3 Eye Care Business Success Stories [2024]
Clear vision is invaluable. Starting an eye care business offers the opportunity to make a lasting impact on community health and well-being.
In simple terms, this business focuses on providing comprehensive eye exams, prescribing glasses or contacts, and potentially addressing various eye health issues.
Eye care is an essential service with consistent demand, especially as populations age. By opening an eye care center, you're stepping into a field with strong, ongoing relevance. Additionally, the one-on-one nature of eye care cultivates meaningful patient relationships and repeat business.
A commitment to quality service and continuous learning is crucial in this field. Partnering with skilled optometrists, investing in up-to-date equipment, and maintaining a clean, welcoming environment are foundational steps. If you're driven by both the challenge and the reward of improving people's lives through better vision, this could be a fulfilling and impactful path for you.
In this list, you'll find real-world eye care business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a eye care business that makes money.
1. Eye Love ($5.4M/year)
Drs. Jenna and Travis Zigler started Eye Love as a way to generate extra cash for their eye care mission trips. Within two years, the company was thriving and they sold their optometry practices to focus on Eye Love full-time. Their flagship product, Heyedrate Lid and Lash Cleanser, has helped them grow the business from making $1000 per month to over $300,000 per month, while also giving back to their foundation, the Eye Love Cares Foundation.
How much money it makes: $5.4M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 5
Eye Love and Heyedrate, founded by optometrists Drs. Jenna and Travis Zigler, sells natural dry eye products and has grown from making $1000 per month to generating at least $300,000 per month through Amazon advertising, with a 75% point of purchase on Amazon and a 52.55% repeat customer rate, while also allocating company earnings through the Profit First system.
2. Cambridge Spectacle Co. ($1.2M/year)
After working as an Optometrist and becoming inspired by the success of Warby Parker in the US, Ahmed Ejaz decided to start his own eyewear brand in the UK. He teamed up with former John Lewis Group CEO Andy Street and drew inspiration from the city of Cambridge to create high-quality glasses at fair prices. The brand quickly gained popularity and secured a deal with ASDA Opticians, leading to rapid sales and the need to fortify their supply chain.
How much money it makes: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $25K
How many people on the team: 7
Cambridge Spectacle Co produces high-quality glasses sold directly to consumers and through ASDA Opticians, with demand leading to plans for flagship retail locations to be opened in the future, supported by friendly marketing and various tools including Monday.com, Google Workspace, and Whatsapp.
3. VUES ($40.2K/year)
Jaxx, the founder of VUES, came up with the idea for his e-commerce eyewear retailer after noticing a lack of innovation in the eyewear industry. Despite his lack of expertise in the area, Jaxx saw an opportunity to offer unique, striking designs that cater to daring individuals. By leveraging online platforms and offering customized services, VUES has been able to capture the attention of the South African eyewear market and achieve impressive growth.
How much money it makes: $40.2K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 4
VUES, an African e-commerce eyewear retailer that primarily operates in South Africa, has grown its customer base ratio to 1:7361 compared to the private Optometristβs customer base ratio of 1:4500, through its organic online community-building strategy, and plans to pivot to a more technologically-inclined product.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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