Secrets

Where's the connection here with vets?

Well last night i interviewed Derry Green, founder of The Secret Garden Glamping empire, Now Derry started this whole venture with the help of James Weston from Northwest Referrals.

 Derry started out with a small transport business and helping fix all the broken things in James practice. Now he's running four glamping sites and is often seen on TV or at business awards. I mean Derry can be found on Dragons Den, Celebrity Hunted and.... Naked attraction. 

So yes this podcast is going to raise eyebrows but if your looking for inspiration within the business world then this is the one, coming soon  - Thanks for having me Derry, got home after midnight as we chatted a lot! - 

So next a quick check of our podcast stats, sorry. 

Not a vet website visits 11557

Blog post readers 8136

Countries reached 14

Active listeners monthly 1003

Thanks to everyone for listening, again it means a lot.

This nicely brings me onto our next subject — and one that's very close to our hearts.

As many of you regular listeners already know, our other big "passion project" is Compare the Vet 247 — the UK's truly independent veterinary comparison website.

Click here to take a look.

The interest it's generating is genuinely exciting.

Here are the latest numbers:

LinkedIn group members: 80

Active reach in the last 30 days (same LinkedIn page): 4,096

Website visits in the last 30 days: 5,722

Visitor breakdown by profession:

Founders / Practice Owners – 58%

Vets – 32%

Nurses – 7%

Other – 3%

That level of interest from right across the industry and pet owners is brilliant to see. Yet actual sign-ups and profile claims ( free ) from practices remain modest so far. That's interesting — especially because the whole project was built on 25 years in the sector, direct input from veterinary professionals, industry leaders, and official governing bodies. Animal welfare and ethical practice have always come first; we're very clear that cost is never the only factor — experience, care standards and trust matter just as much.

You can read our core principles and "moral code" right here on the site (we're completely independent, pet-owner built, and we never take referral fees or sell data that makes us unique).

We're not waiting for official endorsements before moving forward. At the end of the day, we're pet owners and animal lovers first — and we know this platform is needed. (Wonder how this post will age…?)

With the CMA's market investigation into veterinary services for household pets heading toward its final report and recommendations, we believe the timing is perfect. Greater transparency and fair comparisons are exactly what the industry — and pet owners — have been calling for. When that lands, Compare the Vet 247 will be ready to help practices showcase their true value and help owners make informed choices.

If you run a practice (or know someone who does), claiming your free profile takes just a couple of minutes and lets you update your own prices and details. No cost, no catch — just accurate information for the pet owners who matter.

We'd love your support, your feedback, and your profiles on the site. The more practices that join, the better and more useful the tool becomes for everyone.

Just to mention also that if this thing ever turns into a business then were are committed to giving back a percentage to a pet owner voted animal welfare charity - because animals first!

Thanks for taking the time to read this

 And as always, for your continued support of the Not a Vet podcast

Mark, Ben, Ellie and Neil