From e-books to courses to podcasts, there are several ways veterinary professionals can start earning a second income online.

Veterinary professionals, like everybody else, can benefit from diversity in their income streams. You may love your job and feel you make a good enough income from it — but why not diversify a little? An online business on the side is a great way to earn a second income in ways that align perfectly with what you’re already doing. The key is to think creatively and commercially!

There are all sorts of ways veterinarians can earn money online. Before we get into them, let’s address what you may be thinking: “I’m not computer savvy — and I don’t have a massive budget!” That was me when I started. But in the last eight years, online software has advanced so much. You don’t need to be especially computer savvy to make a success of an online business. Nor do you need a huge budget — the main cost is time.

Everything you need you already have at your disposal. All you require are a smart phone, a laptop and an internet connection. Great software options are available that allow you to run your whole business with one, easy-to-use piece of software. And you can start for free and upgrade as you start earning money.

E-books, online courses, podcasts, membership-only groups and affiliations with companies and products are all ways to build a business that does not require your constant presence and effort. So where do you start? By finding a problem you can solve.

5 STARTER IDEAS

1. Write and publish an e-book and sell it online

This is where I would start. The reason is that the barrier to entry is really low. It’s easy to put out an e-book. I’ve even created a course that gives you step-by-step instructions on how to do this. I also have Canva templates, so if you don’t want to design the book yourself, or pay a designer to do it, you can quickly and stylishly create a beautiful e-book that looks professional. Templates save you time and money in the long run.

What I love about creating an e-book is that you have an audience to sell to straight away — your current clients.

You can also sell your e-book on your social media platforms, thus reaching a whole new audience that follows you but are not currently clients. Selling e-books on social media platforms is a win–win. The current algorithms used on most social media mean you only ever reach 3% to 5% of your audience with any one post. In fact, I often have my doubts whether the time we invest on social media is worthwhile anymore. Well, selling an e-book on social media makes it worthwhile. The price point for an e-book can be from USD $3 to $50, depending on the value you offer in the book.

You won’t be able to stop practising after one e-book, but it’s a great start to building your audience and getting an additional income. You could put this towards your student loans, or towards that house deposit, or maybe you want to buy a piece of equipment and are saving up for it. The proceeds from your e-book would make a great start to achieving that goal.

2. Create and sell an online course

We help clients get from point A to point B. But there are usually a few stops on the way from A to B. Your clients will need to embark on a bit of a journey to see any real change.

Let’s say you want to help a client strengthen their agility dog and improve their time by a few seconds. What would that path look like?

Your e-book content might take them to the first stop. By implementing what you teach them in the e-book, they will see some of the changes they’re looking for. Having experienced some success, they now want more, and want you to help them to the next stage. At this point, you sell them your online course.

The online course is a lot more thorough than the e-book, and could include PDFs, videos, downloads, tables, group and one-on-one training, mentorship, etc. A course is usually run over six to 12 weeks, and at the end of it, your client achieves their goal and sees the change they want to see. You have taken them to B.

The price point for an online course can be anywhere from USD $47 to $2,500, depending on the value you offer.

3. Create a membership group

Once your clients have achieved their change, they will want to maintain it, and possibly become part of a community that will help them maintain it. This is where you can add in a membership group.

What’s great about a membership group is that you get recurring revenue. You create additional content each month, and members pay you a monthly fee to access the new content plus the library of content from previous months. What you offer to members will depend on your niche and what their needs are. You might offer group calls, for example, or Q&A sessions. Whatever you offer, you will be there to support the members, and it is this sense of being supported — along with great content — that people will pay for. This is exactly how I set up @onlinepethealth.

4. Start a podcast

You could start a podcast as a stand-alone offering, or in combination with the three options above. I started my veterinary rehabilitation podcast in 2017. In 2022, it was voted the third best veterinary podcast in the world. I monetise it by charging sponsors for airtime.

What people are prepared to pay for sponsoring a podcast depends on your following, your niche and your audience. I get $800 a month in sponsorship fees and am booked nearly a year in advance.

Podcasting is the long game, though. You need to be consistent and publish a podcast every week for quite a while before you start reaping the benefits. I started mine not to make money but because I loved the subject and thought it would be fun. Even now, it’s the number one thing I do each day. I would do it even if it did not generate any income!

5. Become an affiliate

Sell products on your website or social media platforms that give you a commission on the sale. Dr Buzby’s ToeGrips® is a great example of a company that has an affiliate program. Look at products you recommend to your clients. Are there any companies where you regularly send clients that you could make a commission from? Many companies would be interested in such an arrangement — you’re boosting their sales, and it would be worth their while to keep you doing so.

JUST BEGIN

If you’re serious about making a second income, think about the above possibilities, select your niche skill and interest, and just get started! Selecting something you’re really interested in and will enjoy talking about is key. I have built my online business by just loving what I do, only endorsing products I believe in, and being motivated to get the message out.

Now, eight years later, I can honestly say I work the hours I want to. During school holidays, I take time off to do fun things with my kids. We can take a three-week holiday while my business continues to run. I earn more than I would as a vet and work about four to five hours a day, four days a week.

Overheads are really low, work times are flexible, and there is no ceiling for what you can earn. Plus you can do it from any place, at any time! Yes, it was hard work at first, but now I have my systems up and running, it’s pretty much peaches and cream — with a little maintenance work thrown in.

FIND A PROBLEM AND SOLVE IT

• The great thing about veterinary professionals is that we are, by nature and training, problem solvers. To be successful in the online world, begin by finding a problem and then solving it.
• Ours is also one of many professions that form part of the change industry, which, generally speaking, helps clients go from point A to point B. Lots of people are seeking information, practical skills or online support for animal-related queries. As veterinary professionals, we’re already doing this every day. So this part will be easy for you!
• Find a topic you’re passionate about and love teaching, then put this information into different packages and sell them online. The great thing is that most of the work happens at the beginning. Once you’ve established your systems, you only need to maintain your marketing to begin earning a passive income. It’s not 100% passive, but how much you put into it — and receive in return — is really up to you

If you’re interested in creating an online business, join the Veterinary Professionals Making Money Online community. If you have questions, you can also email me.