Greetings all! I have been doing a lot of background work on opening a new optical business. There are a few things I'm stuck on and could use some pointers from any opticians who have opened their own business.

Frame boards and fixtures. I am currently looking for the most cost-effective way to display frames. I'm open to traditional frame boards or modern frame boards. Is there any style of desk, counter, or cabinet you swear by? Any direction or examples would be awesome. I've worked in both private optical and retail. I'm just having kind of a mental block on how I want to layout my space and display my selections.

Insurances. I've worked with and billed most of the vision insurances out there. As a business owner, which insurance companies have proved to be the most worthwhile and which ones do you wish you never signed up with?

Equipment. I very much do not have the budget for new equipment. What companies do you recommend for refurbished equipment or just used equipment sales? If I had known I was going to go this route, I would have worked something out with the doctor I used to work for to buy his equipment when he retired.

Thank you in advance for any help and direction provided!