This young Optician’s name is Heather Allen of Family Optical in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. She has a wonderful web site www.familyopticalfuquay.com, and I encourage any of you who think that opening an independent optical shop these days is not possible to take a look. She is not only surviving, but thriving. I am pleased to add her to the Competitive Advantage discussion. 

Heather’s responses to our questions are as follows:

Provide the reader with a bit of your personal background, including your education, training and professional history.

I was born on Guam and lived in many places including Italy and Germany. My father was in the Navy so we moved around outside the U.S. until I was about 2 years old. At that time we moved to Florida, then Ohio, and finally settled in North Carolina. After high school I attended college in Greenville, NC, where I began working part-time at an optical shop in our local mall. I was completely fascinated from the start, and was pleased to learn about the apprenticeship program. I enjoyed the retail aspect of optics as well as lab work that I was exposed to. After college, I moved to Raleigh, NC and began work full-time in the lab at Lenscrafters, and decided to become an apprentice optician at that time. 

Although I enjoyed the flexible hours and the lab work, I knew that there were other aspects of the field and I wanted to learn more, so I found a position working at an optometry and ophthalmology practice, where I learned new aspects of opticianry that I was not familiar with such as frame buying, lens options and working closely with patients and doctors to find solutions to many kinds of vision problems.

Upon completion of the apprenticeship program, including the required optical courses, I had to complete a 6 month internship. In 2005 I became eligible to sit for and passed the NC State Board exam as well as the ABO and NCLE exams. Although the dream of owning my own shop was always with me, once I became licensed, I realized that my dream could soon become a reality. With the support of my husband, I opened my dispensary on November 3rd, 2007 in the small town where we live with our 2 children and 2 dogs.

Describe your practice, and the services offered.

I offer spectacles, contact lenses and eyeglass repairs. I have an on-site finishing lab, so that I can keep wait time to a minimum. I offer free adjustments and minor repairs. I also include a 1 year, one time replacement warranty on all of my frames and lenses at no extra charge to the patient. I offer extended hours as needed and will make arrangements to meet with patients either before or after my normal office hours. I have chosen to accept only 2 insurance plans so that I can keep patient costs at a minimum.

Please describe your organizational philosophy, including any mission statement, vision, goals, etc.

As a sole proprietor my goal is to provide the best service in town.

Do you have a strategic plan for your practice?

If I had to sum it up, I would have to say my plan is to “stay flexible.” Before I opened, I imagined that my shop would be a boutique and the prices would reflect that. But, as we all know, sometimes things change, and that’s exactly what happened. What I found was that the patients that came to my office had a wide range of needs, and because of that, I changed my plan. Now my shop offers many options for patients and their budgets and that seems to be working for now. 

What do you see as your biggest strengths and weaknesses?

I think the biggest strength of my shop is the fact that I make it a point to get to know my patients. I want to know what they do for a living and for hobbies so that I can get them the best lens to suit their lifestyle. Because of this, we get many referrals from satisfied patients.

One possible weakness is the fact that I don’t have a doctor on-site to offer eye exams. I must say that this is an area that I am working on and trying to decide if I want to pursue. I would like to offer those patients that do not currently have a local doctor the option to have their eyes examined at my office. 

Are there specific opportunities and threats in your local marketplace? If so, how do you effectively deal with them?

There are three optometry practices, with on-site dispensaries, within about 5 miles of my shop. I have been in touch with them to introduce myself and, because of the insurances I decided to accept, I have been able to provide glasses for their patients that they can’t, because they don’t accept that particular insurance. 

Where do you see your organization in the next 10 years? The optical industry?

My plan is to remain in the same location, be profitable, and hopefully, have at least one other licensed optician on staff. 

Can you describe your competitive advantage? What do you think makes patients come to you and remain in the practice?

My competitive advantage is just being different. I make sure that I have several frame and lens choices that aren’t offered at other local shops. I think that patients come to me initially on the recommendation of a friend or co-worker, but I think they stay because they have gotten great service and they realize that when they come to my office, I will listen to them and do my best to see that their needs are met.

What, if anything, would you do differently in your career?

I think the only thing I would have done differently is to start my apprenticeship earlier. 

Are there tidbits of advice you might share with the readers that you feel may help them better compete?

1. Be flexible. Really listen to your clientele and if you see that your office needs to change to meet their needs, don’t hesitate. 

2. Be confident. Know that you can do what you put your mind to.

3. Ask for advice. Talking with other opticians, family and friends has proven to be one of the best things that I do on a daily basis. Sharing ideas with others and getting their feedback helps keep me (and my ideas) in check. 

I want to thank Heather for taking the time to respond to these questions. Placing yourself in the public’s view like this can be a daunting undertaking, and she did quite well. It is appreciated, and I know someone out there who reads this may just think they can do the same thing! Independence is still a path for us to take as opticians and optometrists, and I encourage you all to consider this path. Heather is another great example of someone who is successful in today’s environment. 

In the final edition on this series, I will provide an overview of what we may take from the last few months, and the wonderful examples of successful independents we have described. They are out there, and doing quite well, because they understand Competitive Advantage. 

References on request