OUR LATEST INSIGHTS

Up to date, high-level business information that is relevant to our clients and contacts, helping keep up to date on the ver-changing business world of today.

Ian Nairn / January 13, 2026

kwalters – Animal Rescue Savings

Rescue Expenses

More Care, Less Cost

A typical mid-sized rescue or shelter with an in-house clinic can easily spend $4,000+/month on waste services, payment processing, and medical gases.

Cutting overhead by a modest 15% redirects about $600/month from overhead into lifesaving care. If your average cost of care is around $900 per animal, then $7,200 in annual savings could fully fund care for 8 additional animals without increasing your budget.

Risk-Free for Your Shelter

If we can’t find savings, it means your team is already excellent stewards of donor funds.

You receive a clear, independent analysis to share with donors and boards, demonstrating that your organization is running with maximum efficiency and transparency.

No upfront cost. Our fee comes only from actual savings we secure.
You keep full control. You approve all changes; we simply provide analysis, recommendations, and implementation support.
Mission-aligned. Our work reduces overhead so you can invest more in the animals.

If we don’t find savings, you don’t pay.

Waste

How predictable is your waste every month?

Variability in your waste from month-to-month makes a big difference to certain service providers.

Is your container size and collection frequency optimized?

Finding a provider that is both cost effective and meets your needs can be challenging.

Are your waste disposal fees changing frequently over the course of the year?

A professional audit of your expenses can get to the bottom of it.

Merchant Services

Do you reference the "effective rate" to evaluate how competitive your processing fees are?

A blended pricing structure makes it more difficult to fully understand all the factors impacting your fees.

Do you know how your current processing environment impacts your processing fees?

How you process payments and capture data can have a big impact on your monthly fees.

Have you asked your processor to provide you an "interchange-plus pricing" quote?

This pricing structure is often the least expensive and most transparent option.

Compressed Gases

Do you think your compressed gases expenses are written in stone?

Commodity markets can be complex and confusing, making it difficult for business owners and managers to navigate.

Are you certain there are no billing errors in your invoices?

There are opportunities to optimize pricing structures and recover billing errors.

Are you receiving all tax benefits available to you?

Your business might be missing out on significant savings opportunities.

Why Partner with Us?

As North America's largest independent cost-reduction consultancy, we bring the expertise, analysis, and negotiating power. You keep:

Full control
All operational decisions
100% of the improved pricing
The savings and the impact

Our role is simple: reduce overhead without changing how you practice, so you can reinvest in what matters most — savings animals lives.

Ian Nairn / January 7, 2026

kwalters – Veterinary Savings

Monthly Overhead

What That Means for You

A typical small-animal practice can spend $12,000+ month across these categories.

Cutting overhead by a modest 15% puts about $1,800/month or $22,000/year back into your practice every month. Those savings are equivalent to roughly 150 wellness visits or 50 spay procedures.

Funds you can reinvest in:

Additional staff to combat burnout
State-of-the-art diagnostic equipment
Competitive compensation for your DVMs and Techs
More accessible wellness plans for your community

Case Study

The Client:

Signs a Service Agreement that covers our business terms
Provides us with bills, or online access to their accounts, so we can establish a baseline of their current rate structure
Signs a letter of agency, so we can negotiate with their current vendors
Describes their current processing environment

Schooley Mitchell:

Uses our benchmarking data to research options and negotiates better pricing for the client
Requests, reviews, and validates competitive quotes from other processors
Negotiates with the current vendor for a re-rate
Compiles our research and recommendations into a Value Report
Assists with the cancellation of services if needed
Assists with compliance standards
Implements pricing and changes
Confirms the new price 30 days after implementation

DOWNLOAD PDF

Part 1: Client Background

Client A is a single-location veterinary practice focusing on family pets. Client A engaged Schooley Mitchell to ensure they weren’t overpaying on their non-veterinary expenses, like payment processing.

Important Factors - Payment Processing:

Payment processing was a considerable expense for Client A.
They were on a tiered pricing structure with their incumbent payment provider.
They were not under an appropriate rate structure leaving room for savings.
They were spending $46,220.04 per year on payment processing fees.

Part 2: Savings Results

Schooley Mitchell negotiated with several payment processors, including Client A’s incumbent vendor, who was willing to provide a more competitively priced rate structure.

This resulted in an estimated reduction of $16,970.52 per year - or roughly 37%.

This was all achieved without any changes to Client A’s payment processing structure.

Across the term of our engagement, Client A is saving $50,911.56!

Part 3: Implementation & Post Audits

Schooley Mitchell provided a timeline for implementation, including accurate instructions for steps involving Client A’s vendors.

Schooley Mitchell verified implementation within one month, dependent on the necessary invoices presented.

The client received a detailed implementation report outlining a savings summary for the next three years.

Following implementation, Schooley Mitchell continued to monitor Client A’s invoices quarterly, to ensure the agreed upon rates were being honored, and ensure any billing errors were caught right away.

Why Partner with Us?

As North America's largest independent cost-reduction consultancy, we bring the expertise, analysis, and negotiating power. You keep:

Full control
All operational decisions
100% of the improved pricing
The savings and the impact

Our role is simple: reduce overhead without changing how you practice, so you can reinvest in what matters most — your patients, your team, and your long-term growth.