‘You have to be very careful ... it’s a very emotional business’

Susan Barry founded Palmerstown Veterinary Hospital, a local veterinary hospital established in 2008. It provides services such as treatment surgeries, elective surgeries, ultrasounds, and X-rays for animals. The hospital also provides a range of outpatient services including regular check-ups and vaccinations. The business employs eight people across veterinary and administration staff, with Barry serving as managing director.

What sets your business apart from the competition? We try to provide the best customer service to both the pet and the owner of the pet. We think that we create a happy atmosphere despite the fact that it can be a stressful experience for people or animals to come to the vet.

We provide a high level of veterinary care focusing on the absolute best, safest and most up-to-date ways to do surgery and veterinary care. We try to be very accessible too, answering hundreds of questions on our Facebook page. The unit was a shell when I moved in here which allowed me to purpose-design and build the layout in the best way possible unlike many other practices which have had to adapt to existing units or old houses.

What was the best piece of business advice you've ever received? Listen to your customer. You have to pay attention to what the animal is telling you as well as the owner.

I remember reading the stories of an elderly vet who said people will always remember how you make them feel. You never want to make anyone feel bad about their pet. You have to be very careful with how you deal with people and their animals, it’s a very emotional business. For example we send out poems to people after their pet has passed away – people always remember that kind of gesture.

What's the biggest mistake you've made in business? In the early days we didn't invest enough money, time and effort into our social media. We sorted the problem out maybe six years ago. The majority of our clients are on the internet and that is the first point of contact. We are very community-driven now. I think things are more lessons you learn in business rather than mistakes as such. Everything you do online or on Facebook makes a bit of a difference – being available for people is huge when you're trying to grow a business.

And your major success to date? Saving animals lives and improving the lives of animals with long-term illnesses. Also growing the business. We opened in 2008 and then the bottom fell out of the economy.

Trying to grow the business and take on clients at a time when no one had any spare money and people were cutting down on their pet spending was a challenge. People weren’t getting pets or if they had pets they weren’t getting pet dental care, prophylactics, boosters – all that maintenance care. Providing a good service has meant that through word-of-mouth people have kept coming through the door.

Who do you most admire in business and why? Michael Hatton and Tanis Turley of the Anicare veterinary group. The Anicare Group started in 1991. I am interested in how they grew the business in the early days. They work well together and both have strengths that complement each other.

Based on your experience in the downturn, are the banks in Ireland open for business to SMEs? They are open but not under favourable terms and conditions. Interest rates on loans are higher than they used to be. I feel that they are not as customer-focused as they used to me. I know they have to be profitable institutions themselves so bank fees have also gone up.

What one piece of advice would you give the Government to help stimulate the economy? I would recommend reducing the tax on lower and middle incomes in an attempt to give consumers more disposable income. This, in turn, may encourage spending in small businesses.

What's been the biggest challenge you have had to face? To continue to provide a good quality service and maintain prices despite the constant increases in costs. A couple of years ago we were getting letters every month saying things like bank charges, the cost of drugs, the cost of insurance, the cost of registration on the Veterinary Council, water, electricity and phone were going up yet we couldn't pass that cost increase on to our clients because we would lose them.

How do you see the short term future for your business? To continue to work as hard as we have been to grow our client and pet base.

To grow the business and take on more staff. To continue to provide continuous education and training for the staff we have in order to provide the best service.

Coming more in line with all the treatments that are available in human medicine.

What's your business worth and would you sell it? I don't know what it's worth but I wouldn't sell it. I think even when I reach retirement age I'd have no interest in stopping doing the job. I see this place as my home. I know every inch of the place and I'm in here all the time even after hours. Every part of it is precious to me so I wouldn't want to sell it for that reason.

In conversation with Ruth O’Connor

anicare.ie/palmerstown- veterinary-hospital/