If 2020 taught us anything, it was that in order to succeed, we must be willing to adapt and evolve our practice and procedures quickly. Keeping with that mindset, the EB Optical Checklist is getting a new look for 2021.
In our fresh format, each week of the featured month will focus on a different element of your optical business to help get us back on a clear path to success.
WEEK 1: TRAINING + DEVELOPMENT.
Staff is the heartbeat of our business. In 2020, some staff members committed; some lost enthusiasm.
WEEK 1 CHECKLIST
□ Management should have a one-on-one with each employee and create a professional development plan to grow their skill set. Engaging employee and management in the planning shows investment on both sides. As an employee, ask for a meeting.□ Look at your employee roster and evaluate your business’s staffing needs. You might have a smaller staff than you did at the beginning of last year. Is this working, or is hiring on the horizon?
□ Start an incentive program for continuing education and aid staff in getting licensed or certified. The investment is worth every penny!
WEEK 2: HOUSEKEEPING.
Constantly cleaning surfaces is second nature by now, but keeping things neat and tidy on the back end is equally important.
WEEK 2 CHECKLIST
□ Pull inventory in your practice that has an expiration date and dispose of anything past its best-before date. Rotate oldest product to the front of the display and create a reminder of upcoming expiring products.
□ Check your state government requirements for how long you have to keep patient records, invoices, and tax documents. Make room by shredding paperwork older than you’re required to keep.
□ One thing from 2020 we should carry forward is our heightened awareness regarding cleanliness. Maintain cleaning checklists to keep your team focused on good habits.
WEEK 3: MARKETING + ADVERTISING.
Your optical’s digital presence is usually the first thing a potential patient will see. Ensure your practice stands out and your communications are on brand.
WEEK 3 CHECKLIST
□ Create a short video or photo slideshow to show patients they can still come try on glasses and have an eye exam. Patients should see that their eye health/optical needs don’t need to wait until the pandemic is over.□ Review your Google, Yelp, Yellow Pages, and online directories to ensure information is up to date. Add photos. Have employees look up your business from the POV of a patient and get feedback.
□ Update social media regularly. If creating content seems daunting, start by sharing vendor product images, eyecare articles, and news about the practice.
WEEK 4: SALES.
How we sell to patients and buy from vendors has evolved. Buying behavior will forever be changed, and business success will come from keeping up with this new dynamic.
WEEK 4 CHECKLIST
□ Virtual appointments, deliveries, curbside service or pickup, e-commerce, and subscriptions are the new normal. No matter your business’s size, these are easy customer service additions that can increase sales and bring you new patients.□ Review your list of vendors and ask yourself, “Who supported my business in 2020? And who was absent?” Vendors are our partners, and those who were present, supportive, and took initiative are the ones that deserve your business. Consider severing relationships with vendors that were absent or unhelpful to create room for new products and beneficial relationships.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sheena Taff is a second-generation licensed optician at Roberts & Brown Opticians in Vancouver, Canada. Since becoming the optical boutique boss, she has evolved and grown the business and taken it to new heights. Taff is familiar with the many roles an independent practice owner and employees must undertake and wants to share tips for growing a successful practice.
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