OPTICAL PRISM | INFOCUS
In lockstep with ECPs
‘ Partnership ’ at core of Specsavers ’ model
If you want to start your Specsavers ’ business ownership journey , speak with Mike Protopsaltis at enquiries . ca @ specsavers . com and subscribe to specsaversspectrum . ca for the latest news .
MIKE PROTOPSALTIS , Specsavers Partnerships Director
AAs a qualified optician , Mike Protopsaltis , Partnership Director at Specsavers Canada , understands what it is to be a franchise owner .
He credits his 10 years ’ ownership experience as a driver behind helping other like-minded optometrists and opticians make the dream of business ownership become a reality .
With Specsavers ’ $ 100-million commitment to open 200 locations by 2024 , we uncovered the details behind Specsavers ’ partnership opportunity with Protopsaltis .
Q : What is Specsavers ’ approach to partnership ?
A : If there ’ s one word to sum up Specsavers , it is “ partnership .” Specsavers was started nearly 40 years ago in the UK by optometrist husband-and-wife team Doug and Mary Perkins . Their commitment to supporting the Specsavers ’ partnership continues to burn brightly and defines how we work at Specsavers . We tailor our partnership to local conditions and work in lockstep with optometrists and opticians . This is how we ’ ve delivered success to over 3,500 franchise partners and become the market leader in 10 countries . And now we ’ re excited to do the same in Canada – offer a partnership model tailored to local eyecare professionals which meets the eye health needs of communities .
Q : A $ 100-million investment in ECPs is quite significant . Tell me more about this decision .
A : We have a model that ’ s proven itself around the world , so we made a conscious decision to invest $ 100 million to empower and enable eyecare professionals who are ready to start their own business . Our investment removes the common financial barriers to starting a new business and getting access to the latest technology . When an eligible optometrist or optician joins us as a business owner , we will cover 100 per cent of their location start-up costs . This is an average of $ 500,000 in store design , construction , displays , POS equipment and other costs . We simply hand you the keys to a brand new clinic and store without an expectation of a repayment of the cost of creating the new retail store . We want to invest and back the right people by supporting them all the way .
Q : This sounds almost too good to be true . What ’ s the catch ?
A : There ’ s absolutely no catch . In Canada , every Specsavers location is jointly owned by a local optometry partner and retail ( ie . optician ) partner . We provide partners access to our support team that offers an array of services such as : marketing , product & procurement , IT , accounting and more . From our dedicated support team to our advanced clinical technology , we provide partners all the tools to do what matters most : providing quality eyecare for patients and precious time to lead their store team . It is a testament to the experience we have as a company and the support that we can offer new business owners .
Q : Who is eligible for business ownership with Specsavers ?
A : What we are looking for is simple : like-minded , ambitious optometrists and opticians , who want to make the change in their career to create a future for themselves as business owners . Specsavers is an entrepreneurial business with partnership at its core . We embrace eyecare professionals who share our can-do attitude , passion for clinical excellence , and purpose of providing accessible , quality eyecare to all . OP
30 OPTICAL PRISM | May 2022