Today we’d like to introduce you to Aimee Reasoner.
Hi Aimee, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started working for Eyes For Kids when I was in my mid twenties studying Psychology at San Diego State University.
My optical training started when I was 18 working as an optical apprentice. Through the years, I have worked for many optical stores in various roles. During college, I was happy to find employment at Eyes For Kids since they catered to children. Around the time I was graduating from SDSU, the partners of Eyes For Kids had a falling out and were going to close the store. I went to one of the owners and told him that I was interested in running the business for him and potentially becoming a partner. He agreed and after running the business for a year, we became partners and eventually I bought him out. I was very lucky to have a partner like him. He was a mentor and a father figure.
I started working for the company in 1992. I became a partner in the company in 1996. Eyes For Kids has now been in business for over 30 years.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Running a small business is not a smooth road. It is a struggle. But it is worth the ups and downs because this job is very rewarding! I love working with the parents and the kids. I love helping kids see and giving them glasses that actually fit well. I love watching the children grow. A lot of my customers are now adults and I have fit their own children with glasses!
One of the biggest struggles is finding trustworthy, motivated, reliable employees and training them. I have been lucky and mostly hired family and friends. I have had some amazing employees over the years. But, as the owner, it’s hard to step back and “let go” and not be the one taking care of all of my customers. I am very passionate about what I do. It is hard to take time off. That said, I do take time off.
Financially, it was hard for quite a while. It was a struggle to keep the doors open for many years. We didn’t have the money to do any advertising, so we relied on doctor referrals and word of mouth by customers. There are a lot of overhead expenses, especially when you do not cut corners and want to put out a quality product. And, you want to give your customers a fair and competitive price. We have been in business for over 30 years, and I can say that we are financially stable. So, it took time, but we are there.
Through the years, we have had over 10,000 customers walk through the doors. Another struggle is educating our customers. We are not a cheap or online store. We carry quality products and stand by our product with service and warranties. We take time finding the right frame for each child and fit them appropriately. We also do a lot of strong prescriptions that other places can or will not do. We take our job very seriously.
Another struggle is running a small business and also raising 2 children. But, I did it and they are now 22 and 26.
We’ve been impressed with Eyes For Kids, Inc., but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a kids only optical store. We do not do eye exams. Parents bring the prescription to us and we fit their child with glasses. Most optical stores do not have the inventory or the training to fit kids properly with frames. We carry frames that are durable and fit well. We also do strong prescriptions that a lot of places do not process or process incorrectly. We have a very fun, colorful, welcoming office and we love seeing the kids. We see infants through teenagers.
What does success mean to you?
I define success in business as having a job that you love that helps provide for your family and giving back to the community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.eyesforkids.com
