Help Needed! Advice on starting my own eyewear brand.

[Ary]

Hello all. I have always wanted to start my own line of eyewear and recently I have decided to go ahead and pursue this passion of mine. With experience and formal education in accounting/business, I feel that I can make this work. I was introduce to this forum by a local optician in my area and thought this would be a perfect place to get some good quality advice.

Is there any experienced professionals who can share some insight on their own process of starting their own eyewear brand and what the first step would be?

I also was looking for some advice specifically on the designing and manufacturing process. I am looking for a way to take my sketched designs to the next level and to look more professional. I've heard CorelDraw and AutoCAD mentioned several times with the understanding that CorelDraw is better for beginners purposes. Can anyone help confirm this for me?

Additionally, I am looking for helpful links, articles, videos, and advice on the actual manufacturing process of eyeglass frames. I want to learn everything there is and fully develop a technical understanding of the manufacturing side. I am motivated and fully committed to making this passion of mine work.

All help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[beejay]

Hello Ary,

First things first, kindly do a market research before you step further. Im not discouraging you however a brand is not built overnight. Well in some cases you can depending on how committed the brand owner is. I leave the remaining for the gurus here to comment as there are many people here who have gone down this line and I am sending you a reply from another continent where the markets and business are different.
I was associated to a brand called Colani from Swiss and had this going for a while, but again this was a long time back and a completely different market.

If you need any help in manufacturing please get in touch with me. We have just set up a state of the art MIM plant in India and can manufacture micro metal components even in small volume. Its possible to work with any metal. Its possible to produce even minute and intricate designs.

Benny

[Ary]

Thanks for the help beejay. I am going to start with doing more homework on the market/industry and the key players and see where/if I could position my future brand.

[rbaker]

Welcome to the club. You will be joining about 15,000 other opticians who are dreaming of revolutionizing the eye care market with your high fashion designs while working at the optical shop at the local mall. As you do your homework in designing, manufacturing and marketing you may be somewhat amazed at the vast sums of money and extreme risk that this enterprise will entail, probably far beyond your financial means.

That being said, you might want to concentrate on seeking employment as a frame designer with an existing frame manufacturer. Simple put together a portfolio of your ideas and hit the bricks. I knew a young lady who did just that years ago and had a long rewarding career at Foster Grant in Leominster, MA. Of course, you might have to go to China or Europe as there aren't too many ophthalmic frames coming out of the good old USA these days.

[Uncle Fester]

I doubt those who have done it are going to reply and give you free advice on a public forum. That said I believe you can go to a show and see lines from china that you can private label then start climbing that mountain of competition you'll face!

Now if you can make some basic shaped zyl frames where the butt ends are mitered a millimeter or 2 longer so when the temples splay on lens insertion they fit heads smaller than a gorilla's word of mouth will sell your line like no tomorrow!!!

A silly post from years ago to have a chuckle over!!!

OptiBoard Professional Join DateAug 2008LocationIn the AmericaOccupationDispensing OpticianPosts104
How to Take Moneys in a Repression

Hello please. As many peoples know, America is now in what is called an economic repression, and many optical stores close and are replaced by Jamba Juice. I will now tell you how you can still take many moneys in a repression and be a great success like my boss Sergei. Please apologize to my poor english; I am Ukraine.

HOW TO TAKE MONEYS IN A REPRESSION
1) First thing is to save moneys on inventory. My boss Sergei, he call frame rep and say, "Please bring samples at ten in morning so I make a buy. Oh, and park in alley behind nearby deserted warehouse." Then, the man who wash our window, Shinbone, he wait in alley and take sample case. This method cost only five dollars for twenty or more frame. Very nice!
2) In repression, you must save moneys on equipment. Instead of screws, paperclip work very nice. Instead of nosepad, chewing gum offer even better fit. And no need for sand or air warmer when you already have microwave to cook cabbage and ramen noodle.
3) Many peoples now wish to save a moneys and re-use old lens or frame. Is okay. In our store, we offer your same lens re-inserted in same frame for $59.95.
4) Increase multiple pair sales. This is easy because every people with astigmatism is multiple pair sale. You sell one pair for each axis, very easy.
5) In hard times you must sometimes lay off peoples. My boss Sergei call this "firing." You must always fire your best employee, because they are underpaid and therefore wouldn't be working for you were it not for the fact that they are stealing from you on regular basis.
6) You must advertise big sale to save peoples moneys. Our ad say, "Two pairs complete eyeglasses for $99.00. *Plano lenses only. $30.00 per diopter high power fee may, and in fact will, apply. Children's frames only. Children's frames not eligible for this offer."
7) The doctor take most of your moneys. This is why you do not need doctor. In other post I tell how optician make a refract; read that and you will no more have a need on a doctor.
8) Insurance revenue is big factor in success of optical. We take many insurance moneys by burning down our store in Jersey. If you have only one store, staged robbery good way to increase insurance revenue.
9) Loss prevention. How you stop professional ring of shoplifters? Is easy; Sergei and I would not steal from our own store.
10) You can also take moneys by selling glasses online. Sergei and I, though--we're just not that sleazy.

Thank you for taking a read on my advices.

[Chris Ryser]

Go on Alibaba.com, ask for eyeglasses manufacturers and you will get over 1100 answers.

Choose some no brand frames, of which there are thousands available from Moscow to Shanghai via India.

Register a brand name nobody has so far, as for example
"William Tell" who is a dead Swiss since anno 1295 or some famous American Indian Name, that can not charge you any millions in fees.

Have the frames marked as registered and start selling. The opticians on OptiBoard are already waiting for your reps before they hit their town and will buy in big time under the condition that they can return them at any time in the future.

As the next step you can also contact the on-line opticals who will buy catchy name products in large quantities at a fraction of the price the opticians pay.

Six month of hard work and you will be able to buy your first Rolls Royce.