How I started a clinic and optical business for myself - Dr. Anson Tam

Dr. Anson Tam, Optometry Partner at Specsavers CF Markville Mall, shares the unexpected journey that inspired him to open his own independent clinic and optical business — and how Specsavers helped made it possible.

I grew up around opticians my whole life, so I always leaned towards a career in optics. It wasn't until I worked as an optometric technician for a wonderful optometrist that I became interested in the balance between clinical and optical care. I found the variety of work available to keep a long career refreshing.

After graduating from optometry school in Philadelphia, I worked in New York City before moving back to Toronto. I worked across Ontario until the opportunity with Specsavers brought me happily to CF Markville Mall.

What held you back from opening your own clinic sooner?

I’ve always wanted to manage my own clinic. I liked the idea of growing something for myself. The biggest barrier was the initial financial overhead and learning how to operate a functional clinic as a first-time owner.

I heard about Specsavers from a colleague of mine who became a partner with Specsavers. He gave me the opportunity to work as an associate in his clinic to evaluate if partnership was the right choice for me. My time there was honestly one of the most enjoyable experiences I’d had since moving back to Toronto and heavily contributed to my decision to create the same for myself. The minimal retail start-up cost, and the Specsavers partnership model, worked great for my needs and helped remove the barrier to opening my own clinic and optical store.

What do you attribute to your Specsavers store’s success?

Having Specsavers’ partnership to alleviate the heavy day to day of running a business, I feel our success comes from focusing on the small details that matter to our customers. Most recently, Specsavers ranked as the top retail employer in Canada, and it shows with our team. When they’re happy and taken care of, we know our customers will notice the difference. We make sure to ask the deeper questions with our customers and to go the extra mile to give a better experience. Getting all the information correct the first time or promptly answering calls can be overlooked in favour of larger, more visible tasks.  Customers notice the finer details, it's often these small touches that set us apart and keep them coming back.

Are there any pleasant surprises about partnering with Specsavers that you didn’t expect?

The support – when I first started, I had a lot of questions about daily operations, and I always received help very quickly. I was also surprised by the number of valuable relationships that I developed with other partners and stores that I would never get if I had continued working as an associate.