Help!! Open an optical lab

[eddiex]

Hi All

i am planning to invest open an optical lab in California, i am not an optician, no related certificated. But i will hire licensed optician who can work in the lab.

Please advise the process/steps or qualification or what license i should apply? include lab/warehouse qualification?zoning? I went to city hall, they don't know any thing regarding my questions, only said to me is that you can apply license here for your business. but as i know it should be related to health department or FDA something?

anyone who has experience about the process of opening an optical lab, please help me out, thank you

(have budget covered, will to edging lenses, small lab with 2-3 edging machine, not industry line)

[Lab Insight]

Hi All

i am planning to invest open an optical lab in California, i am not an optician, no related certificated. But i will hire licensed optician who can work in the lab.

Please advise the process/steps or qualification or what license i should apply? include lab/warehouse qualification?zoning? I went to city hall, they don't know any thing regarding my questions, only said to me is that you can apply license here for your business. but as i know it should be related to health department or FDA something?

anyone who has experience about the process of opening an optical lab, please help me out, thank you

(have budget covered, will to edging lenses, small lab with 2-3 edging machine, not industry line)

Invest in a business in which you know very well, not one you do not. Labs are being acquired, then closed consistently these days. If anything, do optical retail and hire an optician to run it for you. Less capital investment and much higher profit margins.

[optical24/7]

In all seriousness, you'll make more opening a pizzeria or ice cream shop than a finish lab. If you're dead serious about getting into optical do as insight suggests, open a retail location, hire out an experienced manager.

[PartTimer]

In all seriousness, you'll make more opening a pizzeria or ice cream shop than a finish lab. If you're dead serious about getting into optical do as insight suggests, open a retail location, hire out an experienced manager.

I heard awhile back pizzerias have some of the highest margins of any business. I'd trade a health inspector for an MVC auditor any day.

[eddiex]

thanks guys, we have good background of this business in other country, just don't know what's the regulation or permit requires in US. Please share what you know that will be very appreciated. T

[Speed]

Don't do it. Invest in something else.

[HomeBrew]

Seriously. Don't do it.
But, if you decide to anyway.......
Register your business name, get a business license (check with your state for exact procedures), buy all your equipment, and go at it.
That's what I did.
Now, 4 years later, I'm shutting down and going retail.
Again.....don't do it. Or at least take another really hard look at your business plan.

[other_bill_fea]

You only need to involve the FDA if you're importing.

The zoning would be whatever your local government requires for industrial zoning, assuming you're just manufacturing.

California is probably one of the highest labor rates you can find....do you have a network of stores you're supporting, or an already established customer base?

I'd suggest that, if you really want, you contact some wholesale labs (whether it me or someone else) and see if you can get something in place to source your surfaced lenses from them. That's a lot easier to cost-justify close to two million dollars for equipment, buildings, and people.