From Vision to Execution: How to Build a 1-Year, 3-Year, and 10-Year Plan for Your Practice

Building a thriving veterinary practice isn’t just about surviving month to month. It’s about having a clear vision for where you want to go, not just tomorrow or next month but over the next 1, 3, or 10 years along with a strategic roadmap for how to get there.

One of the most powerful exercises you can do as a practice owner is creating a 1-year, 3-year, and 10-year plan. These plans are a drill-down process and are tied to real numbers with key metrics, but they should also reflect your broader nonfinancial goals such as your quality of life, team culture, personal aspirations, and legacy.

Success happens when you balance both financial and nonfinancial goals in your long-term strategy.

Here’s how to create a vision-driven, number-supported plan that will keep you focused, motivated, and growing intentionally. Starting with the long-term we drill down to the current future plans.

I: Start with the 10-Year Vision

Your 10-year vision should answer big-picture questions like:

What do you want your practice to look like? (Size, services, reputation)
What role do you want to have? (Owner-operator, semi-retired, consultant?)
What kind of team culture do you envision?
How do you want your work-life balance to feel?
What financial goals do you have for your business and personal wealth?

Don’t worry about getting every detail perfect. Focus on direction, not precision.

Ii: Reverse Engineer the 3-Year Picture

Once you have the 10-year horizon, think about what must happen in the next three years to stay on track.

Consider:

Revenue and profitability milestones
Service expansions, facility improvements, equipment or technology upgrades
Leadership team development
Client growth targets
Team growth and retention strategies
Systems and process upgrades

Three-year goals should feel ambitious but realistic. They should allow you to stretch without overwhelming you.

III: Define Clear 1-Year Goals

Now focus on the next 12 months, on a monthly basis. What must you accomplish this year to move toward your 3-year targets, then break it down monthly?

Examples:

Hire an (or another) associate veterinarian
Increase XYZ services revenue by a certain %
Launch a wellness plan subscription model that is appropriately measured in your PIMS.
Improve client satisfaction scores by certain %
Reduce owner clinical hours by a certain number of hours per week

Financial goals: Tie your 1-year plan to specific metrics:

Gross revenue goals
EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) margin
Average client invoice targets
Active client growth or concentrate more on retention with modest growth

Nonfinancial goals: Please do not forget personal and cultural milestones:

Schedule two full weeks of uninterrupted vacation or start with long weekends, one full week and finally two uninterrupted weeks
Implement a staff wellness program
Complete leadership training for practice managers including certification

Keep in mind that to mix financial and nonfinancial goals intentionally since both matter equally.

IV: Build a Simple Execution Rhythm

Plans are useless without action. Create a repeatable execution system with your business advisor/tax strategist. As discussed in previous blogs, there is value in the monthly meetings with quarterly reviews of forecasts and taxes then annual evaluation and next year planning. Use scorecards or simple dashboards to monitor progress on both financial and non-financial metrics.

A suggestion is to assign ownership. Make it clear who (owner, manager, team leader) is responsible for each key objective.

V: Stay Flexible, But Stay Committed

Your 10-year vision will evolve as life happens, markets change, and personal goals shift. That’s okay, but the discipline of setting, pursuing, and refining long-term goals will keep your practice moving forward intentionally rather than drifting without focus or solely reacting to issues or problems. When challenges arise — and they will — your plan gives you a framework for decision-making rooted in your larger purpose.

Dream Big, Plan Smart

The veterinary practices that thrive over the long term aren’t just lucky. They’re led by owners who balance vision with execution, numbers with people, and ambition with self-care. By creating 1, 3 and 10-year plans that blend financial metrics with nonfinancial priorities, you’ll build a practice as well as a life that serves you.

Your future practice (and future self) will thank you as you dream boldly, plan wisely and execute consistently.