do i have to stock up all type of lens

[roger5945]

Hi, everyone, i am think to open an optical store. I know i have to stock frames, but do i have to stock lens too? Will lab have ready to go lens that i can order from them?

many thanks

[Fezz]

What does your accountant say?

Has your lawyer suggested the implications of becoming a "manufacturer" with you?

[For-Life]

No

Actually, you do not have to put one stock lens in your office. We had our own lab. We edged everything. Less than 10 jobs a year we had to use a stock lens. Most of ours we ordered and received overnight.

I also want you to keep something in mind, the strong majority of time that we used stock lenses were for out of town customers. I live in an area where the city is 100,000 people and nothing around for 8 hours. We have a lot of places 6 hours up North where people come in for the day and leave. So those were the jobs we used them for.

[Jacqui]

Is this guy an optician or something else?? He sounds like he has no experience of any kind.

[roger5945]

do you have any good lab you can recommend? i located in Las Vegas

[CME4SPECS]

OK DUDE! It's time to get real here! OK? You need to do lots more homework before you even think about an optical store. Save your money and give it a few years before you even consider opening an optical. If you don't, you are going to lose your shirt! Is that clear?

[Ginster]

If Your really serious here and have the capital, then I say go for it.

1. If you have no optical experience yourself make sure you spend real money and hire a really good Perfessional Optician if you don't, you will loose your shirt.

2. You do not have to have a finishnig lab. If you really want one than you can just order in uncuts from any lab.Exp; Hoya, Eagle, Just make sure your really good and well paid opticain can cut lenses and has good lens knowledge. Later when things get rolling, Hire a separate person to run your lab. Or hire another really good Perfessional Optician with lab experience.

If this is your dream, to have an Optical shop and you have done your home work, than I say go for it and best of luck to you. Just don't sell your self short by hiring unknowledgable people, Hire Professionals and pay them what they are worth. and you will be successful.

Best of luck, Ginny;)

[Jana Lewis]

Hi, everyone, i am think to open an optical store. I know i have to stock frames, but do i have to stock lens too? Will lab have ready to go lens that i can order from them?

many thanks

Are you planning on having a finish lab in your store?

If the answer is yes, then yeah... I'd say stock lenses.

[roger5945]

Hi, everybody, thanks a lot.

Yes, i do not have much experience, but i have the dream and some capital.

Talking about capital, can anyone tell me how much capital i might need to open up a medium size store? Please breakdown the cost if possible.

I will buy everyone here a beer once the store is opened. :cheers:

[Fezz]

I will buy everyone here a beer once the store is opened. :cheers:

Be careful! Some of us take that very serious. Heck, some may even hold you to it and haunt you until you finally break down and pay up!!!!

Keep researching. You are nowhere near ready for this venture. Have you looked into other businesses? I think the potential for return on investment would be better anywhere else but in optical!

Good luck!

:cheers::cheers::cheers:

[roger5945]

Thanks, but i think i will keep my words if the store is finally opened up with your guys help.

I was told the profit margin in the optical business is pretty decent, who takes all the profit from the store owner? What you think will be the main reason for a store not having good ROI?

[gemstone]

HMMM......In a previous thread you were a wholesaler. Are you jerking us around?

[roger5945]

I am not joking around. I never said i am a wholesaler, however like i stated in the previous post, my family operates a frame and lens factory in China. I was looking for partners to work with in the retail part of business, and i am still looking for partners.

Here is my plan, i want to open up a store myself or with a partner to use as a flagship model. The store will use frames and lens directly from the factory at very low cost. The customers will be offered either one hour service at a higher cost(cut onsite) or one weeks service at much lower cost(cut in China). I believe in this way, the store can give customers a bargain and still make decent profit.

If the model works fine and the store is very profitable, i will then partner up with more stores to copy this model and grow as a franchise.

So, i am very serious about opening up a retails store, and not joking around. And i do need your guys inputs in term of cost breakdown for a medium size store and what kind of problem i might face to get this model work.

And i am very serious about buying beers for everyone here too. :cheers:
Cheers!

[optical24/7]

Your biggest challenge will be getting Rx's in your door. Without a Dr, you better have a great location with a lot of foot traffic.

Your biggest costs are going to be location (see above) and a licensed optician. If I'm not mistaken, N.V. is a licensure state. You should consider opening in a non-licensed state where even you can call yourself an optician. ( plus, Vegas rent has got to be killer!)

[Jana Lewis]

Here is my plan, i want to open up a store myself or with a partner to use as a flagship model. The store will use frames and lens directly from the factory at very low cost. The customers will be offered either one hour service at a higher cost(cut onsite) or one weeks service at much lower cost(cut in China). I believe in this way, the store can give customers a bargain and still make decent profit.

Uhhh.. then yes...you would need to stock lenses. How else do ya think you can provide one hour service? :idea:

[Chris Ryser]

....................... however like i stated in the previous post, my family operates a frame and lens factory in China.

The customers will be offered either one hour service at a higher cost(cut onsite) or one weeks service at much lower cost(cut in China).

................................. i will then partner up with more stores to copy this model and grow as a franchise.

Very interesting.......................by having family in the optical manufacturing, you can actually purchase all the supplies there.

From frames to lenses and machinery for the lab at much lower prices that you would pay here. So get all the stock in lenses you can and then just order the specials from local labs.

[roger5945]

I agree with you, I think my strength is the frame and lens, not retail experience or technical experience. In that case, do you think it might be a better idea to open a lab instead of a retail store?

We can probably stock frames and lens in the lab, and offer store owners:

1. free display samples of frame and lens
2. No frame and lens inventory for the store owner.
3. Store owners can offer customers 2 days service at higher price(will be still a bargain) or 7-10 day service at much lower price.
4. Once the store owner receive the order, they send it to us electronically, and we can fill the order either in our lab or in China lab depends on the service type.

That way we can:
1. expand the business faster
2. store owners will benefit from lower price, faster service and no invetory.

Just bounce the idea with everyone here, please tell me what the difficulies might be under this scenario.

Many thanks for your inputs.

Your biggest challenge will be getting Rx's in your door. Without a Dr, you better have a great location with a lot of foot traffic.

Your biggest costs are going to be location (see above) and a licensed optician. If I'm not mistaken, N.V. is a licensure state. You should consider opening in a non-licensed state where even you can call yourself an optician. ( plus, Vegas rent has got to be killer!)