Livestock Matters Summer 2019

Livestock Matters Summer 2019 18 Here, Andrew explains the appeals of being a business owner: the satisfaction and the responsibility that make the extra bit of stress worthwhile. Belmont Farm & Equine Vets is a two-site practice with offices at Bromyard in north-east Herefordshire and new premises just outside Hereford. Andrew explains: “Earlier this year we moved from a base in the centre of Hereford where parking was limited and traffic was dreadful, to an industrial estate on the outskirts of town. It’s now really easy for farmers to drop in and pick up medicines or wormers, or bring sheep in for Caesareans. “The move came during our busy lambing season but thanks to the hard work of the whole team it went remarkably smoothly. At both sites we have an excellent farm reception team – they can be one of the most important group of people in a practice as they probably have the most contact with farmers, either by phone or in person. “The team mentality ensures that the practice still feels like a family business, although we now have 30 employees altogether. They are split fairly equally across the two locations. This does create a few issues but it means we can cover a larger area. Becoming a business owner “In 2015, the practice had just two directors – Matthew Pugh and Dominic Alexander. They had taken on the practice from the previous owner Bill Main who wanted to semi-retire. “Then in 2017, my colleague Nick Gibbon and I were invited to invest in the practice, and we became the third and fourth directors. We all have an equal say in how the business is run. We also all have different personalities, and have naturally flowed to what we like doing, playing to our strengths. “A key consideration for any independent business is to have a succession plan: the four of us are all in our 30s and 40s, keen to take the business forward, and keen that we remain an independent practice. “Being independent gives us the flexibility to change protocols according to the client or the situation. And if I want to buy a specific piece of kit for the practice, then it’s only the four of us that need to agree. There isn’t a big chain of managers. “And when farmers have an issue that needs resolving, they can come and speak to one of us, and they’re talking to the ‘top of the tree’. I’m not the middleman. I’m the man who is going to have to sort it! Of course, this can make my working life a bit more stressful, but it is also more rewarding! “If I, or my colleagues, don’t have the expertise to sort a problem, then one of the advantages of being a part of XLVets is that there are so many diverse skills within the membership, that there will be someone who can help. “Stress in the farming sector gets talked about a lot nowadays, and rightly so. For vets, especially In 2013 vet Andrew Cooke moved himself and his family from Leicestershire to Herefordshire and joined large animal practice Belmont Farm & Equine Vets. Then in 2017, he took the opportunity to invest in the business and become a shareholding director. Me and My Practice Andrew Cooke Belmont Farm and Equine Vets The responsibility, the stress and the satisfaction of being a business owner! The new Hereford site