IcareLabs Blog

There is a growing category in the optical business that is somewhat disregarded and certainly somewhat misunderstood. One in 28 Americans age 40 and above suffers with low vision. That number will grow over the next 20 years due to the fact that approximately 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day. It is estimated that more than 39 million Americans have low vision or a disorder that can lead to it.

Eyecare Business Magazine first referred to low vision as “the most underserved category in optical” back in the early ‘90s. Twenty years later, not much has changed except that the growing number of patients who suffer has increased as the population increases.

These patients, for the most part, are being told that “nothing can be done” or they’re not being seen at all. While it’s true that there is no cure, there are solutions that can help people improve quality of life, such as daily living aids, low vision devices and sophisticated spectacles.

IcareLabs: 2015 Lab Innovator

We are proud and honored to have been selected as Lab Innovator for 2015 by Optical Lab Products Magazine!

It's a very satisfying thing to see all the hard work being recognized! In the past few years, our leadership has succeeded in really turning things around. 

We have invested millions of dollars in upgrading our state-of-the-art laboratory and AR lab. We've also streamlined our ordering process and eliminated unnecessary expenses along the way. All this results in a much higher quality product, faster turn around time and our commitment to the lowest prices in the industry. 

"IcareLabs is a carefully constructed machine dedicated to providing its customers with quality products in a timely manner and exceptional service, all with very competitive pricing. The company didn’t pick two; it chose to offer all three. That is a true model for success."

We couldn't have done it without our greatest resource: our employees!

We realize there are many choices when it comes to your optical lab.

In this article, we wanted to list several recent industry awards our lab has been chosen for, and let you know about some serious upgrades we've recently made to our state-of-the-art optical lab!

IcareLabs Industry Awards:

• Lab Innovator of 2015 from Optical Lab Products magazine
• Essilor Independent Distribution Division's Lab of the Year for 2013
• Ranked among the top-ten independent wholesale optical labs in the United States

Recent Laboratory Upgrades:

• We recently completed a multi-million dollar upgrade to our lab that doubled the capacity of our digital line.
• Just 2 years ago, we upgraded our AR lab to double our capacity.

What does this mean to you?

Well, at IcareLabs, our lab is constantly improving.These upgrades allow us to keep up with demand, and help to ensure that your jobs will be completed in the fastest time possible. And, these upgrades give us redundancy, if needed.

A picture tells a thousand words, so here are a few images from this year when we upgraded our 15,000 sq ft lab in St. Petersburg, FL.

You probably get a lot of questions in your practice. Many questions come up about the different types of lenses. Many people are asking questions about the difference between bifocal and progressive lenses. If your patients are asking the same questions, here are some suggestions on how to answer that will help eliminate their confusion, and hopefully, provide you with some additional revenue. That’s a win-win!

First, let’s set the stage. Multifocal lenses typically address the needs of your middle-aged to older patients who are starting to feel the effects of aging. Many start to experience presbyopia, which is the gradual loss elasticity of the eyes and the resulting difficulty to focus on objects close up. This condition is very natural, but often annoying, and usually becomes noticeable in people in their early to mid-40s. It may continue to worsen until around age 65.

It’s at this point people need something more than a single vision lens in their prescription eyeglasses. They’re going to need additional magnification in part of the lens to help the eye focus on up-close objects. 

Marketing for ECPs (Part 4)

If you’re an eye doctor or an optician, you probably did a lot of studying about eyes, optometry, chemistry, biology, anatomy and biochemistry. However, if you’re like most eye care professionals (and other doctors, chiropractors, pharmacists, lawyers, etc.), you may have only had one or two marketing classes.

So, you’re an expert at taking care of people’s vision. But, how do you get patients in the door? Where do you get marketing ideas for eye doctors, opticians and optical stores? Where do you learn about marketing for eye doctors?

This series of articles contains excerpts from our e-book entitled, "Marketing Boot Camp for Eye Care Professionals." For more information, click here.

Marketing for ECPs (Part 3)

If you’re an eye doctor or an optician, you probably did a lot of studying about eyes, optometry, chemistry, biology, anatomy and biochemistry. However, if you’re like most eye care professionals (and other doctors, chiropractors, pharmacists, lawyers, etc.), you may have only had one or two marketing classes.

So, you’re an expert at taking care of people’s vision. But, how do you get patients in the door? Where do you get marketing ideas for eye doctors, opticians and optical stores? Where do you learn about marketing  for eye doctors?

This series of articles contains excerpts from our e-book entitled, "Marketing Boot Camp for Eye Care Professionals." For more information, click here.

More than 30,000 eye care professionals descended upon Sin City last week for the International Vision Expo West 2015! With tons of educational sessions, opportunities to explore a gigantic exhibit hall with all the latest technology and trends, there was plenty of inspiration and learning - not to mention entertainment!

Were You There?

There is an abundance of research available on how taking vitamin and mineral supplements to improve our health and energy level. One issue that is of particular interest to eye care professionals is improving eye health through supplements. And, one question that keeps coming up is how can supplementation help with eye health overall. There are some eyeglass stores that promote eye health supplements to their patients. If you don’t, perhaps this information will be helpful and might inspire you to do some research on your own.

It All Starts With A Healthy Diet

As the name itself implies, taking supplements are to go along with a healthy diet. No amount of dietary supplementation can provide all the nutrition a body needs to be healthy. Poor diets and unreasonable amounts of junk food are associated with many serious health issues, including vision loss. On the other hand, there is some research that indicates certain vitamins and nutrients can be beneficial for maintaining eye health and good vision.

Marketing for ECPs (Part 2)

If you’re an eye doctor or an optician, you probably did a lot of studying about eyes, optometry, chemistry, biology, anatomy and biochemistry. However, if you’re like most eye care professionals (and other doctors, chiropractors, pharmacists, lawyers, etc.), you may have only had one or two marketing classes.

So, you’re an expert at taking care of people’s vision. But, how do you get patients in the door? Where do you get marketing ideas for eye doctors, opticians and optical stores? Where do you learn about marketing for eye doctors?

This series of articles contains excerpts from our e-book entitled, "Marketing Boot Camp for Eye Care Professionals." For more information, click here.

Marketing for ECPs (Part 1)

If you’re an eye doctor or an optician, you probably did a lot of studying about eyes, optometry, chemistry, biology, anatomy and biochemistry. However, if you’re like most eye care professionals (and other doctors, chiropractors, pharmacists, lawyers, etc.), you may have only had one or two marketing classes.

So, you’re an expert at taking care of people’s vision. But, how do you get patients in the door? Where do you get marketing ideas for eye doctors, opticians and optical stores? Where do you learn about marketing for eye doctors?

This series of articles contains excerpts from our e-book entitled, "Marketing Boot Camp for Eye Care Professionals." For more information, click here.