or a lot of us, becoming a veterinarian was a calling; something we always knew we wanted to do. We had this idea of what a vet’s life would be like—helping animals all day long, of course. We barely thought about the hours, the admin, the business side or the time spent away from family.
Fast forward 15 years after qualifying, married with a family, and the choices we made when we were younger don’t always fit into our lifestyles anymore. We still want to help animals—but we are swamped! We can barely manage to meet one set of demands on our attention, never mind all the others.
When my three kids were little, I was determined this would not be me. I wanted to be present for my children; to attend those midweek sports days and galas; to be there when they were doing homework, needed a lift or wanted to chat. Yet I still wanted to earn an income.
Eventually, I found a way to use my professional knowledge while working flexible hours from home. It can be done, and without financial sacrifice! Anyone with professional skills can do it, simply by packaging their skills for an online world.
The most obvious first option is teleconsulting. Companies have sprung up all over the world offering online consultations. Vets consult for them, making themselves available for shifts during the day or night. It’s the closest you are going to get to consulting from the comfort of your home. This is especially valuable to vets who have mobility issues or health problems which prevent them from being able to operate and handle animals.
Then there’s the option I took: running your own online animal-related business. This is where I found my niche, and I now have several income streams from the online courses, conferences and membership groups I run, plus product affiliations (and I only affiliate with products I believe in).
My ceiling for earning potential rose drastically. The sideline businesses took up a lot of time at first, but eventually I could employ people to run them and, unlike my veterinary practice, they didn’t always need me. But I was looking for a business that allowed me to be completely flexible; I wanted to work from home, but also from anywhere in the world. As a family we love to travel, so this flexibility was important to me.
The idea of starting a different kind of online business arose when I recognized a real need among my clients, some of whom were driving three to four hours to see me for animal rehabilitation. What they wanted was information and basic skills—something they could use to help their dogs between visits. So, I developed an online, 12-week course designed for arthritic dogs. It gave owners a schedule of basic therapeutic exercises that would strengthen muscles, correct compensation issues and drastically improve their dog’s quality of life.
The best part about creating an online course is that, after the initial hard work of developing and marketing, your income becomes more passive. Your earning potential has no ceiling and you are able to work when it suits you.
Today I have a number-one online businesses, work four to five hours a day, four days a week, from anywhere I happen to be. I fetch my kids from school, take them horseback riding and never miss a gala or sports day.
The online world of business for animal professionals holds huge potential—and there is room for many more of us. Why not diversify your income?
We’re professionals, but that does not preclude being astute business people, too! As digital processes move more and more into the world of work, we need to ride that wave to our own advantage. There is really no limit to our earning potential if we think creatively and learn a few good tech skills (which can easily be learned online).
I hope these ideas have inspired you to diversify your income while benefitting more animals!
