23 Sep One
It has been exactly one month since my last post (to the day, actually). If you’ve been following along you can guess how busy and wild of a month it has been due to my lack of activity. It has been a whirlwind of triumph and tribulation to say the least. The weather is cooling down and my biking all over downtown feels a bit more appropriate – or at least Emily makes less comments when it’s under 100 and I want to bike to the farmer’s market.
There has been so much going on that I literally don’t even know where to start. This is a first for me. Not just a first business, not just a first practice, not just a first optical – literally EVERYTHING is a first. I spend the days excited about the things I do and the nights worrying about the things I did. The community has been absolutely amazing, inviting, loving, and supportive. They say you should see about 1 patient per day per month you are open and we had 5 appointments yesterday at the end of week 3. I would say that everything is going as well as it could be.
Business. That’s a whole other beast. I’m learning the ins and outs. The dos and the do nots. From understanding forms from the corporate commission to payroll processing and taxes. That’s the less glamorous side but none the less equally as or more important than what we consider fun. We have gone through some staffing changes. I’ve learned some valuable lessons on hiring that you can only learn from experience. Fortunately that has morphed into a fabulous staff! Our optician and front of house staff are both fantastic. Kim, our optician, brings close to 20 years of experience in commercial and private practice and is an absolute wealth of knowledge. Alaina, our front of house coordinator is charming, eager, and a quick study. Together the UEC team has become something I am proud of.
Construction is 95% complete. We’re ironing out the final details, correcting problems, and generally working on wrapping up. Construction happens prior to the start of the day or after we close. It has been going well but I’m excited for the final details to be completed and to finally be 100% functional. What I have found to be most challenging in the whole process is that If there a problem it’s my problem, my solution. I do love being immersed and do like to be involved with all aspects. I believe as an owner you need to be present to make positive changes. One of the main reasons I opened this practice is because it drove me crazy watching problems at other practices continue and fester rather than be corrected, low morale, and a general lack of pride. That’s not the type of business I want to be a part of. That is why we exist.
I stand here committed to the community, committed to the practice, my staff, my family. We will continue to learn, to grow, and to bring healthcare to downtown. We will continue to bring you unique eyewear and a great patient experience. Call us, text us, email us – Were here for you!