Best city or province to open a new optometry office?

[optometrist2020]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to the board. Since I am a fairly young optometrist, I'm really glad I found this discussion forum. I'm learning a lot from everyone's experience.

I am planning on opening an optometry office with dispensary from scratch. I was wondering if anyone had some ideas of where's a good place to set up a new office. I am open to moving almost anywhere in Canada.

Thanks, in advance.

[For-Life]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to the board. Since I am a fairly young optometrist, I'm really glad I found this discussion forum. I'm learning a lot from everyone's experience.

I am planning on opening an optometry office with dispensary from scratch. I was wondering if anyone had some ideas of where's a good place to set up a new office. I am open to moving almost anywhere in Canada.

Thanks, in advance.

Think about many factors:
- regulations and future regulations
- size of the market
- amount of competition in a market
- quality of life and living
- do you have or plan to have children
- economic trends
- type of store

and many more.

If you are interested in buying a practice I can help you out there too.

[optometrist2020]

I am looking for an area that will do well with a new office opening, so definitely an area that has a need for an optometrist and room for growth. I would like it to be a place that I could also raise a family. I'm not very active in outdoor activities, but I do like nice scenery and good people.

I haven't thought much about buying a business. Is that a better idea than starting one up?

Thanks.

[Dave Nelson]

Outdoor activities? Why didn't you say so. Want to go skiing, hiking, and ocean sailing on the same day? throw in a golf game, climb massive snowy peaks and glaciers more than 10,000 feet high, Scuba dive in some of the most spectacular waters on the planet, go rock climbing, or catch a 10 foot sturgeon (catch and release) out of the Fraser river. Or bar-b-q fresh salmon, crab, oysters or cod you catch yourself in the Vancouver area. Hike the "grouse grind" right in Vancouver, or choose from thousands of hiking trails, rivers, lakes and more mountains than you can visit in a lifetime. Once the 2010 olympics come and go, the "secret" will be out.
Other areas of B.C have some of the finest trout fishing on the planet, deserts with cactus and sage brush where it get to 110 in the summer. Northern areas so vast and unexplored you could hike 500 miles without seeing a road or another person. Want outdoor activities in an urban setting with world class amenities? VANCOUVER. (just ask Snitgirl.:bbg: )

[Fezz]

I may not be the best judge, being from the states and all. I have always been fond of St. Catherines(& Font Hill), Ontario. My second spot would be in Quebec. I think the folks stuck out in the bush country need some real help. I am thinking Abitibi or Landrienne(sp) Quebec.

[Snitgirl]

Outdoor activities? Why didn't you say so. Want to go skiing, hiking, and ocean sailing on the same day? throw in a golf game, climb massive snowy peaks and glaciers more than 10,000 feet high, Scuba dive in some of the most spectacular waters on the planet, go rock climbing, or catch a 10 foot sturgeon (catch and release) out of the Fraser river. Or bar-b-q fresh salmon, crab, oysters or cod you catch yourself in the Vancouver area. Hike the "grouse grind" right in Vancouver, or choose from thousands of hiking trails, rivers, lakes and more mountains than you can visit in a lifetime. Once the 2010 olympics come and go, the "secret" will be out.
Other areas of B.C have some of the finest trout fishing on the planet, deserts with cactus and sage brush where it get to 110 in the summer. Northern areas so vast and unexplored you could hike 500 miles without seeing a road or another person. Want outdoor activities in an urban setting with world class amenities? VANCOUVER. (just ask Snitgirl.:bbg: )

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! Only thing missing, MEXICAN FOOOOOOOOOOD, lol.

[Jacqui]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! Only thing missing, MEXICAN FOOOOOOOOOOD, lol.

They don't have Mexican food?? That's totally uncivilised. :finger:

My vote would go to Winnepeg, at least they have Taco Bell.

[withwapp]

I have been in the optical business for 12 years. After running an optical business for so many years, I decided to go back to uni and did optometry. My verdict is i will NEVER bother opening an optical dispensary again. Toooo much stress.

I would instead do locum, make $800 to $1,000 per day, work 4 days a week, go home and chill, travel and enjoy life.

The best places to go in Canada to practice include Northern BC and Alberta. Forget about Ontario. Ontario is a joke!!

[NorthStar]

I have been in the optical business for 12 years. After running an optical business for so many years, I decided to go back to uni and did optometry. My verdict is i will NEVER bother opening an optical dispensary again. Toooo much stress.

I would instead do locum, make $800 to $1,000 per day, work 4 days a week, go home and chill, travel and enjoy life.

The best places to go in Canada to practice include Northern BC and Alberta. Forget about Ontario. Ontario is a joke!!

Looks like Samuel Babs or, his full real name, Samuel Babarinde, is back at it; this time posing as an optometrist.
He is from the UK graduated in IT from London Metropolitan and emigrated to Canada 2006 to establish online eyeglass retailer ***************** despite its illegality to this day in Ontario. Later he set up School Vision Care with a trailer in BC then Ontario to screen kids at schools and Westfield Optical. The optometrists involved were persecuted by the Ontario college for failing the standards of care and SVC and Westfield disappeared spring 2016. However, he remains active online with schemes to attract foreign investment in scholarships, water parks, flea market malls ect.
He will be familar with the IOBP program as SVC hired a few of them. (IOBP cancelled the shorter 8week bridging 1 and is now only the year long program.)
However, despite his claims Mr. Babs/Barbarinde is not a licensed optician or an optometrist. He is aggressive and threatens to sue everybody when he does not get his way. Beware.

For a background check: any student who graduated in one of the UK optometry schools would have had to register here as part of their training:
https://www.optical.org/en/utilities...-registers.cfm