Hello All,

I'm currently working for a large optical Lab in PA and have been for the past 8 years. Now I'm looking into starting my own optical lab in NW PA and I am looking for the Do's and Don'ts, pointers, opinions that the community may be open to giving me. I'll be starting off small (3 person operation) just processing SF uncut lenses only with an standard House AR coating. We will be offering digital lenses, PLY, Plastic, H67 in SV, Progressive and FT28/35.

I have spoken to dozens of providers and gotten their input on what they would like from an optical lab that they are not currently getting. even though they all have their own criteria that they would what improved some of the more common issue where customer service/satisfaction, quality, and turnaround time on jobs. Price did play a small part be most said that if I could meet their currant labs price they would try us out for a period of time.

I currently have 11 providers who would use my lab when we open and my business plan calls for 50 with an average 5-7 jobs being sent to my lab per provider each week (350 jobs per week). I am guaranteeing a 2 day turnaround time (lab in/ Lab out) based on when the job is received into our system and not accounting for shipping.

What I'm looking for is constructive advice from those who have been in my position and have done this before. What should my realistic starting capital requirements be? Cost of SF equipment? Would it be difficult for a starting lab to get approval from SHAMIR to carry their digital product? What are the industry average profit margins for SF uncut? is there anything that I am over looking? Am I better off not accepting insurance and just charging providers a fee?