Is "education" really the answer employers are looking for?

[Diane]

One of the things that is taught during a 2 year Associate Degree in Opticianry is a "Business Plan". Just one more reason why a formal education is a good thing.

Diane

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[chip anderson]

One could actually contact the fellow that makes Boston Lager for start-up capital. He runs add saying he has a foundation (fundation perhaps?) that does just this.

Chip

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[Judy Canty]

Using Luxottica as an example assumes that each brand is a separate entity, when in fact they all produce income for a single owner. They are more like the departments in a large retailer like a Macys or a Nordstrom. I simply don't see the future of an optical "commune".

[price]

See some of you are not getting the big picture. If you have an operations of opticians and expand as essilor and Luxottica. We can control the optical market pulling our resources. Cost of frame and lens goods to a more affordable price. The OD's have done this in a couple states. They had started there own lab to cut cost also buying power of frame vendors.

John if you would get a group like this it would give you better buying power. So if you had ten store you could'nt manage them all the same way. The chain stores have a problem with this even though they send their people to the company trainning, not everone is going to manage the store the same way. That is why if you had a group of opticians in a partnership of a business one day they could control their cost of goods. I have seen OD's do this many times it works. Why do you think there are so many buying groups most started by OD's.

[Java99]

That is why if you had a group of opticians in a partnership of a business one day they could control their cost of goods. I have seen OD's do this many times it works. Why do you think there are so many buying groups most started by OD's.

This is really not a smart a** comment, but the ODs do it so they don't have to deal with negotiating. Or they're poor negotiators. Or because it's easier and they really don't want to be in the retail end of the business, don't want to deal with the optical side.

I'm not saying this is a bad idea, I don't think that at all. But if you are a good negotiator and treat your vendors with the respect you expect in return, you can negotiate deals on your own that are as good or better than with a buying group.

I think pooling resources can be beneficial and I'd entertain the idea. I don't think it's imperative for an optician to be successful, though, and I think many opticians believe they just cannot do it on their own, selling themselves short.

[MakeOptics]

See some of you are not getting the big picture. If you have an operations of opticians and expand as essilor and Luxottica. We can control the optical market pulling our resources. Cost of frame and lens goods to a more affordable price. The OD's have done this in a couple states. They had started there own lab to cut cost also buying power of frame vendors.

John if you would get a group like this it would give you better buying power. So if you had ten store you could'nt manage them all the same way. The chain stores have a problem with this even though they send their people to the company trainning, not everone is going to manage the store the same way. That is why if you had a group of opticians in a partnership of a business one day they could control their cost of goods. I have seen OD's do this many times it works. Why do you think there are so many buying groups most started by OD's.

Everyone thinks they are the expert.

That is the reason why your idea won't work. Finding opticians who are willing to listen instead of constantly talk would be a tricky obstacle blocking this kind of idea. If one were to start a sort of buying group I would think a business incubator would be a very necessary and valuable product to offer as part and parcel with the concept. I would personally reach out to Essilor, Luxottica, and Eyemed. Before the flame war begins they have already saturated the market and the few here who think they are boycotting are not being anywhere near as effective as they believe. However if the large corporations have input into the business incubation part they can guage the possible success of the the corporations coming out of this group and offer their support more generously.

[Java99]

Everyone thinks they are the expert.

That is the reason why your idea won't work. Finding opticians who are willing to listen instead of constantly talk would be a tricky obstacle blocking this kind of idea. If one were to start a sort of buying group I would think a business incubator would be a very necessary and valuable product to offer as part and parcel with the concept. I would personally reach out to Essilor, Luxottica, and Eyemed. Before the flame war begins they have already saturated the market and the few here who think they are boycotting are not being anywhere near as effective as they believe. However if the large corporations have input into the business incubation part they can guage the possible success of the the corporations coming out of this group and offer their support more generously.

At what price? And at that point, why not open a Pearle franchise?

[Johns]

John if you would get a group like this it would give you better buying power. So if you had ten store you could'nt manage them all the same way.

Why on earth would I want to split my profits w/ dead weight? I own nine stores, and am more than happy with the buying power I have. When I go to VEE and VEW, I team up with my Texas friend, and we have the buying power of 19 stores, but we pay our own way without a middleman taking a cut.

Why do you think there are so many buying groups most started by OD's.

For many reasons: (And of course this does NOT include ALL ODs...)

1. Some OD's get tired of getting screwed by the vendors, so they figure out a way to screw each other.
2. Many ODs don't have a clue when it comes to buying lenses, frames, and other products, so they follow others to buying groups like they are following the Pied Piper.
3. They don't realize that everything's negotiable, and think that only a buying group can get them a good price (most are often paying just as much, or more to the buying group than if they worked a deal)
4. Many ODs don't hire professional opticians to manage their practices and make their purchases by trial and error. A buying group is like a security blanket to them.

[Johns]

Share of up start its very hard for an opticain to get a business loan. If you have a good rich family member or friend to help its just hard even to get an SBA loan.

I don't know of any opticians that ever even applied for an SBA loan, nor had a "good rich family".

This is not brain surgery, and the barrier to entry is actually very low, considering the potential for great profits. Cost of goods are lower now, than when I got into the business 25 years ago. It's easier and cheaper to open an optical than it is a decent landscaping business.

Of course, staying in business, and paying yourself are not easy, but that's why you don't just wake up one day and decide to open a business. You work for a few years, save enough to have money to live on for a few years, and give it a shot. If it doesn't work, you have an auction, take the $149 you get from that, and start over again.

The only reason I decided to go into business was so that I wouldn't have to answer to a boss, or even worse...a partner.

Groups of opticians "controlling" the market? Nobody is going to control the market. Not MDs, no ODs, and certainly not opticians. If there ever was an opportunity for that, it was way before our time, and it's not coming back.

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