Ifyou could go back to your first year of ownership, what would you tell yourself?

1. Biggest mistakes to avoid? - Too much space, too many frames. I have 100 frames, 90% capture rate, 50% multi pair rate. It’s not how many you have, it’s how you curated the collection.

2. What actually makes money? - Glasses make money. I don’t mess with the rest. At least not for now.

3. Vendor or lab tips you wish you knew sooner? - I’ve been in labs since I was 14. I get hired to fix this issue for people. I do come up against things I don’t know, but I have friends. Make sure you have friends!

4. Inventory mistakes? - Buy what you believe in. Everyone always has a request. You’re not going to please everyone. Some buyers decide to buy what they want, some decide to buy what others want them to. You can’t go wrong either way. I chose to buy what I believe in. Works for me.

5. Insurance vs. Private Pay strategies? - It truly depends on where you live. There are businesses that would NOT survive without insurance. Not because they love it so much, but because they need it to survive and will be willing to take a large haircut to stay alive. But there are businesses that could survive without it, but are scared to make that leap.

6. Staffing lessons? - Hire when you absolutely need it and no sooner. I do it when hair starts to get pulled.

7. Marketing that actually brought patients through the door? - Network, network, network. Network. With the industry, outside the industry, around your neighborhood, other businesses, etc. Never slow down, never stop. Can’t make it, send someone else. Some social media.

8. Cash flow realities? - 1/10 of what I anticipated, but 100% more stable than I anticipated. In 1.5 years right now.

9. Anything you wish someone had told you before opening? - Do your research. Really and truly. I spent 21 years working in opticals. I sought out the best and I went to work there until I was the best. Literally. Sometimes better than my boss. And boy was I cocky when I was young. Still am some days. However, I always maintain I will learn something from everyone and I will learn something every day forever. I am a lifelong learner. I learned what they do best and what they suck at. I fixed what I could and left the rest to the next guy. Moved onto the next. Now 3 years into rep life. I do consulting, frame rep, light lab repping, wholesale, etc. Every single optical I come across I observe. What do they excel at and what they don’t. I take the good and remove the bad and add my charm, personality, and MORALS and it equals my brand. You can do all the research and mess up ROYALLY! You won’t have a safety mat anymore, that’s scary and expensive. I found myself questioning myself when I never have before. But you get through it and you learn to trust yourself again. Your neighboring opticals are not your enemy. They are your friends. Make sure you let them know you are theirs too. It might save both your businesses in the end.