OUR AMERICA’S FINEST Optical Retailers winners reveal issue is always one of my favorites of the year. I know many of you feel the same.
Not only because it’s the culmination of six months of hard work, but I love that we put the winner on the cover — a real person, a colleague, working hard to create an exceptional eyecare business — and also that amongst the winners and honorable mentions there are so many amazing stories to be discovered. Like an optician-owned optical that worked out the formula for putting prescriptions into a curved sports lens without the usual distortion, a legacy practice taken over by two optometry school friends who’ve grown it to five locations, and a few women-owned businesses who saw entrepreneurship as a way to have the freedom and creativity they craved. Not to mention the extraordinary tales of our top three winners, all of which are disproving the belief that independent eyecare is a losing game. You can begin reading some of these amazing stories starting on page 32, and we’ll continue to share them in each issue until next June. Please join me in congratulating this year’s crop of outstanding eyecare businesses.
If you’re looking for some tips on how to one day maybe see your business amongst the ranks of America’s Finest, then check out Mark Hinton’s column on page 64. He was one of this year’s judges and not only shares his insights on his judging experience but ideas on how all practices could improve their ECP Excellence.
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If you’re looking to take your business even further, then you may want to consider attending EyeInnovate in October. It will be a two-day marketing and growth intensive with a slew of forward-thinking speakers and subject matter experts, as well as some of the most highly-motivated ECPs in the country. You can learn more about the event in the spread on page 52 or by visiting invisionmag.com/eyeinnovate.
I would like to think every issue of INVISION highlights optical businesses at the top of their game but this one really gives a lot of bang for your buck.
Best wishes for your business,
Five Smart Tips From This Issue
- Eyecare dates are thick on the ground in August. Plan your social media posts now. (Calendar, page 16)
- The Made in America moment is growing. See the newest frame brands made from sea to shining sea. (Eyeglasses, page 20)
- Ever heard the sentiment that if it’s not a “Hell yeah!” it’s a “Hell no!”? That works in business too. (Tip Sheet, page 56)
- Join the club … Clubhouse that is. Dr. Sandi Eveleth can tell you how … and why. (Best of the Best, page 58)
- Thought LinkedIn was just for job hunting? Well, you’re wrong. It might be your greatest untapped marketing opportunity. (Columns, page 61)
