I am writing this testimonial on behalf of Dr. Mark Crootof and Dr. Robert Spiegel, co-owners of Crootof Veterinary Consultants. My husband and I initially hired both Dr. Mark and Dr. Robert in 10/2016 to help me build my Veterinary business, Happy Pets Veterinary Hospital, Inc., located in Central NJ.  Dr. Mark helped me secure a loan, finance a building, run demographics, find a contractor, help with the design, and, most importantly, save money on many things along the way and avoid costly rookie mistakes. Dr. Robert helped me with the day to day operations of the business, acquire practice software, hiring staff, management, pricing, and finances.

I have been open for 2.5 years and thankfully have been hugely successful. We've built a multi-doctor practice and looking to add my third doctor already. My success is a direct result of both Dr. Mark and Dr. Robertʼs guidance. Dr. Mark has always gone above and beyond his job duties in making sure he is still there for me, not
only professionally but personally. Dr. Mark is not only a shrewd businessman but also one of the most generous individuals I have ever worked with. Dr. Robert is a hugely successful small animal practice owner. Dr. Robert made the transition into veterinary practice a straightforward one. Three months after opening, he
spent several days training my staff to become a very well-oiled machine. The operational training he provided significantly contributed to the efficiency and overall success of my practice. 

Personally, I am incredibly grateful for all the hard work that both Dr. Mark and Dr. Robert put forth to ensure that my business, Happy Pets Veterinary Hospital, Inc., and I succeeded. I would not hesitate to re-hire Crootof Veterinary Consultants for all my future endeavors.  I would also strongly recommend them to anyone else
who is looking to open their own private Veterinary practice. Dr. Mark and Dr. Robert are an asset to the Veterinary profession; they know the Veterinary Industry, are both successful businessmen, and the information they provide is indispensable; they want all their clients to succeed and provide a consulting service that helps you get there.  

Thank you.

I passed the old abandoned bank building every week on my way to the supermarket. If it ever went on the market, I knew it would be a great location for my dream hospital. I had no idea if it made sense financially. This is where Mark stepped in. It was a chilly spring day when I met Mark at Philadelphia Airport. He was wearing shorts and a floral printed shirt. That’s who Mark is. He’s like an old friend: a soft spoken voice of wisdom and reassurance.

Veterinary school did little to prepare me for the roller coaster ride ahead of me. Zoning litigation, financing, construction (retrofitting a 100 year old bank into a veterinary hospital), new hospital operations and beyond. Mark was with me every step of the way. His help has been invaluable and I can honestly

 say that Bridgeport Veterinary Hospital would not exist without his testimony at the zoning hearing: the zoning officials actually confirmed this. He is still the first person I call when I encounter a new challenge. 

When we decided to open our own business, we had no idea what it all entailed. There were so many details that we never even thought about! We were excited, enthusiastic, optimistic, fearful, nervous, and anxious all at the same time. Thankfully, we came across Dr. Mark Crootof and Dr. Bob Spiegel at Crootof Consulting. Drs. Mark and Bob provided us with the necessary information, tools, and resources to open our small animal hospital. We couldn’t have done it without their expertise, advice, or without them helping us with every step along the way.Both Drs. Mark and Bob are honest, reliable, informative, practical, and very easy to work with. They helped reassure any doubt or fear that we had. With customer service lacking in almost every business nowadays, we were astounded at their availability to answer questions (and we had a lot!) any day and any time.They were, and still are, committed to our success as business owners and we will no doubt work with them on our next step, whether it is expanding our current business or opening a new hospital. We feel lucky to have formed friendships with them from our experience and would recommend Crootof Consulting to anyone and everyone who chooses to partake in this type of adventure!!!

Starting my own practice was a scary yet necessary decision. I am a single mother with 4 young children and I knew it was the only way I could have the freedom and flexibility I needed. I felt so unprepared once I began the process and immediately overwhelmed! I cannot emphasize enough the relief that Bob Spiegel brought to me with his easy style, intelligent, common sense and invaluable advice. I feel as if he was sent to me by an angel that knew I needed him desperately to hold my hand and guide me through the process.

Looking back, I do not know how I could have opened my business and saved the money I have without Bob's experience and advice. Who could have known how much money you can save going paperless? internet phones? eFax...you name it! Bob had all the answers I needed to open an instantly successful and profitable veterinary practice. It has been only three years and I will be expanding soon. I am so grateful that Bob and I keep in touch often...I will need his expertise and guidance for the rest of my career I am sure.

I highly recommend to any fellow veterinarian - reduce your stress and ask for help, increase your profits and enjoy your career, take more time for yourself and call Bob.

In March 2013 I first met Dr Mark Crootof and Dr Robert Spiegel at the Western Veterinary Conference. I had purchased a building to remodel into a veterinary clinic. Being frugal ( or crazy) I thought I would be my own architect ( how hard could it be? ). Flipping through the WVC catalog I saw that Dr Crootof was presenting a lecture entitled “Design Mistakes To Avoid” and that one talk was worth the whole registration fee.

Their advice has been priceless. I have found that even if it was sometimes a difficult pill to swallow, all the changes that they recommended have made us a much healthier practice , structurally and financially. They have laid the groundwork for us to grow and thrive, and I know that they will still help and mentor me in the years to come. They also trained my staff and manager, improving our efficiency, and guiding us through technological upgrades to our daily work procedures.

Since they are both veterinarians, and have walked in my shoes, the depth of their understanding of me, and my business seemed almost clairvoyant at times. I have the highest respect for both Mark and Bob, and hiring them has been the best business decision I ever made. Thank you Mark and Bob for all that you have done for me, all that you have taught me, and all of your support.

I started my veterinary practice from scratch in 2006. Dr. Crootof was instrumental in guiding me through the gauntlet of getting everything in place, from location to business loan to inventory. Couldn't have done it without Crootof Consulting!

Mark was instrumental in the success of our hospital. He helped us go from a start up with one doctor to a three and a half doctor practice in less than 5 years. He helped us find the perfect location, walked us through the initial lending and purchasing process, and then streamlined our training and hiring to lead to a smooth opening day. We would not have been able to create our ideal clinic environment without Mark's help. We strongly recommend using a veterinary consultant like Mark for any start up hospital.

Mark Crootof and I worked together as consultant and builder, respectively, on the Uptown Vets project. Mark was remarkably knowledgeable in all phases of planning and building. On his site visits, he never failed to have great suggestions and ideas and was more than essential in realizing the vision the two owners had for their hospital. Mark was a pleasure to work with and I would love to be involved in another project with him in the future.

We found Mark Crootof through our lender. He came very highly recommended. Even though we are a small clinic (just one doctor, one receptionist and one technician), Mark was always available for us. He came to New Hampshire and gave us the confidence to start a practice. He is always very honest, giving positive and negative points on everything which allows us to make the decisions. Mark designed our clinic which has turned out to be perfect for our needs. He helped Simon with the equipment choices and he helped me with all of the management issues. As long as you ask the questions, he'll have the answers or he'll do his best to get you the answers. It has been a pleasure working with Mark and everybody at Crootof Consulting. We thank them for getting us started on our road to success.

The process of starting a new veterinary practice is complicated and can be very intimidating to someone without a business background. Mark has helped me and supported me every step of the way. He is very good at breaking down a seemingly overwhelming task into a series of logical and manageable steps. Mark has guided me in the process of obtaining a business loan, choosing a location, selecting staff members, finalizing a floor plan, advertising, selection of equipment and practice management software. He has worked nights, weekends, and holidays to help me accomplish my goals. On several occasions he has flown from New York to California in order to lend his personal attention to matters he deemed too important to handle over the phone or e-mail. In short, he has been an integral and invaluable part of establishing my own veterinary practice. Without his experience and support I'm not sure I would have been able to get this project off the ground.