Helping a Veterinary Practice Plan for the Future

Bright Side Vets is a small animal practice based in Swadlincote, South Derbyshire. Jason Freezer and his wife opened the practice six years ago and Jason now works as Practice Manager, taking care of the business side of the organisation.

Time to reflect and review

Jason first heard of the Small Business Leadership Programme through the government’s business support emails. “I was starting to think about business planning for next year and so the timing of the programme was great. I liked the fact that there was a broad spectrum of content within the programme. Some areas such as the finance module, I was keen to learn more about and other areas I already knew about but were a good opportunity to refresh my knowledge.”

The programme allowed Jason the opportunity to reflect on the overall direction of the business and consider options for how to progress, as he explains. “It stimulated my thoughts on areas such as market segmentation and our vision, purpose and brand. I was really interested in the leadership and employer engagement module and had a one to one in-depth session with the lead tutor which gave me lots of food for thought. One of the ideas was to run a workshop with staff around our vision and mission, which would also support our employee engagement. I approached one of our suppliers to help with the session and we’re now going to deliver this in the New Year, which I’m really excited about.”

A picture of a man smiling

It stimulated my thoughts on areas such as market segmentation and our vision, purpose and brand. I was really interested in leadership and employer engagement and had an in depth one-to-one session with the lead tutor which gave me lots of food for thought.

Jason Freezer
Founder and Practice Manager

Peer support and taking action

Jason also enjoyed the smaller group feedback sessions within the programme, where there were discussions around a particular topic. “The group comprised of the same people each time, so we were able to understand more about each other’s businesses and discuss any issues without having to give repeated background information on our organisation. Getting to hear about other organisations was great and we’ve exchanged emails so there’s lots of potential for future networking.”

The course not only enables businesses to plan, but also helps participants to apply the learning to their current situation. Jason will be to diving deeper into these practical solutions.

“I’m looking forward to implementing the finance management content such as cashflow forecasting. I am going to be having a more in-depth session with the tutor from this module to identify practical tips on business and financial planning, tailored to my organisation.”

Sustainable solutions

The Small Business Leadership programme is particularly effective in supporting leaders to develop the skills needed to create sustainable solutions for their business. Participating in the programme has provided Jason with an opportunity to invest in his self-development and now he is looking forward to supporting his team in doing the same. “Sustainability is the main priority for the business. We’ve had a good year and we need to make sure we sustain our performance by investing in the development of our team as we grow.”

If you are interested in participating in our current leadership programme, find out more about our Help to Grow: Management programme  

To discuss working in partnership with us, please contact our Business Enquiry team on +44 (0)800 001 5500 or businessgateway@derby.ac.uk