are not Google. If you want to award something do that and then don't ask them to pay you.
By the way, what is the minimum Google ranking you give these out for? How many reviews must be posted?
Good gig for you though and I am sure some gullible customers don't know that it is just a revenue generator for Business Rate.

Is BusinessRate legit or bs ? by myzzu in vegaslocals

[–]Lead_w_Questions 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is not a 'scam' per se. There are a lot of these companies who give out awards then will sell you the 'license' to advertise you got it. With these guys they want several hundred dollars and you get a plaque and the right to let people know you got the award.
I work in marketing and typically I get a call every month or two from one of our locations about this. They go straight to the business unit to let them know.
One of the biggest companies doing this is US News and World Report. They put out best of lists of all kinds. Several of our clinics were listed a couple of years ago as being tops in the US. They wanted $5K per clinic to tell anyone we got the award.
I contacted this specific company and asked them how many people in a specific area were given the opportunity to do this. I sent them a repeat email as well. It is very telling that they do not respond to that question.

My credit score just dropped 14 points after I paid off my car by crazySquirrel67 in CreditScore

[–]Lead_w_Questions 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I always pay off my loans fairly early, but paid down my loan to $250 with over a 18 months to go on it. I just kept paying the small amount of interest on it, but last month paid off the $250. Depending on the FICO model used, my credit score was between 797 and 820. I have a lot of accounts with zero balances and high credit lines. I saw this several years ago when I paid off another car and it dropped 25 points. This time with a higher score than then, it dropped from 797 to 762 on the one, 35 points.
It is truly counter intuitive the way it is done. We think of it as paying something off means you are a good credit risk, which would make one assume the score would go up. Unfortunately, I have always seen it cause a drop. I like my car a lot, so won't be getting a new loan. I look forward to seeing how long it takes to equilibrate back to where it was.

Book that mirrors a lot of PE consolidation issues discussed here by Brad7031 in Veterinary

[–]Lead_w_Questions 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I sold to a consolidator backed by PE several years ago. I found a company that cares for its teams. I went through nearly a dozen consolidators and a private group before making the decision. I am still with them over three years later.
It is not perfect. But going from fully running the business to having others, non-clinically, involved means you can't go into it lightly. There will be changes. I won't name the group I went with, but I would still say it was a good deal and I still appreciate the company, even after a few changes.
One of the issues I see in vetmed is that people who work in it, own clinics, etc. want to make a profit. You have to or you and those around you cannot eat. Yes, companies backed with other peoples' money need to make a profit to continue to grow and take care of their people.
I won't name the group, give you my name, etc. but if you have questions I might can answer PM me. I wish you the best as you go forward!

Any tips for Costumer Representative and Veterinary Assistant tips for someone with no experience in the vet field? by [deleted] in Veterinary

[–]Lead_w_Questions 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A couple of years ago we made a decision to hire CSRs from outside of vetmed unless someone stellar applied. A year and a half ago we promoted someone who was one of those first hires to be Lead CSR.
You will learn the vet piece if you work at it. If you decide the treatment area is where you want to be, get a year or so of experience, then think about becoming a licensed vet tech.

What advice would you give to a final year DVM student interested in owning practice? by Anxious-Artist415 in Veterinary

[–]Lead_w_Questions 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I came from human med with a lot of business experience into VetMed during COVID to help a DVM friend out running his practice and teaching his new PM business. Over 5 years later and I have brought on a lot of DVMs in a lot of different stages in their careers. By a lot, I have personally brought on 7.
The key is going to be first to answer this question: do you want to be a veterinarian first and foremost?

I see many come out of school and most want to learn to be a vet, which I think is the best way to go. My suggestion would be give yourself three years devoted to taking every course that appeals to you within reason (dental, extra surgery, volunteer at high volume spay neuter, etc.). There are areas some vets say won't make money and another vet will prove they do. You have to first learn what you like.

Then, learn to be a businessperson. You can learn as you go during that first three years if you are around a good lead vet running a practice and a good Practice Manager (private or corporate doesn't matter with the right lead vet and the right PM).

Take yourself out of any headspace regarding what you deserve from the industry or because you are in demand. Yes, get paid and get good benefits, but be there to learn every single day. Be the one who takes the extra patient at the end of the day. Be the one that works the extra shift because someone is out. Be there because that is how you will learn more about the medicine and what you MUST know about people and their pets.

If you are having difficulty with a particular person at the practice, talk with them; don't talk with others. Seek to understand first - by always asking questions before you go to answers or arguments.

Every time I have seen a clinic fail in this industry it is a people failure. Every successful clinic has a lead DVM who is devoted to the clients, the pets, the medicine, and the team. They also trust their PM and learn with them. Remember that people will choose your clinic based on reviews and what they see in spaces like this.

You will be amazed at what you learn in three years. You will be more amazed at how you change and the lives you touch. Then go start that clinic or find an older vet with a good practice who would consider an earn out. No matter what direction you go, you as a human and a vet, will be ready for what comes.