8 On a day when many Americans will be thinking about the country’s future as outlined by this year’s candidates, a visit to their local eyecare professional is unlikely to be at the top of their to-do list. Still, let your customers know you’re open on ELECTION DAY, let your staff know you encourage their participation in the election during work hours, and let yourself know, that come tomorrow, business will bounce back. Life goes on.
1 About one in 10 adult Americans has diabetes and that number is expected to double by 2050. That the disease has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. is well known. Less well known is that it is also the leading cause of blindness in working-age Americans. Thus the importance of DIABETIC EYE DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH. Whether it’s through your social media channels, an offer to do free examinations, or by volunteering to talk to local media outlets, let your community know about the risks to diabetic patients’ eyesight and how vital it is to get early testing for diabetic retinopathy.
6 While you were fast asleep, we magically gained an extra hour thanks to the END OF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME. Popular thinking suggests you should fall back into bed and enjoy those extra 60 minutes of sleep. We think you should jump up and knock off a niggling project. A feeling of accomplishment is the best way to start the day.
16 When the American Cancer Society promotes its GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT it generally cites the threats from cancer and heart disease, as well as highlighting smoking’s ability to accelerate ageing and even cause erectile dysfunction. Occasionally, vision loss sneaks into the top 10 list of threats. This year urge your customers to join the event with a pledge to stop smoking for one day. Age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and dry eye won’t kill you but they are more excellent reasons to give up smoking.
24 Ever feel like someone forgot to invite your store to the Black Friday festivities? Well this is your day: SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY, which is held to remind consumers that there is more to holiday shopping than big boxes and national chains. Most of the campaign is orchestrated through social media. Get involved. (There’s a bunch of free tools at smallbusinesssaturday.com to help.)
29 By Shop.org’s own admission, CYBER MONDAY started out as a bit of whimsy. But the date, designed to attract returning Thanksgiving Day vacationers looking to get a start on their holiday shopping, has grown into a serious retailing event. The NRF’s BIG research group estimates more than 150 million Americans will turn to the web this year in search of specials. Be sure to have at least one Cyber Monday special highlighted on your homepage.
30 More than once a month we get an email along the lines of “My email has been hacked, please ignore messages from me …” On COMPUTER SECURITY DAY, review your passwords. Use an eight-digit mix of numbers, cases, letters and symbols and don’t use the same combination of email address and password for business addresses as you use for social sites — so many people do.
More November Holidays/Events
nov. 4 Loving your job is no protection from stress. On National Stress Awareness Day develop a routine to help you reduce the tension in your life.
nov. 11 Veterans Day. You probably offer a year- round discount for veterans (ahem), today is the perfect day to remind patients and thank them for their service.
nov. 15 The great thing about recycling drives, such as America Recycles Day, is they mentally liberate you to get rid of stuff. Declutter today.
nov. 24 It’s been proven: Gratitude is the key to happiness. On Thanksgiving Day be thankful for that turkey, your great kids, your staff, advancements in eyecare… It’s easy once you start.
nov. 25 Black Friday, the traditional beginning of the Christmas shopping season is here. What untraditional thing will you do?
BUSINESS ANNIVERSARY
Medford Optical
Medford, MA
“I was only 22 years old when I took over the store,” says Dr. Dana Cohen of Medford Optical. “I am honored to have a 40th anniversary coming up. That’s a long time to be in business! It’s pretty amazing.” Medford Optical is a full-service optical shop with a specialty in pediatric eyewear, which accounts for about 80 percent of its business. So it’s no surprise Medford will celebrate its anniversary by having an open house and offering a 50 percent discount on all children’s frames.