Dr. Jen

In November of 2008, right before the economy crashed, Jen decided it was time to open her own practice. “After working as an associate and being unhappy with the way it was being operated, I wanted to open my own business where I could create a family practice environment, so owners and pets could have better relationships,” stated Jen. Shortly thereafter, she was introduced to a Sr. Loan Officer, Travis York, who gave her the financing she needed to begin her practice.

Having never been a business owner before, Jen faced some new challenges.  “There were so many different ways to market my clinic, and I didn’t know how to make the best use of my marketing dollars.” She’d also never managed people, so having a staff was a learning experience. “I realized that not everyone has the same work ethic, and I had to eliminate those who didn’t elevate the work environment, which was extremely difficult.” Aside from the normal learning curve, within the first year of opening the business, Jen found out that she was expecting her first child.

Because she was facing all of those challenges, she contacted Travis and requested an increase in her loan amount, so she could keep things going. Live Oak provided her with additional money for operating expenses. “I greatly appreciated their flexibility and understanding; their ability to accommodate me financially and offer marketing advice helped minimize the stress I was facing.” Travis and Pullen Daniel, the Director of the Business Advisory Group, made some valuable suggestions in regards to her marketing techniques. They suggested that Jen enroll in social media courses to take advantage of free online marketing tools like facebook and Twitter. They helped her launch a website, where she actively maintains a blog. Also, she asked happy customers to take the time to write Google reviews, which drove up the search engine optimization for her website. Groupon deals seemed to drive a lot of new customers to the clinic as did a referral program. “My husband and I literally went door-to-door delivering flyers to get new customers in the clinic.”

“Jen embraced our advice to rev up her marketing strategies, which led to more volume and therefore more revenue was generated. We are proud of her success and couldn’t be happier to call her a member of the Live Oak Bank family,” commented Daniel.
“Live Oak Bank was there when I needed them. Travis and Pullen were accessible on their cell phones, and Chip Mahan, the Founder & CEO, even made a visit to my clinic. They offer a personal touch that you will not get with their competitors. They aren’t just about the money; they genuinely care about their customers,” expressed Jen.