o.d. to o.d.

Repeat the Refrain: Optical, Optical, Optical

This month our experts discuss how to improve a very important part of our business.

BY SCOT MORRIS, O.D., F.A.A.O. Chief Optometric Editor

A few years ago I heard the saying, “The best way to provide vision care is to prescribe the proper vision wear.” That motto has stuck in my head ever since. For many of us, the retail side of our business may be responsible for 60% or more of our revenue. This makes understanding our optical business pretty darn important.

A focus on optical and eyewear

At Optometric Management, we wanted to focus on the optical and eyewear. We want to give you some “how to” ideas on ways to improve every part of your optical. Our authors share many of the experiences and concepts that they have learned and employ in their practices to help you improve this very important part of our business.

For example, Dr. Ben Gaddie discusses proper pricing strategies. Our marketing team covers how to spruce up your displays and more effectively merchandise your optical. Even if you are uncomfortable initiating the conversation about products in your office, Dr. Colby’s column could help you change your outlook on how you talk to your consumers about eyewear. We cover anti-glare, sunwear, premium progressive lenses and the new measuring device technology that makes precision prescribing and manufacturing possible.

We also look at the optical from a financial perspective and have sections on optical discounts and expenses. Truly, we are covering more about “how to” improve your optical than any other optometric magazine covers in a single year. And it’s all in one place.

That’s not all though. As we enter allergy season, we also include articles on “how to” create an allergy niche in your practice and the effects of allergies on your contact lens patients. Also, please check out our series “Specialty Eye Care,” as Dr. Lynn Hellerstein discusses “how to” create a vision therapy practice.

Timely allergy advice

As you may have noticed through the last two months, we have started making lots of changes to help you, our readers, get more out of OM. The new social section, “OD Scene,” has been a tremendous addition, according to your feedback. (This month’s section features Drs. Ed Bennett, Louise Sclafani and Dave Hansen.) Starting this month, our “Personal Health Wealth” columns explain how to calculate your personal balance sheet. We kick off the series with a discussion of how to determine your assets. Please tune in every month as we discuss how you can measure, build and maintain your personal wealth.

Restating our mission

We are the “how to” magazine for optometrists that provides tips and tools on “how to” build and direct a better business. If you have ideas or changes you want to see in OM, e-mail me so we can share your ideas, and help everybody build a better business. OM