Thinking Allowed

About the Book

The past thirty years has seen major changes in both the optical retail and wholesale sector. Where privately owned businesses are working hard against the seemingly relentless tide of commercialism. What do we expect when professional buyers, marketers, trainers and advertising agencies come face to face with the clinician running their privately owned enterprise? The thing is the challenges are essentially the same for any business. To find people who want to buy what you have to offer and keep them coming back for more, which is all about information, communication and education. Commercial skills are not taught at the Universities and Colleges for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians. But they can be learned, quickly. Here are the secrets you were never taught at University. You’ll discover necessary mind set, the myriad choices and opportunities that are open to you today and tomorrow. You’ll understand how everything is interlinked. ‘Thinking Allowed’ is the book you read before you spend a single penny on marketing, advertising, websites or social media. It’s the book you read if you have ever thought: “my business is stuck” or if you think: “what do I do next?”. Thinking Allowed offers a menu from which you can pick and choose what’s right for you.

About the Author

I grew up in Churchdown, which was then a small village situated between Gloucester and Cheltenham where the local grammar school had just converted to a Comprehensive. and then it was onto Leicester University to read politics, comparative governments, philosophy, economics and International relations. Rugby was a major part of University life. After a brief sojourn in The City Of London, it was back to Gloucestershire to begin a career with The Norville Group, which is where this book began. Selling frames in the North west of England morphed into selling optical machines and lenses into the wholesale and distribution channels which took me into the Board rooms and offices of many major retailers and introduced me to lens suppliers from all over the World. In 2004 with a partner, I bought a small wholesale lens distribution business. In 2009 Performance Lenses Ltd was born and is currently a member of UK trade association; The Federation Of Manufacturing Opticians. During which time I was elected Vice Chair and subsequently Chair of the Lens Focus Group. The work of this committee is fascinating. I shall miss it.