Think Local - Suport Your Small Businesses

I never dreamed that I, Emily Hoppmann, would one day be a small business owner but I am!  After years of working for other veterinarians and even returning to do an exotics internship, I decided to buy Elgin Veterinary Hospital in Northeast Columbia.  I say Northeast Columbia instead of simply saying Elgin since some people do not know where Elgin is or they have the misconception that it is far away.  Luckily, Elgin is easy to access being right off of I-20, Highway 1 (Two Notch Road), and Highway 12 (Percival Road) depending on where you are coming from.  The location of Elgin Veterinary Hospital at 1240 Pine Street is even better, since it is just one turn onto Pine Street from any of those options!  (Not to worry - if you are directionally challenged, as I am, you can also simply type where you are coming from into our website at www.elginvethospital.com and it will give you step-by-step directions.)  

  As scary as making the decision to buy was at the time, it has been the most amazing feeling to be able to practice medicine in an atmosphere where you always feel at home and where I know that all of my clients and patients are treated with dignity and respect.  Plus, I have been able to hand-pick the most amazing staff in the world and they all care about the Elgin Veterinary Hospital Family as much as I do and are so much fun to work with.  

It was not until I became a small business owner that I truly saw and started to understand the vast differences between larger companies and smaller family-owned and operated companies.  I have now seen and experienced first-hand the seemingly endless challenges unique to small companies, but have also had the opportunity to witness the positive impact unique to small businesses can provide to the community.  Can you imagine how tragic it would be to not have businesses that value quality over quantity, that take the time to get to know you as a person and not just a number, and that take pride in meeting the needs of each individual customer and not just mass-producing a product or providing a service in a "one-size fits all approach"?  These are traits that I want in a company I want to do business with and they are becoming harder and harder to find.  When I have found them, they have been through my experiences with small businesses (not to say I haven't had horrible experiences with small businesses as well).  That is why I urge everyone to rally behind the smaller, local businesses and why I will continue to post information about businesses that I have found that have these traits.  

   Even if you love the convenience of the big-box stores and are okay with just being another face in the crowd to a company, I know everyone wants to see the economy around them improve.  I feel small businesses are the key to seeing this improvement in both the national and local economy.  The national news says that the economy is improving every day, but I have not experienced that personally.  When I look around for signs that things have made a turn for the better, I just don't see them.  Over the past decade, we have seen more changes in the state of our national and local economy, job market, and the way business is conducted than ever before.  Many of these changes are not positive changes for our community and it is easy to feel as if we are helpless as individuals to improve things.  However, as individuals and as a community we can make positive changes in our local economy, our unemployment rate, and our overall quality of life.  America was built on small, family-owned businesses and it is these same types of businesses that can help us today get us back to where we should be.  Through keeping them in mind as a consumer and doing all we can to support our local small businesses, we can empower ourselves to help improve the state of the world around us.  People have to choose to do all of their business with smaller, family-owned and operated businesses to ensure that the hard-earned money we spend stays within our local economy.  Not only does having this money stay within our community directly improve the local economy, but it also helps to increase employment opportunities and decrease the number of people that owners are having to lay-off.  If we think local first and continue to support the economy directly surrounding us, we have no reason to feel helpless - together we have the power to achieve the positive changes that we desire.

 John, who currently owns the local hardware store that has been in his family for years, can be an example of how much of a difference supporting a local business instead of one of the bigger chain stores can have.  For years and years, people have always come to this hardware store for supplies, advice, and helpful hints.  Not only is the business contributing to our local economy just by being open, but John and his multiple employees are members of our community that are all happily employed.  However, one of the large chain companies opened up in the area, offering slightly lower prices than the local hardware store (since chains are able to buy in bulk at a discounted rate and smaller businesses can’t).  As more and more people started to go to the big box company to save a little money, John’s business slowed down and eventually he had to close the doors since he simply couldn’t compete with the large chains discounted prices and large inventory.  Despite the fact that John and his employees took enormous pride in their work, always did their best to make sure every customer was taken care of, offered only the best products available and were always there with advice or guidance, the hardware store went out of business.  When it came down to the bottom line, John’s cost to buy and carry the same products found in larger stores was at least double since there are no price breaks or discounted shipping for small businesses who can't buy in bulk.  Also, his payroll costs were much higher because his employees mattered to him and he took good care of them.  He also made sure he had enough employees who were knowledgeable about the products he sold and would be available to personally assist each customer’s individual needs and offer them sound advice if they had questions.  He wanted to be sure his customers didn't have to search for someone to help them and he certainly did not want to have employees that were so poorly trained that all they could do was simply direct people to the correct area of the hardware store.  John always ran his family business the way he felt it should be run, in a way he could be proud of, knowing that he was a fair and honest businessman.  When faced with the harsh reality that he could no longer keep the door open without cutting corners, he knew he would have to close his beloved store because sacrificing quality or customer service was not an option for him.  The closing of his business meant there will no longer be a hardware store where customer satisfaction was a priority and you could trust the advice of the employees helping you.  It also is a blow to the local economy, not only from the loss of revenue and taxes from the business itself, but because the money that people would have spent at his store is no longer staying within the local economy, and John and his local employees no longer having a place to work so the unemployment rate will continue to rise.  

As more and more large chain stores open and result in the local businesses going out of business, the state of our local economy and job market gets worse.  You also lose the distinct way a locally owned and operated businesses is run - with a dedication to quality and customer service based on the business owners pride in their businesses and in being an active part of the community.  I am proud to be a part of this community and I believe in supporting other local businesses both personally and professionally, even though it may take more time or cost more.  When someone takes pride in the work that they do it shows and it makes all the difference in the world to me.  I have had the pleasure of meeting and doing business with a number of local small businesses over the years and I want to say thank you to these companies for the amazing jobs they have done.  I also want to share how great they are with the rest of the community so I will be highlighting different types of local small businesses that I have had the pleasure of getting to know in future blogs/posts.  Until then - think local first and support your small businesses!   

The Truth That Lies Beneath the Surface

People walk around every day interacting with each other when they have no idea who the person they are interacting with really is. People make decisions, life decisions, without knowing. People fall in love, without knowing. People give their heart and soul to a person without knowing the truth that lies beneath. People hide that truth with all their might - the ugly truth about themselves. What they don't understand is that the truth always comes out and it usually comes out too late and the person who made all their decisions based on this fake reality ends up crushed. I would much rather be the person I truly am all the time - then you can make your decisions based on the good and the bad. Everyone has things about their lives they regret or would have done differently, but to try to hide from them only ends up hurting more people. I want to say to every person walking around out there, letting people make decisions based on the person they think you are, to stop being a coward. Let your real truth out there and then people can either run the other way or embrace you. Then you will stop hurting those around you that care about you and learn to late that you are a lying cheat. You know who you are and I have no idea how you sleep at night.

Facing Your Fears

Fear is a funny thing - it seems to disappear for me when life is good. I am where I want to be as an owner of a small animal and exotics animal hospital, I have the best staff in the world and I love them like family, I come home to the best two and four-legged family in the world, and life seems like it can't get any better. As I am sailing along, I notice that something seems off with JB, my oldest kitty, but life is good so I am sure it is nothing. I play this game with myself for a little while, then the veterinarian in me (who already knows what's wrong) tells my scared owner in me that I have to take him in to work. I get his bloodwork back and I am right - he is hyperthyroid and in renal failure. Fears turn to truth. What do you do in this moment? Everything else in your life fades to the background and you know you are going to lose this battle in the end, but then you get all your strength together and start fighting. Even though I am fighting, every night when he curls up in my lap I wonder if that will be the last time, will tomorrow be a bad day for him and I will have to love him enough to let him go?

To Cry or Not to Cry

I feel as if every patient that I see is part of my family, as if I am part owner. I just get really emotionally connected with my patients and my clients. Most of the time that is great because I get to enjoy all the wonderful moments either through my interactions or through photos. I get to watch a tiny, wiggly puppy grow up and see the joy that it brings to everyone. However, it also means that I take the not so wonderful moments just as hard as any pet owner would (or worse because I feel like a pet owner and a veterinarian and I have to accept that even with all the medicine in the world I can't save them all). This brings up my question or dilemma- to cry or not to cry. When I deliver bad news I do it after I have digested the bad news and gotten composure of myself. When I have to euthanize a patient, I feel like my heart is breaking and I just want to crumble, but I am the professional. Is it wrong to hold back all my emotions so I am the strong ones for my clients? Should I cry my tears in private? I don't know what I should do or what the owner needs from me. Bottom line - I want to give them what they need, but I don't know what that is. Any advice on to cry or not to cry?

Some Relationships Are Worth Fighting For

I have learned through the years that many people pass through your life for only a brief time and you are affected by every person that you bring into your life, no matter the time frame. Knowing this, I try to only bring positive people into my life because I take relationships very seriously. Once you are in my life, I will give you the shirt off my back if you need it. However, I have learned the hard way that is not how all people view friendships. Some people take things lightly - enjoy meeting for a dinner or drinks, but if it gets down to actually being there for one another they are in the wind. I have had to learn what relationships are worth fighting for and what aren't. I am a giver, I can't help it, it is just a part of me. However, it is the part of me that gets my heart broken most often in relationships because the only relationships that are healthy for a giver are ones with another giver. I am also a nurturing person, hence my job, and a character flaw I have is that I tend to be attracted to takers because they need nurturing. It is those people that need you in their life to serve a purpose, not just to be a friend, but to keep them stable or provide financial support or emotional support or help them find their legs. I try as I might, but it seems that I have made the mistake over and over again investing in takers. I am trying to let those people go because I find that if I am giving and they are taking, I get sucked dry and I am not good to anyone. On the flip side I have learned to fight tooth and nail for the amazing friendships I have with other givers. We may be separated by distance and may be at different points in our lives, but these are the people that would be there at 3 am when you are stuck on the side of the road and need someone to pick you up. These people are amazing people and I am so lucky to have them in my life (and be surrounded by them at my job). Sometimes I still get it wrong and end up with a taker and when I walk away, they never fight for me. They don't even blink an eye and that hurts. After everything that I invested in our relationship and everything they took without giving anything in return, I would think that they would fight for the friendship or at least feel badly that they used me, but sadly this isn't the case. Just another lesson learned. The lesson to really hold onto is that I should continue to cherish my friendships with other givers and always fight for them if something was to try to come between us. True friendship is often tested when things get dicey and life isn't easy and I am so blessed to have such a good support system that spans the nation. To all of you, I love you and thank God every day for having you in my life.

Taking Control of Your Dreams

I never in a million years thought I would be able to write this blog so soon. I came out of the womb knowing I wanted to be a veterinarian and that has never changed. However, the type of veterinarian I wanted to be and the role in the practice I wanted to play did evolve. I learned in veterinary school how much I enjoyed the challenge of exotic animals medicine and surgery. I learned after several years of practicing that I needed more knowledge in this field to do the very best job possible, so I went back to school and did my internship in exotics. Throughout this time I was always working as an associate and so I had no control over what the other associates did and that was really starting to bother me. I never envisioned myself being able to take that leap of faith and be a practice owner, especially not in these tough times. However, the more I thought about it, the more important it became to me to be able to practice how I believed you should practice. That meant I had to make that leap, so I did. I am now the proud (and scared out of my mind) owner of Elgin Veterinary Hospital (www.elginvethospital.com) right outside of Columbia, SC (my hometown). It has been so wonderful to be able to hand-pick the best staff in the world and have us all work as a team. This isn't my clinic - it is our clinic. I don't make decisions - we make decisions. We are not just co-workers, we are family and we have fun together every single day. We strive every day to foster that environment at the clinic. We want everyone that walks in the door to feel peaceful and loved. We want them to know that they are a part of our family and their pets are too. This means that we are going to treat every single person and pet as if they were our own. I also finally have control over the quality of medicine practiced - I am in a single doctor practice so it is me offering that quality care. I never have to worry about how an associate might treat a client, handle a scared patient, not offer the best treatment options, etc. I know that I put 110% into everything and that my goal is always to give the pet the best possible care. That also leads into prices, which before I had no control over, so I had to see animals go without care because they couldn't afford to do anything after paying the office exam, etc. I didn't get into this field to get rich, I did it to give a voice to the animals that have no voice, and make sure they are enjoying a good, healthy quality of life. My prices are most likely the lowest you will find around so it does make things tight when the cash flow isn't as high as you need it to be, but we will make adjustments as needed. However, our goal is to be sure that our prices are reasonable enough that everyone with an animal is able to provide it care. If veterinarians raised their prices to where they should be (in line with your physician, since we have to have the same equipment, same drugs, same staff, and just as much student loan debt) no one would be able to care for their pets because they don't have that 80/20 insurance. Veterinary medicine is a great value period, but when it comes down to it I know that by lowering my prices when able I am providing more animals the chance to have the care they deserve. You can have your dream become a reality, just watch how it evolves with time and when the time is right, take that leap of faith. I will never regret that leap and I could not be happier.

Support

In life, we all need and want support from those around us. We expect support from those we love, but it doesn't always work out that way. The world needs all types of people, with all different view points, so it is bound to happen that in living your life you will encounter people that don't support you on your trek. I have learned that as much as it hurts to not be supported in your journey through life, especially by the people we love, it isn't you that is missing out. The non-supportive party is the one missing out on being a part of your life, being a part of your happiness, being a part of your journey. That is a burden they have to bear, not you. Live your life in such a way that you are as happy as possible, bring others around you happiness, and contribute to this great world we live in. All that matters is being able to look at yourself in the mirror and know that you are being the best person that you can be, that you are living up to your potential, that you are giving life 110%, and that you are following your heart and your dreams. In my life, I strive constantly to do this; hoping to make the world a better place and making sure to support those around me. I hope that one day people will judge less and support more because if they don't they are missing out on a great deal of joy.