The issue of practice size can be answered with one simple question

Over the past few months I have been privy to a lot of conversations about the future of optometry and the eye care industry. The discussion usually comes down to the size of an organization and what advantages and disadvantages this size brings. (Not where you thought I was going with the title, but I did get you to read this far, didn’t I?)

This conversation starts with “How big is your practice?” Then, “How many employees do you have?” and “What’s your gross revenue?” (What they are really asking: How many headaches do you have, and how much are you compensated for those?) I just smile because they reflect a general misunderstanding of what a great business really is.

Whether you are in one office with two employees, opening a 10th location or selling to one of the many VC entities encircling the industry, the question of size comes down to one simple question: What makes you happy? Before we get in to that, let’s look at some common misconceptions.

SIZABLE MISCONCEPTIONS

I have heard that small organizations are quick and can make fast changes to adapt to an ever-changing market and consumers’ needs. There are less politics, less bureaucracy and a positive culture. With a well-thought- out plan, a quick meeting and a little training, a small office can change its entire service or product delivery model. I have seen lots of small practices that are, or should be, the example of how eye care should be done.

Small also comes with disadvantages. Small businesses generally have less buying power, many more decisions to make by fewer individuals and typically a larger workload. OK, but let’s be honest, I have seen lots of small businesses that have no plan, horrible service, poor management, no leadership and no vision, and that is why they “stay small.”

I have also heard that practices with multiple locations, a large staff and more buying influence have larger HR headaches and move slowly because changing the minds of many is more difficult than changing a few.

That said, I have seen lots of large groups work flawlessly, have impeccable culture, amazing service and truly be a model for what “big” should look like. And on a personal note, for many, being in a larger organization means less responsibility, more time to focus on what you like to do, and a general sense of camaraderie of being part of something bigger.

WHAT REALLY MATTERS

In the end, size doesn’t matter, but a positive culture, impeccable service and general professional happiness do. Size depends largely on just a few simple things: Is the consumer happy? Do they come back? Do they refer friends? These three answers are largely dependent not on company size but on the quality of the leadership, the level of service and the happiness of the team.

Which brings me back to one of my original tenets: Stop worrying about size, and start focusing on the HQ: happiness quotient. If you are happy, everything else just falls in place. OM