In the episode, Rob and Anthony Principe discuss the challenges new veterinary practice owners face when seeking financing, how to position themselves for loan approval, and what banks look for in startup applicants.

In addition, Anthony Principe is a Senior Vice President at Bank of America with over 20 years of experience in healthcare banking. He specializes in helping veterinary professionals launch and grow their practices through tailored financial solutions.

Listeners who want to reach out to Anthony can do so at [email protected], and those who want to reach Rob can do so at [email protected].

The all-important subject of real estate is once again the topic of conversation for this episode of the Veterinary Start-Up Practice Podcast in which Rob is joined by Peter McCann, a veterinary-focused commercial real estate agent with CARR Healthcare Realty, one of the nation’s leading providers of commercial real estate services for healthcare tenants and buyers. In the episode, Rob and Peter discuss the advantages and disadvantages of leasing versus purchasing the practice real estate, the role that demographics play when looking to lease or purchase in a particular location, and issues regarding zoning and how it may impact a project and a vet practice’s ability to succeed.

In addition to working as a commercial real estate agent for CARR, Peter is also an attorney and long-time business law and real estate law professor who relies on his legal and teaching experience to guide vets through the most challenging parts of the real estate process—negotiating the terms of their lease/purchase, navigating the nuances of zoning, and re-negotiating terms for practices that are captive to their expiring leases.

Listeners who want to reach out to Peter can do so at (267) 373-7366 or at [email protected] and those who want to reach Rob can do so at

[email protected].

Financing is the topic of conversation for this episode of the Veterinary Start-Up Practice Podcast in which Rob is joined by Doug Dries, a Senior Business Development Lending Consultant with Wells Fargo Healthcare Industries Group. Rob and Doug discuss the timing of when a veterinarian should establish a relationship with a lender during the start-up process, what lenders typically consider when evaluating a veterinarian for a practice loan, how lenders decide on loan amounts, and whether a veterinarian with student debt can expect to qualify for financing.

Over the past 22 years, Doug has been helping doctors start, grow and transition their practices. With Wells Fargo, he specializes in lending to healthcare providers for practice start-ups, practice acquisitions, refinancing existing practice debt, expansions/relocations, and also offers equipment financing.

Listeners who want to reach Doug can do so at (610) 663-5632 or at

[email protected] and those who want to reach Rob can do so at [email protected].

In this episode of the Veterinary Start-Up Practice Podcast, Rob speaks with Ben Bell, the owner and president of Blackstone Building Group LLC, and Trae Anderson, the owner and principal of Blackstone Architecture. Blackstone Building Group LLC specializes in design and construction of healthcare offices, and Blackstone Architecture specializes in the design-build approach to commercial healthcare construction. In this episode, they discuss the meaning of the design-build approach, the importance of having a small, expert support team while preparing a start-up, and the value of having aesthetically pleasing building designs in veterinary practices.

Ben Bell serves as the single point of contact for veterinarians, dentists and doctors and assists them through every phase of a project from the initial concept through getting open for business, and Blackstone Building Group has become an industry leading design-build company for healthcare projects in major markets including the Northeast, the Atlanta metro area, and south Florida. Trae Anderson is a registered architect in 5 states (PA, NJ, DE, GA, FL), and has over 15 years of experience in designing a variety of architectural projects. He also has almost 10 years of design-build experience.

Listeners who want to reach Ben can do so at (302)824-2627, and at [email protected], and those who want to reach Trae can do so at (302)438-5839 and at [email protected]. Listeners who want to reach Rob can do so at [email protected].

In this second episode of the Veterinary Start-Up Practice Podcast, attorney Rob Montgomery is joined by guest Dez Merrow, a buyer/tenant real estate agent in Northeast Florida for CARR Healthcare Realty. Rob and Dez focus their discussion on the key terms that real estate agents and attorneys like to see in a Letter of Intent (LOI) since the LOI helps to lay the foundation for a smooth lease or purchase negotiation. Having an experienced real estate agent, such as Dez, who is familiar with what’s important in veterinary office negotiations and who knows to ask the landlord for veterinarian-specific items (such as free rent during build-out, tenant improvement allowance, exclusivity, and favorable assignment language) can be invaluable for a veterinarian looking to do a start-up.

Dez dedicates her time at CARR to helping her veterinary clients find and negotiate land purchases for ground-up construction for their dream practice, as well as for the perfect retail or office space to open their start-up, satellite, or additional vet practice location. Dez also helps her veterinary clients renegotiate the terms of their upcoming lease renewals, as well as negotiate expansions into adjoining space or relocation to a better/newer/more favorable location.

Listeners who want to connect with Dez can do so at 904-686-5886 or [email protected] or visit CARR’s website which will allow them to find a great representative in their market, https://carr.us/lease-or-purchase-evaluation/ and those who want to reach Rob can do so at [email protected] or through his law firm’s website at www.YourVetLawyer.com.

In this first episode of the Veterinary Start-Up Practice Podcast, attorney Rob Montgomery connects with Matthew Fletcher, a highly experienced veterinary equipment specialist with Patterson Veterinary. Rob and Matt touch on misconceptions that veterinarians may have when it comes to doing a start-up veterinary practice. They also discuss the importance of reaching out to specialists like Matt and Rob early on in the start-up process, as well as the importance of having a vision for a future veterinary practice and how using that vision can help guide the practice owner through a smoother (and less stressful) veterinary start-up experience.

Over the past decade, Matt has assisted over 500 veterinarians open, expand, relocate, and remodel their practices. Drawing on his vast experience in the veterinary business world, Matt helps to guide veterinarians through specific workflow designs, provide technician support for installations and repairs along with contributing to the equipment and cabinetry options that may best fit the space.

Listeners who want to connect with Matt can do so at (410) 259-5283 or at

[email protected] and they can connect with Rob at [email protected] or through his law firm’s website at www.YourVetLawyer.com.