Dr. Girisgen (right as you look at photo) with his practice partner, Ken Kopolow, OD. Dr. Girisgen says, whether small or large, many of the same principles apply when seeking to grow a practice into a profitable business.
Strategies for independent ODs to grow your business
By Steve Girisgen, OD
Dec. 11, 2024
As the co-owner of 14 Pearle Vision franchise locations, I have gained valuable insights that I believe can benefit smaller, independent optometrists.
Though I am the owner of a large franchise operation, I want to see smaller, independent practices succeed, too, as it’s good for patients and the overall optometric profession.
As someone who has navigated the complex waters of the optical business for many years, I can confidently say that the journey has been both challenging and rewarding.
Not only do my practice-franchise partner, Ken Kopolow, OD, and I currently own and operate those 14 Pearle Vision franchise locations, but we have plans for even more growth.
Despite the maturity of our optical business, we continue to grow at an impressive rate, with a double-digit percent increase over last year.
As we built up the business, I learned valuable lessons about what it takes to run a successful optical business. Here are my top three tips.
Access to Patients: Get on Insurance Panels & Proactively Reach Out to Your Community
One of the most critical aspects of running a successful optical practice is ensuring access to a broad patient base. We achieved this by joining as many vision and medical plans as made sense for our business.
This strategy not only opens doors to a more extensive patient network, but also aligns with our commitment to providing comprehensive care. By being accessible, we are able to serve diverse communities.
We actively engage with the community by participating in health fairs and working with the human resources departments of local companies to conduct screenings, ensuring our presence is felt throughout the area.
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We also collaborate with other medical providers, joining forces to offer comprehensive screenings. This hands-on, outreach-driven strategy is about meeting our patients where they are, rather than waiting for them to come to us.
By understanding our community’s unique needs, we are able to tailor our services effectively and ensure that we provide the best possible care.
Diversify Offerings to Meet Patient Needs
It’s essential to offer a range of services and products that meet the diverse needs of your patients. In our market, we found that offering a multi-tiered approach to products at various price points helps us cater to a broader audience.
Whether it’s prescription glasses, sunglasses, or specialty lenses, we ensure that high-quality options are available at different price levels. This approach not only meets the needs of our patients, but also builds loyalty and encourages word-of-mouth referrals, which are invaluable for business growth.
Keep Up with Technology and Training
In the optical industry, staying updated with the latest technology and ensuring your staff is well-trained is crucial.
We can’t afford to use outdated equipment if we aim to provide the best possible care. To this end, we have three full-time trainers who have been with us for many years. They conduct an intensive 2–4-week training program for all new hires, regardless of their role—be it technician, optician, call center agent or billing specialist. Our trainers are also responsible for re-training our current staff to ensure high standards.
This rigorous training ensures that all employees are competent and confident in their roles, which not only improves patient care, but also boosts employee morale and retention.
We prioritize our staff and doctors, reinvesting heavily in our business to ensure that the quality of care we provide is always topnotch. This commitment sometimes means a higher payroll, but we believe that paying our staff well for retention is a worthy investment.
We’re incredibly proud of what we built and are always striving to expand our care offerings, ensuring that our patients receive optimal vision and medical care.
No matter where you are in your business journey—whether you’re opening your first office or scaling an existing one—the fundamental question remains: Are you doing everything you can for your patients every day?
Our focus has consistently been on maximizing business efficiency to provide the best possible care, and I believe this is a key factor in our ongoing success.
We are fortunate to be able to offer this level of care to our patients. We are solidifying our position as a leader in our marketplace and building the invaluable trust of our patients.
Steve Girisgen, OD, is the co-owner of Kopolow & Girisgen, a 14-office Pearle Vision franchise practice in the Las Vegas, Nev., area. To contact him: s.girisgen@lasvegaseyedocs.com
