Need Advice on a New In-House Lab

**snowmonster** · 09-14-2007, 06:08 PM

Adam - I like this attitude much better.

We do work for 3 other offices already, looking to grow that in the near future. Our breakage rate is very low and we turn out excellent work. Would love to hear what you find out.

-Steve

**Johns** · 09-14-2007, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by snowmonster

Adam - I like this attitude much better.

We do work for 3 other offices already, looking to grow that in the near future. Our breakage rate is very low and we turn out excellent work. Would love to hear what you find out.

-Steve

:cheers:

**MarcE** · 09-14-2007, 06:48 PM

You know, Adam's got me thinking about a sign. I think it's a good idea, but I don't want to have to sell my edger. It makes me too much money. Oh well, I guess I can't get a sign.

Hey! Here's a better idea. I will sell the NCT to buy a sign. Seriously, that silly thing never made us a dime. But the dr wants to keep it for some reason

**Johns** · 09-15-2007, 09:38 PM

Originally Posted by MarcE

Hey! Here's a better idea. I will sell the NCT to buy a sign. Seriously, that silly thing never made us a dime. But the dr wants to keep it for some reason

They do add a little "suspense" to the exam!

**labguy** · 09-18-2007, 02:51 PM

What are you trying to do lower your costs, better service, then how much VSP do you do . You can't count those jobs because you have to send them to a lab. Take the cost of the edger, labor and everything else and use 50% to market your office and take the rest and put in a Roth IRA and you are ahead of the rest .

**optical24/7** · 09-18-2007, 04:16 PM

labguy, you gotta be Adam's brother from Cherry Optical...

**obxeyeguy** · 09-18-2007, 04:36 PM

labguy, you gotta be Adam's brother from Cherry Optical...

But he didn't advise buying a sign!!

**Cherry Optical** · 09-18-2007, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by obxeyeguy

But he didn't advise buying a sign!!

Exactly!

A sign is a great investment. I'm telling you folks...

Stand outside your practice... Walk back 100 yards, can you see it? 200 Yards. 300 Yards. 400 Yards? Do you even know it's there? Very important that passers bys see it without wanting to! The three fastest going clinics I have been to in the last 2 years all contribute there success to a new (in 2 of 3 eletronic) sign!

If I made it up, the numbers would be bigger!

Adam

**Jacqui** · 09-18-2007, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by labguy

What are you trying to do lower your costs, better service, then how much VSP do you do . You can't count those jobs because you have to send them to a lab. Take the cost of the edger, labor and everything else and use 50% to market your office and take the rest and put in a Roth IRA and you are ahead of the rest .

I think we've got a newbie with some brains. :drop:

:cheers:

**Johns** · 09-18-2007, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by Cherry Optical

Exactly!

A sign is a great investment. I'm telling you folks...

Adam

A good sign can be one of the best investments you can make, as well as a good location. I always tell folks starting out that if you pay more rent for a great location, allocate some of the rent expense to marketing, because that's really what it is.

Four of my offices are within 50 yards of intersections with traffic lights. Our signs are all as large as zoning allows, and we keep them lit day and night.
:cheers::cheers:

**Johns** · 09-18-2007, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by Jacqui

I think we've got a newbie with some brains.

:cheers:

I don't know about the brains, but I'd say we have a newbie with a lab!

(Either that or it's someone who sells investments.);)

**Cherry Optical** · 09-18-2007, 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by Johns

Four of my offices are within 50 yards of intersections with traffic lights. Our signs are all as large as zoning allows, and we keep them lit day and night.
:cheers::cheers:

Yet another great reason why I can't wait for to drink the beer you buy for me in Vegas. Great signs and a reported great edgering system.

Perhaps we should take a tour of the surfacing equipment at the show? Get an Optiboard Co-Op lab going.....

Adam

**Jacqui** · 09-18-2007, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by Cherry Optical

Perhaps we should take a tour of the surfacing equipment at the show? Get an Optiboard Co-Op lab going.....

Adam

You set it up and I'll run it :D:D:D

**HarryChiling** · 09-18-2007, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by Jacqui

You set it up and I'll run it :D:D:D

And I'll convince everyone to use their edgers as boat anchors, then we'll really be rolling in the dough. :D:D:D

**obxeyeguy** · 09-18-2007, 10:20 PM

What kind of stuff do they sell?

I say we let snowmonster set it up, run it, and maintain it, heck, he knows way more about it than I do. No offense Jacqui, its his thread.

**snowmonster** · 09-19-2007, 04:45 AM

I've always wanted to set up a VSP-approved lab, but it has to be outside of a 150 mile radius from any other current VSP lab. I figure northern Alaska is probably the best location at this point.

-Steve

**Jubilee** · 09-19-2007, 08:24 AM

150 miles?

That doesn't make sense in the fact that many are clustered together. Heck in the general Indianapolis area alone we have 3, possibly 4 within a 30 mile radius.

Ok.. take that back 2 of them list Indianapolis as their VSP location, but 2 list their locations in Ohio as their VSP lab.

I would think that since there is none in a 60 mile radius of your area, that a good arguement could be made.

One of these days I am going to set up an appointment and take a look at your place! Then maybe have you talk to my doc about INVESTING in his practice!

Cassandra

**snowmonster** · 09-19-2007, 08:52 AM

Yeah, I think they grandfathered any existing lab in at some point and then decided not to add to the list provided that mileage thing. Maybe it was 100 miles, but still, you're stuck with a fairly rural location once you start looking for a place to put one, like southeastern South Dakota or something like that.

-Steve

**Johns** · 09-19-2007, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by snowmonster

I've always wanted to set up a VSP-approved lab,
-Steve

So they can stick you on both sides? Wholesale as well as retail?:shiner:

(I'm guessing you were kidding anyway):cheers:

**snowmonster** · 09-19-2007, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by Johns

So they can stick you on both sides? Wholesale as well as retail?:shiner:

(I'm guessing you were kidding anyway):cheers:

Actually, I was serious. I know the VSP thing is a complete can of worms with a lot of people, and that's fine. I know we don't have to accept it here, but we do.

There's a lot of money in well-run labs though. It would be nice to tap into that whole area. And remember, offices that send you VSP jobs will also send you non-VSP jobs (if they've listened to Adam and/or Jacqui at all) which is of course more profitable. And if you run your lab right, you'll have other offices potentially sending you non-VSP jobs as well.

-Steve

**Johns** · 09-19-2007, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by snowmonster

Actually, I was serious. I know the VSP thing is a complete can of worms with a lot of people, and that's fine...

-Steve

Man Steve, you've got guts!

**optical24/7** · 09-19-2007, 12:31 PM

Great artical on purchasing an edger by Harry C. is in the latest Opticourier (Sept. 07'). I saw only one problem with it though.....

No mention of the vast savings of forgoing the edger and buying a sign..:D

**Cherry Optical** · 09-19-2007, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by optical24/7

No mention of the vast savings of forgoing the edger and buying a sign..:D

Spend money to save money. Not a winning proposition.

Spend money to create sales. A winning proposition.

Doing like JohnS and having great signs and then spending money to save money is a winning proposition. Once I heard JohnS had nice well lit (from dusk till dawn) signs I came to the realization that he really is the man.

Now, I just need to create a Co-Op plan that upgrades his signs to the point he becomes so busy he has to turn off or cover the signs with a sheet for fear of not having enough time in the day to run his edger. That's what I'm talking about! :D I would imagine such a utopia would be appreciated by JohnS as well.

Adam