Overcoming Challenges Together: An Insider’s Look at Selling Your Practice

Buying-Selling A Practice, Practice

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Optometry is a complex, challenging career—and managing an independent practice on top of seeing patients is exponentially more difficult. If you are considering selling your practice, you’re not alone.

Many other independent practice owners decide to sell in order to focus on their profession, prepare for retirement, or just to take some work off their plate.

The following case study was one of the first optometry acquisitions in Ontario made by IRIS, and the experience of Dr. Christa Beverley gives some insight into the acquisition process.

Dr. Christa BeverleyDr. Beverley bought her Barrie, ON practice after the former owner suffered health issues that forced her to stop working. Subsequently, a business partner purchased half the practice, and together, they moved to successively larger offices establishing themselves as a progressive practice with happy staff and satisfied patients.

A Few Twists and Turns
Her partner started to take an interest in the IRIS business model, and after some talks with Dr. Francis Jean (the late founder of IRIS), Dr. Beverley ultimately became partners with IRIS. The partnership agreement was a long and difficult negotiation process, and included a plan for two new startup practices.

The original arrangement proposed would have resulted in IRIS owning 50% of the practice, and Dr. Beverley and her partner with 25% each. After some family issues forced her partner to relocate, IRIS bought his half of the practice, and recalibrated ownership to a 50/50 position with Dr. Beverley.

With significant emotional investment on the part of both parties, negotiations were tough. At the time, IRIS had less flexible rules around their business model; in particular, there was an expectation that their doctors work five days a week, which didn’t suit Dr. Beverley: “I didn’t want someone telling me that I couldn’t take Wednesday afternoon off, or if I had to work late nights.”

She was able to negotiate with IRIS to retain her existing work-life balance, describing them as “special considerations” that she and the company ironed out.

IRIS has since become much more flexible around work-life balance in general. As the current VP of Business Development for IRIS, Dr. Daryan Angle describes it, “The lifestyles of our optometrists and partners are very important to us. Schedules are based on open discussion and consideration of what is best for the practice, business and partner. In the early days, on-boarding new practices and staff did prove to be difficult before IRIS had developed a comprehensive strategy and dedicated team.”

Hard Lessons Learned
There were a few more difficulties as well: Dr. Beverley partnered with IRIS on two other new locations, which struggled to succeed. She thought that the cold starts would be manageable, but they proved to be more difficult than she envisioned.

After their failure to launch the new locations, IRIS bought them back from Beverley—so although she didn’t have the lucrative new business she expected to have, she was saved from losing money on them.

In Dr. Beverley’s words, “IRIS is great in that they saw what we saw—which, the end, was the error in all of our ways. It is really hard to do cold starts no matter how good you are at it.”

Challenges with On-boarding
The acquisition was also an adjustment for staff, with new checks and balances contributing to some turnover. Dr. Beverley described the process as a “bit of a free fall,” with management assistance from IRIS in the early days being less robust than it is now: “I know that the systems are in place now so it’s a lot different, there’s actually people to onboard stores and to be there and to help.”

Bariie IRIS Team Ready to Reopen

In addition, the IRIS business model offered glasses at a high price point at the time, which were an issue with some customers used to seeing less expensive options. IRIS has since shifted to offer more value options in 2017, when it was acquired by New Look Vision Group Inc. This helps new acquisitions stay competitive given their geographic region and the market they serve.

IRIS Partnership Offers Exit Options
Ultimately, Dr. Beverley feels that the sale was the right decision for her business. Even though it was hard for her to let the management side of her practice go, she acknowledges there’s an upside to handing over the administrative tasks: “I don’t have to do anything except be a doctor.”

Another upside for her was that the acquisition means she’ll always have an exit strategy ready if she decides to sell. As a partner, she also could continue to collect dividends as a retirement strategy as an alternative to selling her share of the practice, once she found someone to replace her.

She says that ultimately, she would have decided to wait a little longer if she had to do it again, but doesn’t know if she’d advise someone else to do the same.

For practitioners who don’t like handling the management side of their practices or those that need a little more time in their day, she says it’s a good solution: “as a way to sell a good practice to a company that’s going to keep your practice amazing and make your patients happy, and respect your patients and look after them and make sure they have a great standard of care, then it just makes you feel like you are sort of leaving it or selling it to somebody who’s like you.”

Any Regrets?
It wasn’t an easy process, but for Dr. Beverley the experience was worthwhile: “I think they’ve learned from the things that went wrong in our acquisition. I think for other people, it’s the control freak doctors like myself that will have the biggest struggle with this. But … that’s not why they wanted to be an optometrist—they wanted to be an optometrist to look at people’s eyes and have no business portion. And to work in IRIS and be able to do that, I mean, they’ll be as happy as they could be. It’s a perfect scenario.”

Dr. Beverley continues to work, on average, less than 3 days per week at the Barrie, Ontario location, and has a 50% stake in the IRIS practice.

This interview was conducted while she was relaxing at her cottage.

 

 

 

IRIS the Visual Group provided Eye Care Business Canada with unconditional access to four Eye Care Practitioners who completed a partnership agreement  and/or  transaction with the group. Each partner story provides an insider’s view to the the acquisition;  challenges faced, obstacles overcome and the final results.

This is the first of a four part series:  The Power of Partnership: Overcoming Challenges Together

 

Related Articles: 

Eyes Wide Open Podcast:  How IRIS Challenged the Ontario OD Regs and Won
Eyes Wide Open Podcast:  IRIS sees Sliver Linings Behind the Covid Clouds
Insight Profile:  Dr. Daryan Angle, IRIS VP Business Development

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Who Represents the Vision Industry in Canada?

Practice, Products | Services | Industry News

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The Vision Council, as US-based  the non-profit organization serving as a global voice for the eyewear and eyecare industry, announced the launch of a new brand identity, including a new logo and a new website.

The Vision Council (TVC) is comprised of several hundred companies and member-based organization across the entire spectrum of the eyewear and eyecare industry; from the very large multi-national corporate entities to smaller privately-owned companies, including a significant number of Canadian-owned companies.

TVC helps members succeed in their businesses by providing curated resources and tools, from market research to training and exclusive access to industry networking events.  Most people in the industry would know them best as a partner-operator of the largest Vision trade shows in North America – Vision Expo East and Vision Expo West.

New Direction Announced
In  January 2020, The Vision Council announced a new direction for the organization based on community-building and industry growth. Ambitious roadmap for Vision Expo was put forth but, like many pre-COVOD plans, the roll-out was put on hold due to COVID.

In response to COVID, The Vision Council’s leadership team held regular industry task force calls with optical community leaders to understand the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the vision care industry and to determine what kinds of tools and resources would best serve members in a rapidly changing marketplace.

“Coming out of The Vision Council’s Executive Summit in January 2020, we announced a five-year plan reflecting a renewed focus on community-building and promoting industry growth. Since then, the industry has been confronted with unprecedented challenges. The need to come to together as a community and bolster our industry has resonated more powerfully than we could have imagined,” said Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council.

The Vision Council’s new brand identity is anchored by a new logo. Inspired by the concepts of refracted light and the visible light spectrum, the logo includes a “V” shaped mark comprised of seven different lines and colours—representing each of The Vision Council’s seven membership divisions—alongside “The Vision Council” in bold typeface.

The Vision Council’s new website, TheVisionCouncil.org, has been reimagined based on the needs of members. The new website offers improved navigation, modern features and curated content.

Watch the video introducing the new brand identity:

Details on new virtual programming and member initiatives for the remainder of 2020 and 2021 will be announced in the coming months.

For news and updates, follow @OpticalIndustry on Twitter and ‘The Vision Council’ on Facebook and LinkedIn. For a more visual look at the industry and what’s new, follow @thevisioncouncil on Instagram.

Source: The Vision Council

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COVID Sales: How Am I Doing?

Practice, Practice Metrics & Benchmarks, Products | Services | Industry News

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There is scant information on the havoc wreaked by COVID on retail optical and eye care sales in Canada.

Public companies must report their financials, and are therefore a potential source of some information.  Most, however,  are either in selective wholesale niche markets, such as contact lenses, frames or lenses which offer only broad directional signposts of market dynamics.

The supplier companies’ results reflect sales at the wholesale market level and are separated in time from the retail market.  Different sectors will vary on the impact of this time gap since retailers have the option to work down existing inventories where they can, e.g. frames.

Other suppliers’ sales, such as lenses, optical labs and contact lenses, more likely reflect consumer demand in real time.

We are a small player on the Global Scene
Another obstacle to gathering useful information is that the public corporations are almost exclusively multi-nationals. Canada-specific information is often hidden in the aggregate reporting of “North American” revenues.  Canada rarely warrants a reference in the global reporting from these companies.

So then, how are we to understand the Canadian market?  And, “How does an individual practice understand their performance relevant to competitors?”

Publicly Traded Optical Provides Some Insight
There is one insightful opportunity provided by the only publicly traded retail optical and eye care corporation in Canada, the New Look Group.

New Look, with its coast to coast network of banners, including IRIS, NEW LOOK, Vogue, Grieche and Scaff and others is not perfectly representative of the Canadian Market. It  is over-represented in BC, Quebec and the Maritimes, and underrepresented in other provinces, particularly Ontario.

While it is a far from a perfect benchmark for Canadian optical performance,  it is the best we have that is readily and publicly available.

So with these caveats in mind, let us see what story the numbers tell us.
The Q2 financial statements for the 3-month period ending June 27th,  reflects that most locations stopped operating in mid-March and started a gradual reopening in mid-May, with a complete reopening by June 21, the first day of summer.  Gradual reopening’s started in the first week of May. 

During this 3-month period, relative to the same period one year prior, revenues decreased by 64.9%. This decline primarily reflects COVID closures, but also includes scheduled store closures and offset by sales from newly acquired locations.

Even with its enviable financial resources and brand strengths, a  65% decline in quarterly sales is tough pill to swallow.

Nevertheless, in its Q2 statement, the company remains optimistic that it,”… has resumed its profitable growth journey, organic and external.”

Ultimately, consumer behaviour will determine the future course. Optical and eyecare practices taking the necessary and prudent steps to safe-guard associates and patients will significantly factor in, as will the responsibility we all have to protect each other to ward off a 2nd wave shut down.

We can only hope that New Look and all optical retailers continue to recover from the COVID catastrophe.

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Going from Ordinary to Extraordinary

Marketing, Merchandising, Pricing, Resources

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There are a number of grocery stores we can choose from in our smallish town. I always find it interesting to find out where other locals like to frequent and why.

The smaller of the grocery store options is well known for its friendly and familiar faces, which make the slighter higher prices on produce worthwhile.

The largest of the stores is known for having more unique products, in amongst the tried and true products. Some choose the local health food store, where they feel good about the sustainable efforts put into growing and making the food. Still others make a point of visiting the Saturday Market to support local farmers.

Clearly, we are not all seeking the same experience or value proposition. This holds true for customers in every industry.

Importance of Strategic Intent
So how do you apply this to your full scope optometric practice? It starts by intentionally creating a strategy for your office.  Take a look at your competition. What are other optometrist offices offering in the area? How are the opticals in your neighbourhood making themselves unique?

Then decide what you want your office to be known for. If you are going to offer the most popular brands, make it a priority to regularly check prices online. Consumers will often ask for this product – but this product is also the easiest for the consumer to compare prices for.

If this is your strategy, be sure your patient hand off is tight and your staff are well trained to assist patients in the gallery. This strategy is heavily dependent on exceptional customer service. The patient knows they could get the product from a number of different sources but chooses to reward a great experience with their business.

Consider Independent Frame Stories
Another strategy is offering independent frames, with brands not readily recognized or available. With these frames, you are creating the story about the frames and the onus is on the practice to engage the patient and relay that story.

I work with a practice in the West who does this particularly well. They source frames from manufacturers from all over North America – and then share their stories on placards placed in the gallery. This strategy seems to appeal to a younger generation in particular as are looking for products that have a unique value proposition.

The most successful businesses are the ones that clearly define their offering and deliberately work towards making sure every aspect of their business stays true to that message.

I encourage you to carve out some time to reflect on what you are currently offering the marketplace. What if your goal was to have patients who are excited to see what you just go into inventory? What frame lines do you need to carry? What message do you need to convey to stir that enthusiasm for your product offering?

Think like the patient, what frames and experience would YOU like to receive? This mind shift could be the first step in moving from ordinary to extraordinary.

KELLY HRYCUSKO

is the co-founder and managing partner of Simple Innovative Management Ideas (SIMI) Inc. and expert Practice Management contributor for Optik magazine. She can be reached at info@simiinc.com.

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Episode 15: IRIS Sees Silver Lining Behind COVID Clouds

Eyes Wide Open, Podcasts

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Dr. Daryan Angle, IRIS VP Business Development recounts how the COVID crisis accelerated the group’s advanced technology adaption and customer flow management.  IRIS continues to be bullish in acquiring partnerships and sees little impact on valuations as a result of COVID closures.

About the Guest

Dr. Daryan Angle graduated from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry in 2001. He joined IRIS in 2002 as a practicing optometrist in British Columbia, and shortly thereafter became a franchise partner with IRIS. In 2006 Dr. Angle relocated to Ontario. He currently holds the title of Vice President Business Development and in that role, primarily focuses on buying, partnering and integrating optical stores and optometry practices into the IRIS network.

 

Episode Notes

Dr. Daryan Angle recounts how IRIS, a 400-location network across the country subject to a variety of provincial regulatory edicts, not only withstood but excelled out of the COVID calamity.

IRIS took an early decision to lock down the entire network and then marshalled the organization’s significant resources to support staff through the various government programs to protect their livelihood.

Dr. Angle explains the intensity of the communications effort to keep everyone on the same page and informed of the group’s actions, including taking a centralized approach to secure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

He also explains how IRIS managed suppliers and landlords in their effort to preserve cash.

Daryan explains how the IRIS model, with relatively lower patient numbers with more personal service time, fit nicely with mandated appointment-only retailing. The pandemic actually accelerated IRIS’ move forward in their efforts to rigoursly manage the timeline of the customer journey for eye exams and dispensing.

The necessity to reduce patient contact time, also advanced e-commerce initiatives and their 3D technology partnership with Topology Eyewear, which can deploy remote facial scans to adjust the frame even without the patient on site.

Finally from the  IRIS perspective,  he explains how 3-year averaging and accommodation for the COVID closure period mitigates the impact on practice valuations. IRIS remains bullish on the market and actively seeks partnerships with independent opticals and optometric practices.

Resources

 

Dr. Glen Chiasson

Dr. Glen Chiasson

Dr. Glen Chiasson is a 1995 graduate of the University of Waterloo School of Optometry. He owns and manages two practices in Toronto. In 2009, he co-hosted a podcast produced for colleagues in eye care, the “International Optometry Podcast”. He is a moderator of the Canadian Optometry Group, an email forum for Canadian optometrists. As  a host of  “Eyes Wide Open”, Glenn  looks forward to exploring new new technologies and services for eye care professionals.

Dr. Chiasson enjoys tennis, hockey, and reading. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two sons.

Dr. Chiasson splits EWO podcast hosting duties with Roxanne Arnal.

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Positive Trends Coming Out of COVID Shut Down

Marketing, Practice, Resources

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As offices returned to seeing patients, I started noticing some trends.  Higher eyeglass capture rates, higher diagnostic capture rates and fewer patients per day are some of the most notable.

For years, SIMI has advocated for a “work smarter not harder” philosophy that recommended seeing between 8-10 patients for every 7 hours of chair time.  Our data analytics showed us that this formula consistently led to more diagnostics being offered and more glasses being sold.

COVID offered offices an opportunity to put this theory to the test.  As they returned, doctor’s schedules were close to half of what they were pre-COVID.  The result?  In every office, gross revenue went up over last year, though they saw significantly fewer patients.  Offices have made more money by seeing fewer patients.

Prior to COVID, eyeglass capture rates were trending around 40% on average through SIMI Analytics.  In the past two months, that average has increased to 78%.  Diagnostic testing has also increased.  When not included in a full eye exam, the average capture rate changed from 20% to over 80%.

I am also cognizant of the fact that there are other factors that have contributed to these results.  After 4 months, my own family has started to mistake blowing leaves for squirrels and are taking wild guesses at the ingredients listed on food packages.  We ALL need our eyes checked, new prescriptions and glasses!  So certainly, there is some pent up business that is being realized.  Savvy receptionists are ensuring that patients with the greatest need are getting in first.  Patients are less likely to leave with their prescriptions to “shop”, as they avoid too many unnecessary stops.

But I don’t think that’s the complete story.  With more time allocated for each patient, doctors are able to spend longer with each patient, in a more focussed manner.  It has become necessary to anticipate how much time each patient will spend in the office.  This includes in the dispensary.  Suddenly, the entire office is anticipating and prepared for patients to be assisted in the gallery.  Is this is self-fulfilling prophecy?

As part of my consulting advice, I have often suggested that practices make a “plan” for each patient that day.  Do we anticipate that they will do additional diagnostic testing?  When did they purchase glasses last?  Are they due to reorder contact lenses or drops?  This plan becomes the goal for each patient.  As well as ensuring that every solution is considered for and by the patient, the “plan” also helps everyone stay focussed.

My hope is that offices will take this opportunity to made a lighter schedule and “pre-planning” permanent routines in their office. There are benefits for everyone, patients, staff and doctors alike.

KELLY HRYCUSKO

is the co-founder and managing partner of Simple Innovative Management Ideas (SIMI) Inc. and expert Practice Management contributor for Optik magazine. She can be reached at info@simiinc.com.

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TAKE A SELFIE—See what it reveals about you as a leader

Human Resources, Managing Others, Practice, Resources

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One of the most commonly asked questions of people in my position is “what is your top practice management advice or tips”?

Appraisers and brokers are obviously aware of very successful business practices as it is our responsibility to uncover them on a daily basis when we are performing appraisals and selling practices. We also uncover some inefficiencies and, quite frankly, bad practices that we make recommendations about to our clients.

It’s Up to You.
These management “issues” might be a quick fix and something that will not take long but others may take months or years to modify and while doing so, it could be detrimental to a successful sale. We make recommendations to fix these concerns if time and willpower to get it done are available. If not, it may impact the eventual sale price but not be worth the time, money and energy for the current owner to invest in before selling.

We are not practice management consultants. There is a plethora of people that do that for a living and most have worked in a professional office at one time or another and offer their services through a multitude of social mediums, mostly focusing on efficiencies and staff training. Despite what these management gurus might tell you, tread this path with caution. There is no silver bullet to eradicate practice management issues. If you have dug yourself a hole, you will need to pick up a shovel and dig yourself out.

Are You A Good Leader?
I am a firm believer in the theory that good practice management is really a top down principle and is explicitly linked to effective leadership skills. You need to take a selfie. Are you a good leader? There are many books out there on great leadership that are readily available for all of us want-to-be or current leaders and most of the research on the topic would suggest that inefficiencies, low morale, or a toxic culture is probably created and/or permitted by the leader/owner of the business.

“Success is never owned, it is rented, and the rent is due every day.” This quote by Rory Vaden emphasizes the need to be and continue to be a leader daily.

Many business owners have big egos. That is what causes us to take risks and become business owners.

Taking a regular selfie of ourselves as business owners is an important exercise. We need to see how the world views us and be brutally honest in our assessment of the culture we have built and how we have allowed it to shape not only the environment of our business, but also ourselves to some extent. This is not an easy task. When culture is eroded through a lack of leadership, tired leadership or amateur leadership, no systems can save you. Have a good look at yourself. Only you as the figurehead can rewrite the systems that you have allowed to be laid down. Maybe go over to the mirror right now and take a picture.

What kind of leader are you?

TIMOTHY BROWN

is Chief Executive Office of ROI Corporation Canada’s national professional practice and brokerage firm.

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Ontario Optometrists Take Action and Get Attention

Practice, Products | Services | Industry News

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The Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO) have finally said, “enough is enough” to the Province of Ontario.   On June 15 an internal communication from OAO President, Sheldon Salaba, went out to Ontario’s optometrists asking them to refer non-routine cases to other health care personnel and resources, including hospital emergency rooms, according to an article published in Canada’s largest newspaper, the Toronto Star.

The purpose of the job action, and the associated public relations effort, was to bring the province to the negotiating table after nearly 30 years of insignificant fee increases.  While the action has brought awareness to the plight of Optometrists and generated a significant amount of favourable lay press articles, not all of them have been flattering to the profession or the regulator.

What’s The Math?
The cost of an eye examination, made by an independent consultant to the OAO, is estimated to be between $80 and $90 per eye exam. The provincial reimbursement has been stuck at a level of nearly half the cost for years, leaving an untenable situation where ODs are subsidizing the public purse to the tune of approximately $40 per eye exam.

According to various reports, the action is targeted to cost the province between $250K and $500K per day; an amount that is designed to catch the province’s eye.

Mixed Newspaper Coverage
While many local media took up the story, bolstered by effective local spokespersons, to reinforce the position of the Association, Canada’s largest circulation daily, The Toronto Star, responded with a scathing opinion piece, replete with overused eye puns, (“Blinded by money and oblivious to patients, the [OAO] has lost sight of professional ethics”) and a slightly less derogatory editorial which acknowledges the situation but criticizes the OAO’s tactics, particularly during the pandemic.

The Star opinion piece also took aim at College of Optometrists president, Patrick Quaid for “willful blindness” and calling for the regulator to be held to account, “If recalcitrant optometrists are not disciplined”.

In contrast, The Globe & Mail, Canada’s second largest daily newspaper, took a fact-based reporting approach to the OAO job action.

Where Does It Stand Now?
On August 13, The Star reported that Ontario Premier Doug Ford encouraged Optometrists to cease the action and reported his willingness to meet the optometrist to resolve the dispute.

The Globe reports that the province has now taken a “positive step” and begun a dialogue with the OAO. According to Salaba, the job action will not cease until the Ontario government agrees to negotiate new fees.

There has been no publicly reported meeting between the OAO and the province, as of August 18.

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3 Ways Eye Care Professionals Can Recover Revenue

Marketing, Practice, Resources

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The last 4 months have been tough for small business owners across the country and extra difficult for hyper-personalized industries such as eye care. Clinic owners now have to deal with two massive elephants in the room:

  • 3 months of lost revenue
  • Increased costs (cleaning, PPE, etc.)

How to get revenue back to normal and decrease costs?

The answer to this question is not straightforward, and there is no one size fits all approach. However, clinic owners are using technology now more than ever to build a foundation which helps them keep a constant flow of new customers and automate a lot of manual work.

Below are the top three strategies that you can use to attract new patients, convert searchers into paying patients, and to automate front desk work.

1. AUTOMATE REVIEWS AND REFERRAL GENERATION

More than ever, prospective patients will do a thorough search on Google before choosing a clinic, and if they don’t look online, it is because they heard about a business through a friend or family. Luckily, clinic owners can use technology to stand out online and tap into current customers for high-quality referrals. Here is how:

  • Set up automated review generation software. This software will allow clinic owners to collect positive reviews from every new patient. Once these reviews start to pile up in a couple of months, your clinic will rank higher for their solutions and appear much more attractive online.
  • Clinics can easily tap into their customer base and set up a referral system that prompts patients to refer anyone they might know who needs services clinics offer. In order to streamline this process, invest in automated referral software.

A prospective patient can find a clinic because of their great online standing or because they have been referred by a friend or family member. Regardless, they need a way to easily book an appointment or else they will look for someone else.

2. GIVE PATIENTS THE OPTION TO TEXT

 The truth is, more and more patients are looking for an easy way to book an appointment or inquire without picking up the phone. Each clinic needs to be able to support text messaging as an option for patients, or they will simply find someone who does.

Clinics should consider implementing chat widgets on their website so that a prospective patient can text in with any questions and end with a booked appointment. A clinic must have the backend technology in place to respond to these inquiries and convert prospects to patients.

Some patients still prefer to pick up the phone, which is perfect because that is what receptionists are paid for… But what happens when they miss a call or call after hours?  Is the patient gone forever? Not if a clinic has an AI-powered answering software to pick up the slack.

This type of software has voice recognition embedded in it to ensure that a patient can have a natural conversation. In this conversation, the patient will have the ability to ask questions and even book an appointment. This way, no call, and no prospective patient will ever be missed again.

3. MAKE INTAKE AND PAYMENTS CONTACTLESS AND AUTOMATED

Clinics need to ensure they are keeping their staff safe in this new normal. If they can ensure that the front desk staff never has to be in contact with a patient all the way from intake to payment, why not do it?

With social distancing software, a clinic can send check-in links via SMS before appointments, notify patients when it is time to enter the clinic via SMS, and manage the entire patient queue via virtual waiting rooms. When the appointment is over, send a link via SMS or email to collect payment. This will reduce the risk for front line staff and reduce manual work coordinating appointments.

Find social distancing software that integrates with your EMR or current payment software.

WHAT’S NEXT?

A lot of this new information and technology can be daunting for a clinic owner to learn about and manage. This is why OneLocal is here to help. If you simply want to learn whether this technology is a good fit for your practice, click here to learn more.

About OneLocal

OneLocal helps thousands of small businesses across North America get more customers with a series of best-in-class and affordable marketing automation tools. As part of an effort to help restart the economy, OneLocal is currently offering many of their tools for a fraction of the price and creating new tools to help clinic owners operate more efficiently. They are a Toronto-based tech company that has been around for over 5 years and is backed by the same company that backs Airbnb.

MATTHEW CARNEVALE

Matthew Carnevale is the VP, client relations for OneLocal, based in Toronto.

With safety now being top of mind for clinic owners, employees, and patients, it is important that you provide an experience that makes your customers feel safe. Find out how OneLocal has been helping clinic owners implement digital check-in, contactless payment, and virtual waiting rooms through LocalVisits by filling out this form:  https://info.onelocal.com/ECP

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Insight with Dr. Kerry Salsberg

Insights

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Dr. Kerry Salsberg followed in his fathers footsteps in private practice

Shared his interests in science, technology, healthcare and business

Recently teamed up with Frank Carpino of Urban Spaces to reimagine and build the practice of the future today

R. Kerry Salsberg

Dr. Kerry Salsberg

Doctorate of Optometry from the University Of Waterloo.

Awarded the T.T. Beattie Award for Orthoptics and Visual Training

General Optometry and multi-specialty independent practice owner and entrepreneur

 

What business book would you recommend other ECPs read?

Re-Engineering Retail by Doug Stephens: Retail is not dead in Optometry so long as you understand the shifting needs and expectations of a new consumer. This book provides a roadmap to successful retailing with an emphasis on memorable consumer experiences.

Where do you see your practice/ eye care in 10 years?

I think we will see further consolidation of smaller practices into larger group practices with the goal of providing economies of scale, best-in-class instrumentation, specialty services and one-stop shopping. The patient experience will be paramount to the financial success of the practice.

What is something you have done in your practice to set you apart.

Look at current trends in retail and mirror them in your practice. Offer your patients something new every year whether that be new instrumentation, frame lines, services, experiences and most importantly, LET THEM KNOW. Think outside the box in terms of product and service offerings.

What is currently the most exciting thing in your field to help patients.

Dry eye therapy and facial aesthetics.  We recently invested in Radio Frequency technology that not only treats Meibomian Gland Disorder/ Dry eye but also tightens skin and reduces fine lines and wrinkles around the face. A more youthful appearance is a big driver in our practice for this treatment.

Favourite 80’s Jam.

A combination of Steely Dan, Yes, Van Halen, and Tears for Fears. I know, a weird combination

Tell me something few people know about you?

I was once a magician and I love to bowl. Please don’t print this 🙂

You can listen to Dr. Salsberg discuss the major office renovation undertaken on our Eyes Wide Open Podcast 

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