Buying a veterinary practice in Orlando and Central Florida

• More than one veterinarian, so revenue doesn't depend on the owner's own appointment book.
• A growing number of active clients (those seen in the last year or so), with reminders that bring them back.
• A full schedule of dental and preventive work, not only sick visits.
• Equipment that's current and maintained: digital x-ray, in-house bloodwork, dental x-ray, anesthesia monitoring.
• Fees reviewed every year, and every service actually charged for. Missed charges are common in busy practices.
• Technicians who stay, and a practice manager who runs the front desk and inventory.
• A lease or building with room for another exam room.
• A good working relationship with the nearest emergency hospital for after-hours referrals.

• Doctor dependence. Look at how much revenue each veterinarian produces. If the seller produces most of it, the practice's value depends on a long handover and on hiring another veterinarian, which can take a long time.
• The permit record. Look up the premises permit and any discipline on DBPR's license search, and ask for the last inspection report.
• Associate agreements. Read the other veterinarians' employment contracts, pay formulas and any noncompete terms.
• Controlled drug records. Logs, inventories and storage should be in order before you take over.
• Medical records. Complete records back up the client list you're paying for.
• Equipment. Note its age, service contracts and any equipment leases you'd take over.
• Pharmacy and food sales. Online pharmacies have pulled this revenue from many practices, so check the trend.
• Local competition. Practices owned by large groups may be nearby and hiring from the same pool of veterinarians and technicians.
• The seasons. In some areas, clients leave for the summer with their pets.

• How many active clients do you have, and how do you count them?
• How much of the practice's revenue comes from your own appointments, and how long would you stay to introduce clients to the other doctors?
• Do your associates have contracts, and is anyone planning to leave or hoping to buy in?
• Which equipment is owned and which is leased, and what will need replacing soon?
• How do you handle emergencies and after-hours calls?
• How have pharmacy and food sales changed over the last few years?
• When did you last raise fees, and how did clients respond?

This region covers Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Sumter and Marion counties: Orlando, Winter Park, Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Sanford, Clermont, Leesburg, Ocala and the large retirement communities of Sumter and Lake counties. Tourism is what the area is best known for, built on the theme parks, the hotels, the vacation rental homes around Kissimmee and the Orange County Convention Center. It's far from the only business. The University of Central Florida and the military simulation and training offices near it support a technology base, and health care is a major employer.

Marion County is horse country, with thoroughbred farms around Ocala, and it has added warehouses and distribution centers along Interstate 75. Retirees in Sumter and Lake create steady demand for medical practices, home care, home maintenance and auto services. The building trades, restaurants, and companies that serve hotels and rental homes do well across the region.

Central Florida is inland, so storm surge isn't the worry it is on the coasts. Hurricanes still bring wind damage and flooding, though: Hurricane Ian flooded neighborhoods in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties in 2022. Ask whether the business or its customers were affected.

Tourism keeps demand steadier through the year than in markets that depend on winter residents, with busy stretches around school holidays. Hotels, parks and restaurants compete hard for workers, which pushes up wages for any company that hires hourly staff. New homes have spread fast in Osceola, south Lake and southeast Orange counties and around Ocala, so check whether a company's customers are in growing areas or older ones. Traffic on Interstate 4 limits how much ground a service company can cover in a day.