The reasons

Most optometrists focus heavily on clinical excellence, but success in today’s competitive and rapidly changing marketplace requires innovative thinking in practice management and strategy. Practice owners are seeking new ways to increase revenues, but this requires stepping outside the traditional mindset and exploring new business models. Solo practitioners, in particular, may find themselves disconnected from innovative ideas unless they seek them out. Embracing creative, outside-the-box thinking allows ODs to discover ideas for differentiation and long-term growth.

I’ve always encouraged practice owners to adopt a team-based approach to business strategizing. While not every idea is a winner, a collaborative approach that invites your team’s input fosters creativity and innovation.

Action steps

To inspire outside-the-box thinking in your practice:

• Explore emerging trends. Stay informed on new technologies, cultural shifts, and market trends.

• Observe successful businesses. What strategies can you adopt from them?

• Collaborate. Engage with individuals who can offer different perspectives.

• Collect patient feedback. Leverage patient insights to uncover areas for improvement and innovation.

• Test and iterate. Create small-scale experiments to test your ideas. OM