VisionPlus India

profitably. Alternately, if you see an audience for yourselves in other parts of the city or in other cities. Your audience is your niche; it’s the one that you understand and the one that understands from you. Having a lot of customers around does not mean they will become your customers. If you and your business does not resonate with the customer base of an area or city, then it’s not the place for you to be in. Create systems that will run multiple shops in your absence. It is one thing to be super busy and successful in a single shop. That is a personality driven business model. Running two or more locations is a completely different model. So, if you are successful running a single shop, but are unable to create a system that runs the business in your absence, then stick to that one shop and look at growth by cross-selling and up-selling in the same location. However, if you are able to create a team and systems that can successfully take over the day-to-day sales and operations, then spread your wings. SB : What is your idea of a good mix of collections from an inventory and display standpoint when your target audience includes infants, kids, teens, young adults, adults, middle-aged, senior citizens, etc? AK : One of the unique traits of our industry is that we cater to very diverse audiences. Age is a huge parameter of the diversity that we serve. The underlying factor is trust. The optician, one trusts for her or his own vision requirements is the one she / he would trust for the same needs of her / his entire family. Hence, we have customers from infants to senior citizens. However, the needs and aspirations of the customers at different points in their lives are different. So, we have to ensure that we have the right mix of products for each age-group. For infants, we need to have technically correct eyewear that is flexible and less prone to breakage. For kids and teens we need to have eyewear that goes beyond the functionality and is something they can feel confident and comfortable to be in. From young adults through the middle ages, one seeks eyewear that is an expression of one’s personality. It can be as diverse as being just functional to being aspirational. Designer eyewear and brand Names can be a huge influence here. While for senior citizens, the onus is more on being light in weight and comfortable. Prestigious luxury brands, is also something that can be an aspiration for senior citizens. However, the only way to find out the right mix for each of your counters, is to make mistakes and take APART FROM WHAT WORKS FOR YOUR SET OF CUSTOMERS, WHAT MATTERS IS WHAT YOU ARE CONFIDENT PRESENTING SIRAJ BOLAR Editor-in-chief, VisionPlus Magazine 46 VISION PLUS INDIA EDITION