OWA Names 2021 Honorees
Gai Gherardi and Deborah Myres
The Optical Women’s Association (OWA) has announced its 2021 award honorees. Gai Gherardi, co-founder and co-designer of l.a.Eyeworks, will receive the Pleiades Award to recognize her exceptional action in advancing the leadership role of women in the optical industry. Deborah Myres, owner of Visual Inspirations, will receive the Pyxis Award to honor her participation in the organization and contributions to its continuing growth. The timing and venue for the presentation of the awards will be announced later this year. opticalwomen.com
Survey Confirms Value of Metrics
Sunbit did a survey of 1,015 ECPs on patient checkout options. Unsurprisingly, cost is the most common reason patients opt out of eyewear or treatments with more than half of respondents saying “patients feel that the eyewear or recommended treatments are too expensive.” This aligns with Sunbit’s annual survey of patients conducted in February that found more than 65% spent an average of $100 or more in out-of-pocket expenses, up 4% from 2020. Additionally, with competition from online growing, more than half of ECPs feel metrics related to revenue like capture rate, average transaction, gross-revenue-per-exam, and sales by employee, are the most critical indicators of success. optical.sunbit.com/captureratesmatter
Small Businesses Still in Trouble
According to Alignable’s March State of Small Business Report, small business (SMB) optimism is on the rise due to President Biden’s PPP changes and the May timeline for widespread vaccine distribution. Vaccine availability should help 28% more SMBs recover, according to their poll of 8,026 small businesses. However, the report shows that 78% of all SMBs are still experiencing negative financial effects, and 58% are feeling a significant impact. Additional stats: 58% are collecting less than half of their pre-COVID sales; 41% say they have one month or less of cash on hand; 49% couldn’t pay their March rent. These stats are worse for minority and women-owned businesses. More on Alignable’s site. invisionmag.com/042102