IcareLabs Blog

LinkedIn is known as a great social media for growing your professional network or looking for new employees, but you can also leverage it for your retail optical store. All it takes is a little out-of-the-box thinking on your part and you can easily add another online resource for your patients.

If polarized lenses are not an important part of your patient care plan, they should be. Almost everyone could benefit from a pair of polarized lenses as they simply reduce glare better than other products on the market.

While the subject of base curves comes up multiple times a day in my discussions with our customers, I have avoided writing about it for years for three reasons:

1. It is a complex topic that confuses many.
2. It is not seen as important to others.
3. It gets misunderstood by the majority of the rest.

Similar to religion and politics, it's a subject that can destroy friendships. The correct base curve is always a battle of which of 3-key factors is the most important: optics, fit, or cosmetics. But, it does not have to be this way.

Shamir makes two of the most popular occupational lenses on the market today with the Shamir Computer and Shamir workspace lenses. While both lenses are similar, there are key differences that you need to understand to dispense the correct one to the right patient. Once you know when to use which lens, you'll see patient satisfaction increase along with your sales.

When ordering your uncut lenses there are several things you can do to help ensure the best cut out and avoid costly redos. One of the most important frame measurements is the ED, yet we consistently see this has the most confusion on how to get the correct measurement. This blog will show you the correct way to measure a frame's ED.

It can be hard to get reviews for your practice in general. But when a negative review comes through, it can be easy to regret asking your patients to leave one in the first place.

Negative reviews are bound to happen, so when they do, here’s how to deal with them.

Everyone wishes they could boost their sales, right? Increasing revenue for your optical dispensary is as easy as 1, 2, 3 when you use the good/better/best rule of optical sales, educate with needs-based conversations, and shoot those shots for 2nd pair sales. Let's take a look at how implementing this strategy can have a major impact on your bottom line.

One thing we have consistently been asked over the years is how small business owners in the optical industry can give back in a meaningful way to their community. Being able to utilize your unique skills as an OD or an optician is only one step in the process. The Essilor Vision Foundation can partner with you to help provide frames, lenses, and eye exams at no cost to underprivileged children and their family members in your area.

Varilux progressive lenses have been a juggernaut in the optical industry for over 6 decades, and for good reason. Constantly building upon and improving progressive lens technology, they are not a company that rests on their laurels. Let's take a look at why the Varilux family of PALs is still one of the best options available for discerning patients.

We have all been there, shorthanded, and in need of a new team member or two. While this always seems like a daunting task for a small business owner it doesn’t have to be.

With a little preparation and a plan, your next hiring experience could be a good one.