Isle of Wight based veterinary surgeon Dan Forster has had his mobile practice named as the best Business to Consumer Start-up at the inaugural Ready for Business Awards 2013.

Dan launched The Mobile Vet in June 2013, since when he has treated patients from across the Isle of Wight and allowed members of the community who may have been unable to take their pets to the vets for years due to illness or age-related conditions access care for their animals. He says his service has also reactivated many dormant patients who had not visited a vet for many years and had fallen behind with vaccinations, plus those who had decided not to visit because their pets were too nervous or aggressive. Apparently, the service has also gone down well with busy families and households with multiple pets. 

The judging panel included David Hitchcock of Barclays, Amanda Hurford from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Titus Sharpe, chief executive of MVF Global and winner of the Sunday Times Tech Track 2013. They selected The Mobile Vet as the winner due to its innovative approach whilst still offering all the traditional veterinary services its customers require. The judges were also impressed by its potential for growth, not just in the South East, but possibly throughout the UK and its drive to continually invest in the latest equipment and create additional job opportunities.

Dan said: "We are truly delighted to have our achievements recognised with such a prestigious accolade so soon after launching The Mobile Vet. The help we received to get started and the on-going support available to us has made it possible to develop our idea into a thriving business operation and we now look forward to pushing ahead with our plans for the future."

Kevin Horne, chairman of the Cavendish Consortium added: "In what was a highly competitive category, The Mobile Vet stood out as offering a very difference proposition to its customers and demonstrated a clear understanding of the needs of its clients. We were impressed by the drive and determination shown by Dan and his colleagues to make what is an extremely novel idea a business reality and wish them, and all the other worthy finalists, well as they strive forward."

PS: Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vets.