Hire the best….Future optometrists

Right now we have two staff members who have decided to make optometry their life profession and are applying to optometry school. These future ODs are excited, and their excitement is contagious to the rest of the staff, even the sometimes complacent and burned out OD who has been practicing for years. When you employ […]

What the experts don’t say about Managed Vision Care Plans

As a practicing OD who sees patients 3.5 days a week and manages a large multi-location practice with one other owner, I find my primary job is making decisions. As owners, my partner and I have the responsibility to make key decisions that will impact the health of the practice immediately and for years to […]

What should a CEO know about contact lenses and UPP?

The buzz acronym these days is UPP. With the Unilateral Pricing Policy, businesses must charge a minimum price for a product. This UPP was introduced for the newest and most innovative brands of contact lens, so eye care professionals could take the time to educate, fit, and prescribe these breakthrough lenses for their patients without […]

Don’t sweat a negative online review

I’ve attended numerous meetings about managing an optometry office’s online presence. The big question is always, “What should I do with a negative review?” A negative review is exactly what it is–negative. What’s nice about mathematics is that a negative and a positive cancel each other out. When you have a strategic online marketing plan […]

Rules of engagement: Hiring employees from other optometry practices

Understood rules of engagement among competing optometry practices lay the groundwork for professionalism and ethical business practices. For our purposes, I define competitors as any company within a 50-mile radius that practices optometry, opticianary, or ophthalmology and requires staffing with the same job skills. When a person applies at your office, it’s important to know […]

How to reward staff based on team performance

  Employers and employees most always disagree on compensation. Optometrist owners feel they are paying fairly–or even generously–to keep staff members happy and motivated. The optometry staff members believe they are working harder than ever, and deserve to be paid for extra effort. A bonus system that rewards increased team production can alleviate this tension. […]