Marketing for Opticians Facebook group (private): This groups purpose is to discuss ideas and experiences of marketing in optical. Whether it be a product, service, event or other, we should all share our ideas to better each other.
NCLE Contact Lens Training Facebook Group (private): This group is for those seeking NCLE certification as a contact lens technician. After joining the group you will have access to hours of free contact lens training videos geared towards helping eye care professionals pass their NCLE exam (or as a refresher for those already certified or seeking advanced certification). This group also serves as a study-community to educate on topics encountered on the NCLE exam.
Opti-Board Facebook group (public): The Premiere Online Community for Eyecare Professionals.
Optical Bar Facebook group (private): The some-what classy and very sassy group where you can network for your brand and services, show off your store and preferably drink a bit while you do it! Set the quality bar high, even if the dialogue is low! This is a group dedicated to quality eyewear and the discussions around such. We are endeavoring to create a group where everyone can feel free to post and comment. This is a network and we want to connect people with products and information centered around quality products, services and quality eyewear.
Optical Guild Facebook group (private): This group will be an ongoing building process in learning optics. We want to welcome any and all questions no matter their level of competence. We are all learning and yet can all teach. There will be some that have been in the field for 20 years and some that may be just getting in the field this week, knowing that and respecting where somebody is at in their knowledge is important. That said we need to also understand that there is a right answer and a wrong answer, do not get your feelings hurt for being wrong, it’s how we learn.
Optical Independence Facebook group (private): This is a group for private practice independent Optical industry people including Opticians, Optometrists, OMDs, Practice Managers, Frame Buyers and Manufacturers with an emphasis on the dispensary, business and optical practice management. This groups exists to help independent optical providers and suppliers to grow and prosper from with the goal of increase patient satisfaction, patient referrals and overall business in a professional manner.
Optician Network Facebook Group (private): I thought it would be helpful to have a place to ask for advice, ask questions about new products, inform about new products, share job postings, or share a learning experience. My hope is that this group becomes a useful resource for all of us.
Opticians on Facebook group (private): A place for Optician’s to seek advice from their fellow colleagues. When joining Opticians on Facebook we may Private Message you to verify your optician status. Please check messages. We are all here to learn, seek advice and have a good time. Let’s keep it fun.
Optical Heritage Museum: Established in 1983, the Optical Heritage Museum has one of the largest collections of Spectacle Frames and Ophthalmic Optical items in the world. The Optical Heritage Museum is dedicated to the preservation, education and research in the history, growth, culture and contributions of the optical industries from the 19th Century to the present. The Optical Heritage Museum is located at 12 Crane Street, Southbridge, Massachusetts. The Optical Heritage Museum is open Wednesday – Friday 10.00am to 4.00pm or by appointment.
20/20 Magazine: As the world’s leading optical publication, 20/20 inspires eyecare professionals, advertising clients and eyewear consumers to successfully brave the exciting and ever-changing scenario of eyewear and sunwear. With 40 years of optical expertise, 20/20 continues to establish itself as an invaluable source in delivering the best in fashion trending, branding, style, lenses and technology, product news and continuing education with a unique and personalized delivery. In a powerful blend of print, digital and social media, 20/20 energizes the optical arena with bold images, striking eyewear and an up-to-the minute editorial point of view.
Eyebook Magazine: Eyebook is an essential tool for frames addicted: our readers are all the people who think that a frame is a way of expression, not just an accessory.
Eyecare Business: Eyecare Business is dedicated to delivering the most cutting-edge, retail-focused business-building information specifically for eyecare professionals today. Our goal—to provide ECPs with the real-world tools they need to thrive in business, packaged in a highly engaging, user-friendly format that is sophisticated and style-focused. The established leader in delivering the most usable information for eyecare professionals, Eyecare Business has been serving ECPs for more than 30 years with its intelligent blend of form + function.
eyestylist: Eyestylist offers an independent, personal perspective on current eyewear design. Our site is the culmination of many years spent researching eyewear, its evolution and the creative techniques used today for the production of quality frames and sunglasses. Our goal is to share the diversity and uniqueness of the many independent labels now specialising in frame design, with exploratory reviews of individual styles – both in the optical and sunglass categories.
INVISION Magazine: Launched in January 2014, INVISION has quickly become the favorite magazine of more than 30,000 eyecare professionals in the United States. With your free one-year subscription, opticians, optometrists and ophthalmological businesses can get 10 issues stuffed with innovative ideas for running your store or practice.
LYF Magazine: LYF, acronym of the French Les Yeux Fertiles, was founded in 2009. It is not just a magazine but a pathway, an evolving laboratory, a nonchalant dialogue in which different personalities come together, telling their stories, each contributing their own individual poetry. LYF contributes research and innovation with an often ironic and offbeat look but always attentive to the latest trends in eyewear design and new avantgarde creativity.
Review of Optometric Business: Review of Optometric Business is an online publication designed to provide the optometrist with a tool set to manage and grow the practice as a business. The better your business practice does, the more income you have available to provide better clinical care — to hire more staff, to purchase better equipment, to expand the physical location of the practice. We welcome your ideas, in written form, in photographs, in videos and in still-emerging technology formats. As you share your insights and strategies with other readers, our collective knowledge base grows.
ROWT Magazine: We are here to help you make some noise and build a community where “Reps and Opticians Work Together.”
SPECTR Magazine: SPECTR Magazine, our website, and social media initiatives are the result of a creative group effort. Next to contributions from our regular team members, SPECTR features the work of a multitude of free creative agents, some of whom have become a constant presence over the years. This segment is dedicated to showcasing some of the creative minds that lend the magazine its distinct look from issue to issue.
Vision Monday: Vision Monday in print delivers in-depth stories on the hot-topic issues facing the optical industry today. With a strategic subscriber base of approximately 20,000 readers from the industry’s most important businesses, Vision Monday’s easy-to-use format enables readers to quickly pinpoint issues and developments pertaining to their specific business needs and interests. Each month, Vision Monday’s editorial team presents practical business applications that help eyecare professionals identify and purchase the best new products and understand the issues behind the news.
Luxury Eyewear Forum online magazine: LEF is the beating heart of the independent luxury eyewear movement. We are the central hub to find designers, stores, blogs, news, careers and the most original and beautiful eyewear on the planet. Our mission is to create a clear distinction between mass produced licensed eyewear and the real deal – purely designer driven and unique handmade eyewear creations! Use our amazing website to learn about the creative world of the true independent eyewear movement…the designers, manufacturers, stores and boutiques.
TEF (The Eyewear Forum) Magazine: The international eyewear bloggers and journalists of The Eyewear Forum keep you up to date on everything that’s hot in the world of independent eyewear.
The Optical Journal: The Optical Journal is the award-winning, most visited, optical news and fashion magazine website in the world. We invite you to subscribe to our weekday email for the latest news and exclusive optical content.
Women in Optometry: Women In Optometry provides ideas and inspiration to help women ODs be more successful in practice growth, patient care and life/work balance.
If you know if any other resources not included on this list, let me know here so I can get it added!