Author Topic: Laboratory services-a little market research (Read 2759 times)

lord flynn · « **on:** October 06, 2015, 10:44:46 am »

Hi everyone

Rosemary kindly agreed to let me do a little MR on here. If you have the time I would appreciate people doing this survey for a business idea I have. It's 10 questions, mostly multiple choice. Any feedback on the survey itself (or ideas for questions!) would be much appreciated. Most of the routine testing of samples refers to parasitology which I will make more clear in the next edit.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LQ2KWF7

Bionic · « **Reply #1 on:** October 06, 2015, 11:20:58 am »

I tried to do the survey but hit a couple of problems

Q2 how often do you send samples direct to a lab? - I never send direct to a lab so would have to use option 1 which is 0-5 times a year. I think this would be misleading.
There should be an option for never.

Q8, I am not sure what the numbers are that I am selecting

Q10 When choosing a lab etc.... I have never chosen a lab and it doesn't give that option

TheGirlsMum · « **Reply #2 on:** October 06, 2015, 11:24:35 am »

TheGirlsMum · « **Reply #3 on:** October 06, 2015, 11:26:37 am »

As Bionic says for q. 1 and 2 you really need to have a seperate option for never use.

lord flynn · « **Reply #4 on:** October 06, 2015, 11:49:24 am »

good points thanks, am in the process of editing now but it's not very fast

Daisys Mum · « **Reply #5 on:** October 06, 2015, 02:59:35 pm »

Done

lord flynn · « **Reply #6 on:** October 06, 2015, 06:48:10 pm »

Thanks everyone who's taken the survey so far, some useful information coming in. This is very much in the planning stages and I need to work out what's feasible.

fiestyredhead331 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 11, 2015, 09:11:32 pm »

done but seeing as I have only 1 within 100 miles its a bit of a mute point unless I can send in samples myself etc

lord flynn · « **Reply #8 on:** October 13, 2015, 08:00:48 pm »

fiestyredhead might be worth us having a word at some point but am very much in the planning right now

thanks all. If anyone who answered the survey with respect to goats and wouldn't mind PMing to help me learn more about them, I would really appreciate it!

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #9 on:** October 14, 2015, 01:13:56 am »

I started the survey but aborted.

As a longstanding commercial farm with hundreds of sheep and 30+ breeding cattle, and a very good and communicative vet, we would be unlikely to use FECs unless we had a problem that wasn't succumbing to medication on vet's advice.

We also get lab reports on lambs sent deadweight, which is a valuable resource to us, provided by the buyer/slaughterer. We've had early indication of summer fluke and of unusually high lungworm burden this way. (Neither of which condition would have showed up on a routine FEC, by the way.)

lord flynn · « **Reply #10 on:** October 14, 2015, 10:04:51 am »

thanks for the feedback SiN. The bulk of the business would be via vets, I will be carrying out testing for local vet practices and parasitology is only part of that. I am aware of the limitations of FWEC in some species and applications but it will be part of what I do.

The survey was to see if there was any need/scope for a direct service in addition to that, I am not looking to start a solely postal FEC company and I had expected most samples in that regard to be from horses.

I will add that I am not just someone untrained who's wanting to have a go with a microscope ( in case anyone was wondering!) , I have 15 years postdoctoral experience in parasitology and several in bacteriology and an awful lot of clinical sample testing under my belt. I am taking the RQP training right now as well. I am not however, a livestock keeper and its invaluable to get feedback from those who are. I have been in discussions with local practices as well who are very keen to increase testing turnaround times by having a local lab and to save them from doing some of the work themselves