Over 20 years, Nasen Udayan has transformed a half-week practice into a bustling three-room operation that turns over nine times its original revenue. His philosophy? Invest in cutting-edge technology, design an inviting space, and hire a fantastic team that loves coming to work.

Truthfully, I didn’t really know all that optometry entailed when I started studying it in the early 90s. I had always wanted to be a dentist as I was drawn to the gadgets and technology, but when I missed out, I decided to try optometry! Thirty years later, my fascination with great equipment and cutting-edge technology has become central to how I’ve built my practice at Eyecare Plus Toronto on the shores of Lake Macquarie in NSW.

When I first started, the practice had half a week of optometry coverage. Today, we have three optometrists, two working four days a week and another five days, across three consulting rooms. We only open Monday to Friday and are usually booked out a week or two ahead, with patients driving 100 kilometres or more to see us. We close between Christmas and New Year – yes, typically the busiest time for optometry – but I believe in a balanced lifestyle, and it certainly hasn’t slowed our growth or damaged our reputation for excellent patient care. And the staff love the break!

EXPANDING WITH STRATEGY

One of the biggest and best business decisions I’ve made came about 14 years ago. We were operating in the initial 57 m2 space and through investment in fit outs and technology had outgrown it.

Philip Rose from Eyecare Plus (then business development manager; now General Manager) and I discussed options for expansion.

Our location, at the main intersection in town with a lot of passers-by, meant we were reluctant to move so, when the space diagonally behind us became available, we took it. It was a bit strange at first. Patients would do their eye exams in one room, then walk across to choose their glasses. We had to run two receptions and two teams; it gave me an insight into managing a second practice.

In 2021, the spot linking the two rooms became available and I didn’t hesitate to take it. I refitted the entire practice to make it more inviting – it was my third refit, and this time, our space increased from 100 to 184 m2 .

Although we used a professional fit out company, I did most of the planning and design, knowing how I like our patient flow from reception to separate pretest rooms, consulting rooms, dispensing lab and dispensing areas. All the rooms were designed to fit the huge range of instruments and equipment we use, and all systems were linked via a network.

Patient accessibility was a key consideration. With two steps to walk into the original practice, my staff were often helping people with walkers or wheelchairs. We eliminated the steps and installed an automatic door. It was expensive, but worth it. Many of our patients are elderly, and this makes our space much more welcoming and accessible.

LEADING WITH TECHNOLOGY

We often hear about the benefits of investing in shares or property. But I strongly believe it is equally important to invest in your business; otherwise, you won’t get the return you deserve. So, every year, we invest in equipment, fit outs, and / or information technology. We run the full ZEISS suite – using the latest Cirrus 6000 with optical coherence tomography with angiography, Humphrey Field Analyser 3 with a liquid lens, and the Clarus ultra-widefield retinal camera – all linked with Forum, which also combines anterior eye images from the three slit lamp cameras.

As a behavioural optometry practice, we often use computer-based vision therapy and provide Cerium Precision Lenses for Pattern Glare, which enables us to narrow lens colours to one in 110,000 for Irlen Mears syndrome. We help patients see colour vision if they have congenital colour vision deficiencies with iRO lens. Since 2017 we have offered intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy for dry eye management, initially with E-Eye IPL and more recently, Lumenis OptiLight, which also allows us to treat facial rosacea and telangiectasia. We have Meta AI glasses and have started offering Nuance Audio glasses to help with low to moderate hearing impairments. All this draws many patients through referrals from family and friends, and from other optometrists, ophthalmologists, and GPs.

BUILDING THE RIGHT TEAM

I believe in investing in good people. Our team of 12 loves working here – most have been with us for around 10 years and recently one of our optical dispensers retired after 18 years. People often comment on how happy the place is, and they refer others – in fact, our biggest growth comes from referrals from people who we have looked after.

Having been runner up for several years, in 2024 our team managed to win the National Eyecare Plus Performance Practice of the Year Award – that’s testament to our continued investment in equipment, space, and dedicated people who deliver great service every day.

Nasen Udayan BOptom GradCertOcularTher is an optometrist and Director of Eyecare Plus Toronto in the Lake Macquarie region of New South Wales.