The veterinary and animal health industries have experienced a surge in consultants—many of whom are former practice owners who, after selling their clinics, are looking to advise others. Additionally, as corporate consolidation in the veterinary space grows, redundancies have led many involved to turn their hand to consulting. This influx of individuals offering guidance makes it more challenging to differentiate between those who can provide real value and those whose expertise may be limited.
Whether you’re looking for a consultant to help your veterinary organisation navigate growth, optimise operations, improve efficiency, or enhance leadership and culture, choosing the right expert is more critical than ever.
But how do you make the right choice? Selecting a consultant requires more than just following a recommendation or having a good rapport. It involves careful evaluation to ensure that the consultant you choose can truly add value and deliver results for your veterinary or animal health organisation. There are some fundamental traits that a good consultant will exhibit.
Here are eight essential traits and considerations to guide you in selecting the best consultant for your veterinary clinic, multi-site practice, or corporate group.
1) They Know the Veterinary and Animal Health Industry Inside and Out
For veterinary practices and animal health organisations, consultancy success requires a deep understanding of the unique complexities that come with the industry. While large generalist consulting firms might bring strong analytical frameworks, they often lack the granular knowledge and hands-on experience of industry-specific challenges. Likewise, consultants who only bring a veterinary perspective may understand the clinical side but often miss the broader analytical and strategic nuances required for organisational growth and long-term success.
Effective management consulting in the veterinary space demands a holistic approach. A great consultant understands how clinical operations, team dynamics, financial performance, client satisfaction, and patient outcomes all interconnect. This ensures that no key area is overlooked. They will also be aware of broader trends, such as shifting competitive and market dynamics, or regulatory changes. They’re equipped to guide your organisation in a way that balances immediate needs with future industry developments.
Why It Matters:
In the veterinary sector, balancing business efficiency with clinical excellence is non-negotiable. Consultants with deep industry expertise ensure that their strategies boost profitability while maintaining high standards of patient care and client trust. They anticipate challenges unique to the veterinary world and can help your organisation navigate them effectively.
Actionable Tip:
When assessing consultants, enquire about their industry-specific experience. Do they bring a multi-faceted understanding of the industry? Have they worked in both private and corporate veterinary settings? Do they grasp the full scope, from clinical care to financial strategy and market trends? Request examples where they’ve successfully balanced operational, clinical, and financial priorities. Be cautious of consultants relying on generic business models or with limited industry experience, as they may not have the depth needed to navigate the complexities of your organisation.
2) They Evidence Expertise Through Relevant Educational Content
A key sign of a competent consultant is their ability to produce valuable educational content that showcases their deep industry knowledge. Before reaching out to a potential consultant, review their written contributions to the veterinary and animal health sectors. Do they publish insightful articles on their website? Have they contributed articles to reputable veterinary journals or spoken at industry conferences? Do they have useful guides and other free information that you can access?
Consultants who regularly produce thought leadership content demonstrate a commitment to educating the industry and staying at the forefront of trends and best practices. This content acts as proof of their expertise, helping you assess whether their approach and insights align with your organisation’s specific needs and goals. A good consultant should be able to point to a wealth of relevant information that they have written or contributed to.
Why it Matters:
Consultants who write and speak on industry challenges not only display their depth of expertise but also showcase their understanding of current and emerging trends. Their educational content serves as a reliable indicator of their thought leadership, allowing you to gauge their ability to deliver relevant and informed strategies for your organisation.
Actionable Tip:
Before reaching out, explore the consultant’s digital presence. Check their website and LinkedIn for blogs and articles. Evaluate if their content resonates with the challenges your organisation faces.
3) The Consultant Who Wins Your Business Leads the Project
A common issue when hiring larger consultancy firms is that the consultant who initially engages you, the one you “buy into,” may not be the person who actually executes the project. This is particularly relevant in the veterinary and animal health industries, where clinical and operational challenges are highly nuanced and require a consultant with deep, specific knowledge of both areas.
Unless it was made clear in the initial dialogue or proposal that other colleagues or junior associates would be leading your project, it’s crucial that the consultant you trusted to lead remains actively involved.
While a team approach often brings value—especially for handling administrative aspects—a consultant should be transparent from the beginning about who will be your main points of contact and their respective responsibilities. Without this transparency, you may feel like the “goalposts have moved” once the project begins.
Why it Matters:
Consistency and continuity are essential for successful project outcomes. The consultant who secures your business has built an understanding of your unique challenges and goals, and they should be responsible for seeing that those goals are met. By ensuring that the person you trusted to lead your project remains involved throughout, you can avoid misunderstandings, missed objectives, and a disconnect between strategy and execution.
Actionable Tip:
Ensure clarity from the outset. During your initial discussions, ask who will be leading the project and request written confirmation of their role. Make it clear that any personnel changes during the project must be discussed and agreed upon in advance to avoid surprises and ensure consistency.
4) The Consultant has Both Experience AND Qualifications:
The veterinary industry has seen a notable rise in business consultants, but it’s important to remember that a consultant’s value must extend beyond simply owning or managing a practice. While practical experience is undeniably valuable, successful consultants need to possess the skills to drive meaningful change in another organisation. Understanding organisational development, leadership, culture, strategy, and innovation are all critical characteristics of effective management consulting. Equally important is a strong familiarity with analytical and diagnostic tools to support data-driven decision-making.
When selecting a veterinary business consultant, make sure their practical experience is bolstered by formal qualifications. However, the reverse is also true: a consultant might have a solid academic background, but unless they’ve lived and breathed the day-to-day challenges of veterinary practice, their advice may lack the necessary context and feasibility to be effective.
The ideal consultant should have a deep understanding of both the business and clinical aspects of veterinary and animal health. A balance between practical experience and formal qualifications ensures that the consultant’s advice is not just theoretical but can be applied in a real-world setting.
Why it Matters:
A consultant with hands-on experience in the veterinary sector understands the operational challenges clinics face, such as patient care, staffing shortages, and evolving client expectations. However, qualifications in areas such as strategic planning, organisational development, and business management provide the structured, comprehensive approach needed to deliver meaningful change. A consultant who brings both sets of expertise is better equipped to address your organisation’s long-term goals.
Actionable Tip:
When evaluating potential consultants, look for a balance of practical experience and academic credentials. Ask about their specific experience in veterinary operations and how that aligns with their formal qualifications. A consultant who understands veterinary operations holistically will be better positioned to create strategies that meet your organisation’s goals while addressing both business and clinical realities.
5) They Tailor Solutions to Your Organisation—Not the Other Way Around
The best consultants avoid offering cookie-cutter solutions. While some organisations may share common operational challenges, such approaches go against the core purpose of consulting: finding solutions, not imposing them. Consulting solutions should be customised and tailored to your organisation’s specific needs, goals, and the unique dynamics of your team.
Though a one-size-fits-all approach might seem appealing due to its cost-effectiveness, it often fails to address the deeper, underlying issues unique to your organisation. Even if a particular solution sounds plausible, it’s important to ask whether it will truly fit your organisation. Ultimately, effective consulting is about diagnosing unique challenges and crafting bespoke strategies to address them—rather than simply applying a pre-packaged solution.
Why it Matters:
Veterinary and animal health organisations vary widely in terms of size, client demographics, service offerings, and culture. A tailored solution ensures that the strategies implemented are aligned with your specific organisational needs, your team’s capabilities, and your long-term objectives. A cookie-cutter approach might miss vital nuances that make your organisation unique, leading to suboptimal results and frustration for both leadership and staff.
Actionable Tip:
During the consultation phase, ask the consultant how they would tailor their approach to your organisation. Seek specifics—how would they adapt their strategies based on your business model, staff structure, and client base? Be wary of consultants who offer a one-size-fits-all solution without first thoroughly understanding your organisation’s specific challenges and goals.
6) You Get On Well!
Consulting is, at its core, a relationship business. The success of a consulting engagement often hinges on the quality of the relationship between the consultant and your team. While it’s important for a consultant to challenge certain assumptions and engage in difficult conversations, the foundation of these interactions should be built on trust and a positive rapport.
A good consultant creates a collaborative environment where your team feels comfortable engaging in open and honest discussions. This trust facilitates greater authenticity and leads to better outcomes. Consulting interventions can be very involved, and since you’ll be working with your consultant over a period of time, it’s essential that the experience is both productive and pleasant. A well-executed consulting partnership should lead to a long-lasting, supportive relationship, and that starts with a strong rapport right from the beginning.
Why it Matters:
Veterinary teams work in high-stress environments where collaboration and communication are essential. A consultant who works well with your team is more likely to gain buy-in and ensure that changes are successfully implemented.
Actionable Tip:
Pay attention to your chemistry with the consultant during early conversations. A strong rapport will lead to better collaboration, trust, and ultimately, better outcomes.
7) Proven Track Record: The Critical Factor in Choosing the Right Consultant
In the rapidly evolving field of veterinary management consulting, selecting a consultant with a proven track record is essential—especially one whose experience extends beyond their own organisation or corporate background. While internal experience can be valuable, there’s a significant difference between managing a team in one environment and leading change across multiple, diverse organisations. Successful consulting requires diagnosing challenges in different contexts and applying tailored, adaptable solutions that create measurable impact.
A consultant’s ability to leverage lessons from other projects and clients is invaluable. Their track record should provide clear evidence of measurable improvements to ensure that you’re partnering with someone who understands not only how to diagnose problems but also how to create and implement solutions that genuinely work. This track record should give you confidence in their ability to meet the unique demands of your veterinary or animal health organisation.
Why It Matters:
Consulting goes beyond providing advice—it’s about executing that advice successfully. A proven track record indicates that a consultant has repeatedly applied their expertise to complex situations and achieved tangible, lasting results. For veterinary and animal health organisations, this is particularly critical, where clinical standards, operational efficiency, and patient care must be upheld, even during significant organisational shifts. You need a consultant who has navigated these unique challenges and delivered consistent results across various contexts, not just in their own previous roles or within a corporate setting.
Actionable Tip:
Before committing to a consultant, request case studies, client testimonials, and examples of past successes. Look for consistency in their ability to lead meaningful change across businesses similar to yours. If their experience is confined to their previous organisation or limited in scope, proceed with caution. You need a partner with a broad range of experience across different business models and proven results in driving change in a consulting capacity, ensuring they can adapt their approach to the unique challenges your organisation faces and deliver measurable impact.
8) Their Success is Your Success
When choosing a consultant, their personal investment in your organisation should be a key consideration. This is especially important when considering larger management consultancy firms. It cannot be just another project for them, a rinse-and-repeat scenario. The consultant must demonstrate a genuine care for your organisation, your people, and the outcomes you’re striving to achieve. Their success is directly tied to yours.
A consultant who truly cares will immerse themselves in understanding your organisation’s unique challenges, culture, and goals. They won’t simply impose pre-packaged solutions; instead, they will work collaboratively with you, building trust and creating a tailored approach that reflects your specific needs. Their involvement should extend beyond just completing the project—they should take pride in your organisation’s success and ensure long-term, positive change.
Why It Matters:
Veterinary and animal health organisations, like all businesses, rely on genuine partnerships. When you feel that your consultant is personally invested, it builds trust and confidence, allowing your team to engage fully in the process. A consultant’s commitment to your success not only helps create effective strategies but ensures those strategies are implemented with care, aligning with your organisation’s mission, values, and long-term goals.
Actionable Tip:
When interviewing consultants, look for signs of personal engagement and ask about past projects where they have demonstrated this kind of care. Pay attention to their level of enthusiasm, the questions they ask about your business, and how they articulate their commitment to your organisation’s success. Ensure that they are not just viewing you as another project, but as a partner with whom they share a vested interest in achieving real, meaningful outcomes.
Conclusion: Choosing the Right Consultant is Key to Success
Selecting the right veterinary management consultant can make a significant impact on your organisation’s growth and sustainability. The right consultant should bring a deep understanding of the veterinary and animal health industry, offer tailored solutions, and demonstrate a personal investment in your success. As you evaluate potential consultants, focus on their industry expertise, track record, and their ability to align with your organisation’s mission and long-term goals.
A successful consultant is more than just an advisor; they become a partner in your organisation’s journey. Their success is directly tied to yours, and choosing the right one ensures you have the best guidance to navigate the complexities of this dynamic industry.
At IntrinsiaVet, we pride ourselves on delivering tailored, impactful solutions for veterinary and animal health organisations. Our consultants bring years of experience and a deep commitment to helping you achieve measurable and sustainable success. If you’re ready to take your organisation to the next level, contact us today for a consultation and discover how we can support your goals.
Ready to explore how we can help your organisation thrive? Contact us today for a confidential consultation.
