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But even dreams can sometimes cause the blues, when that happens a little alone time in her car is the easiest remedy.
"I am ready to win next year!"
"Love, love, love to see individuals succeed and in process surprise others."
Simplicity, elegance and consistency project a ‘clean, boutique feel’.
They energized the neighborhood, won some new clients and put their stamp on the local fashion retail scene.
These enduring styles are fresh but timeless.
After all, you can’t sell what you don’t have.
Like there are no bad ideas, just ideas whose time has not yet come.
What is done consistently is far more important than what is done every now and then.
Your business needs to be ready to show its best self, no matter where it’s found.
Like accessing a strip mall location and how to handle a moving sale.
To give is better to receive, thankfully we’ve got some tasks that help you accomplish both.
Becasue there is always Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday to plan for too.
Their Alexander Daas frames have some very famous clientele.
Including avoiding cash flow crunches, sourcing event signage and keeping family members looking for freebies in check.
It’s a five-hour drive, and the buyer/optician is unreliable and underhanded. But the frames are selling …
It mixes the major draws of traditional media, like brand awareness and location-specific messaging, and optimizes them to get the best of both worlds.
Like the rampant bad habits of contact lens wearers and the importance of vision care in the workplace.
Including 'treating' patients with a fun event and seeing where they linger.
They did it their way and succeeded.
And when she needs to ‘un-wine-de' it’s loud music, fermented grapes, four feline friends and the support of her husband that gets it done.
And an opportunity to adorn your store with teddy bears galore.
We’ve got the whos and the whats … and now we’re craving chocolate.
See what it takes to become an Insta-worthy ECP.
Procrastinating on a project? Shoot for the minimum.
Thanks to these customizable CLs that bridge the gap between available soft contacts and more complicated specialty lenses.
It may be time for a team fit check.
It seems the demand for quality is at an all time high!
Bold and beautiful designs that put the wearer right in the thick of it.
One of the biggest challenges in business is keeping your eye on the ball when there are any number of shiny objects looking to distract you.
A Vision Expo is a veritable smorgasbord of new products, but few things elicit the excitement of viewing the latest eyeglass and sunglass collections.
A warm welcome, comfy ways to ward of the chill and touch of modern business practices cover all the bases this month.
Celebrate each little win, magic moment and possibility … they are the things that get us through the times that feel impossible.
Reasons include increasing employee morale, singling out the employee to make them feel special and brightening people’s day.
Dirty Harry has nothing on these ECPs.
The equipment that designs these lenses has become so sophisticated and lens materials are evolving to allow for greater customization. All practitioners would benefit from being...
Like how to renegotiate lease terms and having an event when you feel your store is just too small.
What rules can a business lay down for customers who try on all the frames fully intending to buy online without ultimately hurting their sales?
Many were the model of efficiency and got it done in fewer!
This optician wasn’t interested in bricks and mortar and she couldn’t stand to see clients choosing frames that didn’t match their clothes.
Sometimes the headache is just not worth the money … but she somehow didn’t get the message.
Sticking to just one color ensures a perfect match.
Hint: It has to do with those holes in your schedule.
Including the drastic cuts consumers are taking to tackling inflation and how investing in your healthcare plan could be the solution to your staffing issues.
And when it's time to relax a simple, undisturbed walk in nature with his dog can cure all ills.
Like maintaining a customer’s sense of urgency and really figuring out your blindspots.
Alexander Daas Eyewear and Opticians Del Mar, CA Owner Alex Feldman, a second-generation optician, spent his childhood learning optics. He became a licensed optician early on...
Construction delays, a global pandemic, major life changes can’t stop this team.
This Milwaukee optical started by launching a Pinterest board and began adding colors.
This optical shop plus art gallery also serves as a vibrant hub for OKC’s creative community.
Texas OD Matt Barber felt the city was underserved; now it enjoys top-class care and unique eyewear in a location that rivals any in the U.S.
Just a little bit, or a whole lot, each style strikes exactly the right chord.
Because when put into the correct perspective, can unleash your imagination and widen your horizons.
If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure than these lenses with customized optical zones are with their weight in gold.
Whether your patients are outdoorsy or indoorsy there is a steamy hot, hot latest release ready for them.
Overall things slowed down with a more scattered representation of brands.
From the non-existent to the wildly generous, these staff allowances run the gamut.
Plus it wouldn’t be an Eye Pro Gear without a fun eye-themed item thrown in!
"We all reinvent. Expand, grow or fade away. Nature of the business," says one reader.
These sorts of exchanges between staff and patients happen all the time in optical offices but you can avoid these foot-in-mouth scenarios and turn uncomfortable interactions...
It’s been 100 years and radio is still an important medium, plus giving all those ‘deer widows’ their own “hunting” event.
But also be sure to check staff’s PTO balances before the holiday crush.
It will not only set the tone for your business, but set you apart from your competitors.
They shrugged off the status quo and set out in bold new directions.
These branded office vehicles do more than just deliver; they’re mobile billboards.
He studied with master craftsmen in France and now creates eyewear with a distinctive Midwest American feel.
Don’t be too quick to discount newer social sites. Imagine if we had written off Facebook as a fad?
The latest telehealth/EHR integrations are ensuring seamless, convenient, care for all.
Including more aid in warding off evil spirts and some new OTC dry eye and lid products.
Can you go a whole day without lying… even little white lies? Here’s your chance to try.
The remaining have found commission structures that work for their teams.
Though stopping work and just chilling can be a challenge, she has a husband, two daughters and a renovated 1976 Trillium Trailer that make it easier.
They seemed innocuous at first but over time became more and more profound.
It’s a team effort, and no detail is left to chance.
Let’s just say there was a lot of spirit of “Aloha.”
Like the real effect the pandemic has had on patients seeking out eyecare.
Plus some sexy partnerships and collaborations.
Saturday availability is more important now than before due to the growth of both online refractions and ecommerce.
After all “Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer!”
With proper inventory management any eyecare business can cover the entire consumer pricing journey.
If they don’t stop sending mixed signals, their frustrated staff are going to walk!
Sun style or ophthalmic, these styles all have remarkable ways of keeping it all together.
And finding a new beacon of light to illuminate your own journey.
Like planning to regularly update your Google My Business page and taking a field trip.
Like getting an employee to stop using terms of endearment and how to suss out whether someone you’ve “clicked” with will really make a good employee.
"I always love reading about other people’s 'Funny Business'.”
It may be a century old, but its brand is sharp and modern.
It’s lost in a beard and never coming out!
Become a standout partner with your lab to make your lens ordering and dispensing so much easier.
You can have a successful and fulfilling career in the profession of optometry by applying these simple messages.
It’s the culmination of 40 years of business insight and fostering a dedicated staff.
A new sales philosophy could absolutely transform your optical business.
Including the power of a compliment and the reminder that this is all a test.
Pounding out that frustration via her bike, a good meal and a face mask has her ready to tackle the next day in no time.
Hyperlocal social networks keep you connected to the customers that really matter — your neighbors.
For the other 48% of you animals are a big nope.
It now affects one in three U.S. children and it is projected that half the world's population will be myopic by 2050.
"I am just so excited to see VEE back. I love NYC!"
Travel helps you become more generously-spirited and appreciative of your blessings.
Also what to look for when contemplating a mall lease … or any lease really.
Styles that nod toward the past and diagnostics that are all future.
Including knowing when to cut bait on a lost cause and a nifty little trick for checking a candidate's references that is completely above board.
School’s out: time to focus on Rx goggles, sunglasses … and back-to-school.
School nurses make great community partners and can be a fantastic funnel of kids into your practice.
It’s likely no coincidence that National Donut Day and Father’s Day happen in the same month.
Red, yellow and blue eyewear keep style the primary objective.
One of Detriot’s own gets an eyewear license and focusing on kids' eye health.
A half-dozen eyecare businesses talked INVISION through the demands and rewards of catering to tourists and other out-of-towners.
Put your own little stamp on frames, displays and wall decor, while patients can take their pressure and remove clutter at home.
How many of these do you use … or even know about?
An increase in luxury brands have made the list.
She was never called and where are his glasses? How would you handle this?
Including a day to celebrate and reward loyalty.
He got tired of just screening patients and sending them to a GP.
Like applying an immediacy filter to scheduling and rewarding staff name-checked in positive online reviews.
Does your business have a treatment protocol and plan in place for those on state or federal programs?
Here are 5 tips to help you make the most of it.
Along with retail’s continued growth and how Circadian rhythm disruptions affect aging eyes.
More options are available for optimizing the brain/vision connection for any patient suffering from a traumatic or acquired brain injury.
Follow these easy and inexpensive tips to create loyalty and teamwork.
If what you’re doing isn’t working, switch it up.
Look anywhere on social media and there are those that would have you believe any number of factors are killing independent eyecare. This is what your...
Many offer it only after employees have some time with the company.
We had trends so strong this month, the freshest made our new product round up.
Like what compromises to make when good sales help is slim pickings.
Because on the surface one is permanent and the other fleeting.
Shrinking our footprint never looked so stylish.
This valuable biz intel will help you target your marketing and tailor your services — and it’s already at your fingertips.
"That story about websites was enlightening."
Is your reception area making the right impression?
Humor boost mood, morale, team performance AND your bottom line, here’s how to get more of it in your business.
Unable to keep on her mask during a pandemic and vaping in the office was a bridge too far.
Ray-Ban led the way.
When durability is what you’re after, these Atomic 22 frames deliver.
Including stylish readers built into a smartphone case and a frames case your customers will want to actually use.
And when she needs a break from the hustle she’s got a healthy rowing machine addiction, comfy pants and date with some Angry Birds to blow...
Opening this stunning corner optical allowed her to express her creativity.
Grin and bear it? Go over him? Or replace him and his line altogether?
The best of spring’s new offerings all in one place, plus where you can find them.
Because even The Fresh Prince knows grooves can become ruts.
Like knocking the dust off, kicking your recall into high gear, and planning your warm weather events.
It rarely works well and there is a better alternative.
And we’re sharing their creative and somewhat fantastical ideas with you!
These optical styles keep it light, but they are anything but light on style.
But if things go awry Chicago’s cultural melting pot of food and entertainment provides endless possibilities to unwind.
For the rest of you, its more like a “Sorta” and a “Would love to, but …”
We’ve rounded up the best-in-class CRMs and patient communication platforms to make it easy and seamless for your business.
"Change is not death ... it is a part of life."
Just treating dry eye doesn’t make you a specialist, so this Virginia practice decided to go above and beyond.
The metaverse is a natural evolution of how we have developed technologically.
Black Optical’s Oklahoma City location leans into its team members to keep it ahead of the pack.
Successful disruptors don’t change the rules, they exploit the weaknesses and defenses of the competition. The same weaknesses and defenses the competition created in the first...
Like advice on how to get something … anything … done on Fridays and freshening up your exterior for spring.
Including eggs, taxes and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Including some fun temple charms for add-on sales and battling the foe that is fog.
Without mistakes how do you ever learn?
From subtle to bold and everything in between.
After the holiday hustle, it seems customers played it conservative the first month of the new year.
Sow seeds for backup pair sales and be a better manager by not managing.
Offload these unnecessary tasks and devote more time to your customers and planning.
Because branding your practice has now become an essential component of a successful social media marketing strategy.
It wasn’t anywhere near a parking spot.
This Tennessee practice came up with a warm, inviting look and keeps it consistent.
Demonstrating the connection between cognition and vision to measure patients’ processing ability has delivered a serious return on investment.
But many of are intrigued by the idea…
They’ve expanded in Indianapolis without losing sight of their community spirit and strong belief in nurturing staff.
Pleasant surprises all around as independent brands reign supreme.
Including the ongoing increase in Glaucoma and why some suffers choose to forgo treatment.
Like preparing for March Madness, giving a little TLC to your VIPs and implementing a complaints policy.
Get your KPIs and ambiance right while wearing a sweet ‘unique’ tee.
Like did you know there was a Doctor’s Day? Well you will now.
After all a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.
In fact, these steps will help you will build whatever it is you want to build.
Plus Walmart saved $20 million by making one small change, what small change could you make to save big bucks?
With Covid surging again, what is everyone doing now regarding masks and frame sanitizing?
And her bad habits are spreading. How should staff involved in billing handle the situation?
Make sure you’re covering these basics and then consider a robust e-commerce presence could be the secret to success in 2022.
But the real story is these new products details.
As dry eye becomes more common, addressing it with these products and treatments allows ECPs to build a dry eye treatment specialty within their practice.
It’s an age old question … and no surprise many of you vacillate back and forth.
If you’re not using data to make decisions, you’re using emotions, and that’s bad business.
It’s a red alert! These rosy hued frames are really turning up the heat.
These versatile retail tools can boost business, community engagement and social media traffic—and start conversations.
Like the legalities of claiming you sell at “wholesale” prices and what exactly constitutes spamming?
We asked INVISION readers what they do differently when catering to older patients.
A practicing doctor, his “other” business helps support independent ECPs. And when he’s not working hard, he’s playing hard.
But clock-watching employees and insurance plans best watch out for his alter-ego: Eye Dr. Doom!
While a small minority have more open book policies.
Staying on top of what works and what doesn’t so you can drive bigger sales in the new year.
Including a new COPE-Approved Myopia course and how the U.S. ranks worldwide in healthtech advancement.
The pandemic taught us we can live on less, even thrive on less. We share the ideas and thoughts gleaned from ECPs, industry consultants, business best...
Make way for high-tech lenses, cutting-edge construction and smart-tech on a broad range of frames.
Including giving seniors their due and focusing on the heart.
Like a reminder about the all-important follow-up and scoping out your competition.
It’s not a novel idea anymore. It’s just commerce.
Owner and optician Valerie Afriat first learned to love fashion at her parents’ Montreal clothing factory in Montreal.
Like how to sniff out info on business you may want to acquire and when and how to greet customers.
Once they were satisfied with the basic elements, they went to town branding all kinds of merch.
We all have something we’d like to accomplish, January 1 is just as good a date as any to start.
"I get ideas from anyone and everyone."
Sales were a little slower and all over the place.
They offer an exam, own-brand frame and fitting in half an hour for less than $150.
We’ve added in a touch of quick lens change action and biobased plastic just for fun.
She’s the applicant the owner’s been dreaming of — he couldn’t just let her slip away!
For Better or Worse, January has become about goal setting for the year ahead.
We are not professional athletes, but we are eyecare professionals, and together we can get to second base.
If you want nothing to change in 2022, then stop reading and have a nice year.
Too bad about the temper.
From smartphone apps to VR headsets to subscription-based models, doctor-reviewed visual assessments from home are booming.
Successful business owners are always looking for good people.
Sometimes its just semantics and sometimes a clearer way of phrasing things can cause less embarrassment.
But fashion may be … Every time you hear the word “selling” replace it in your head with “styling” and see your multiple pair sales flourish.
Our Brain Squad shares the 'hows' and 'whens' of their rejuvenation strategies.
Large or small, one thing seems certain kindness is contagious.
Must be the season of warm tones and frames that are just begging to be touched.
When you know, you grow.
Like the perils of asking family for investment money and what you can and cannot do when it comes to letting go of an employee with...
It’s getting hot in heeere!
Never before have marketers and business owners been able to understand their marketing efforts and make calculated, data-driven business decisions.
Here’s our 2021 Holiday Gift Guide curated by OpticianNow!
Like Shamir goes racing and Zeiss gets glasses.
After all, a great new year starts with a great New Year’s Day.
Don’t forget your delivery people this holiday season and an accent wall as part of your seasonal merchandising? You betcha!
Like waiting on that first cup of morning coffee and building a little gratitude into a simple act we’re all doing more of anyway.
51. In what state is your store or practice? COMMENT: The 2021 Big Survey attracted responses from ECPs in 39 states and Canada. California contributed the...
Salaries By Region Salaries By State (States with 10 or more responses) Salaries By Market Type
46. Give us your ‘elevator pitch’ for people unfamiliar with your business or profession. Along with a few helpful reminders that striking up conversations with strangers...
41. What is your exit strategy? 42. What’s the current state of your retirement/pension plan? It’s badly underfunded 19% It needs a modest boost 24% On...
32. How old are you? 20-29 3% 30-39 23% 40-49 30% 50-59 25% 60-70 16% Above 70 3% 33. What are the most overrated things about...
21. Do you offer … Private label 33% Medicaid/value brands 49% Color contact lenses 68% Low vision aids 18% Dry eye treatment services 55% Nutraceuticals 27%...
The number of Americans suffering from diabetes-related blindness is expected to nearly double by 2050 but we have the means to help stop this silent killer...
Would you confront them, call the cops or play it safe?
9 optical and sun styles that offer square pegs, round holes and everything in-between.
But the end result is an important and useful tool for ECPs that didn't actually kill me.
It’s a pretty wide spread of brands with no runaway winner.
"Love the Hot Sellers area..."
Now they’ve got the therapeutic tools they need — and they have a heck of a lot of fun!
The other 56% prefer a myriad of other more organic and sometimes creative approaches.
10. What service, line or category has been your “hero” over the last 18 months? As the diversity in the selected responses below shows, ECPs leaned...
1. On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is “very pessimistic” and 5 is “very optimistic,” how would you rate the outlook for the...
Luckily, it's nothing some favorite movies, spicy ramen and a little disk golf can’t make right.
It is likely many of your prospective patients understand the importance of correcting and protecting their eyes — but they think they can’t afford it. You...
It’s a multi-billion-dollar industry that’s ‘starving for designers.’
Clear up fall fashion with see-through elements and fun flair.
When you run unto clients out and about there is always something about their glasses to look at.
Less is more for these optical styles for all sensibilities.
"It also provides a ton of inspiration for our business."
Cider Monday? Sign us up!
The remaining 47% of you live and die by them and quite frankly wouldn't shut up about all the good they do.
Bags, cups, trays, cases and big mouthed bulldogs, what every you need to contain with eyesore flair we got it.
It all comes down to something known as the 'familiarity principle.'
They offer independent frames, state-of-the-art optometry and a strong community ethos.
And of course, be sure to check out the newest gorgeous frames this season.
Like when was the last time you turned off your phone? Guarantee you’re overdue.
Including inventory, spiff research and a simple holiday social media idea.
We spoke to five eyecare business owners asking them to tell us about their experiences as a one-person-band and why they decided to give fiercely independent...
Whether it’s retiring, handing off, selling up or otherwise moving on, when the time comes to say good-bye to the eyecare business, you’ll need a plan....
Including why you should keep investing in employee training even if it feels like they keep leaving.
MDs, ODs, physical and occupational therapists, rehab facilities, athletes and more send patients their way.
OVVO seems to be the month’s sleeper hit.
What are the implications for the team and for future hiring?
Click on through to read their answers and catch the bug.
As better technology and application development become more sophisticated, these devices are no longer a future fantasy.
Work these bullets in to your business model and expect growth far more rapid than average.
Honestly, the fact that they even ask is crazy.
Yes, this is an Editor’s Note about being anxious about being anxious.
Does your practice have ANY bells or whistles?
Like an Italian mega-influencers new eyewear line and good news for retail sales.
Even when there always seems to be one. more. thing. to. do!
He does the designs himself and keeps it ‘simple, classy and to the point’.
Regardless of your customer’s budget, popular designs can be theirs.
The other 38% are fierce supporters of what they deem a more livable wage.
Gogosha Optique’s discerning clientele get a guided tour of expertly curated, and often exclusive, handcrafted frames.
Plus a FREE social media posting calendar that does all the hard work for you.
Like the perfect time to pounce on customers to increase your chance of a sale.
Reaching consumers has never been easier, but it’s also never been harder to get their attention.
Like improving your photography skills and getting on top of your taxes early.
Including Halloween, Audrey Hepburn and zombie Contact Lens Warnings.
From full on pops of color to just a splash of flourescent the future’s so bright.
You’re just not using it effectively.
Including a troubling trend of parents opting out of eye exams for their kids.
If you’re not regularly goal-setting the business of your business you can’t forecast your growth.
Engagement, connection and online sales will keep your brand as an eyewear and eye health biz top of mind.
The old standbys seem to have been the safe bet.
Cutting edge materials, better moisture retention and increased comfort mean the market could reach more than $3 billion this year.
But between starting it and finishing it, things once again took a turn.
