Social Media Posts Shine a Spotlight on Myopia Awareness Week

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, May 16, 2024 8:30 AM NEW YORK—This week, May 13 through 19, 2024, is Myopia Awareness Week, a global event that aims to raise awareness about juvenile-onset myopia and encourage eyecare professionals to take necessary actions. The week has been marked by a number of myopia awareness related initiatives, both big and small, as reported in VMAIL Weekend. In addition, ECPs have been putting in the extra work this week to educate their patients about myopia, both online and in person. This week, we’re taking a look at how some indies are approaching Myopia Awareness Week.

The Eye Shop

By Staff
Thursday, May 16, 2024 8:25 AM The team at The Eye Shop in Queen Creek, Ariz., reminded parents that early summer is a great time to schedule their kids’ annual eye exams.

Getting Inspired for Small Business Month

By Staff
Thursday, May 16, 2024 8:20 AM NEW YORK—May is Small Business Month, an important marker for many independent ECPs who juggle life as both doctors and small business owners. While celebrating yourself and supporting other small business owners this May, it’s also a great moment to reflect on your business, where you’ve been, how far you’ve come and what your next steps might look like. In celebration of Small Business Month, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce put together a list of 11 critical areas for business development, including a number of action items to help business owners get started.

Small Business Marketing Is Simplified With New AI-Powered Campaign Planning

By Staff
Thursday, May 16, 2024 8:15 AM Campaign Builder from Constant Contact offers a new way for small businesses (SMBs) and nonprofits to automate their marketing. Campaign Builder leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies, like the company’s customer data platform (CDP), to automatically generate turnkey, multi-channel marketing campaigns for SMBs in minutes, according to the company’s announcement. Campaign Builder leverages Constant Contact's AI platform, along with best practices from its decades of experience as a digital marketing pioneer, to automate the areas where SMBs are most likely to get stuck—creating content and choosing the right channels to reach their audience.

Dr. Jennifer Wademan Strengthens Her Optometry Network on Social Media

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, May 2, 2024 8:30 AM FOLSOM, Calif.—Small business owners hear it all the time: social media is a nonnegotiable item if you want to grow. But the prospect of getting started can be daunting. What platforms should you be on, and what should you be posting once you’re on there? How do you gain followers and find a community? And what value is all of this offering both to you and your patients? For Jennifer Wademan, OD, jumping into social media was a slow but steady process—and one that has ultimately grown into a career-changing and life-altering move.

The Vision Gallery

By Staff
Thursday, May 2, 2024 8:25 AM The team at The Vision Gallery in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, celebrated Employee Appreciation Day.

Healthy Vision and Mental Health Awareness Intersect This May

By Staff
Thursday, May 2, 2024 8:20 AM NEW YORK—May is Healthy Vision Month. This year, because it overlaps with Mental Health Awareness Month, the National Eye Institute (NEI) has dedicated Healthy Vision Month to “shining a light on vision loss and mental health—and sharing steps people with a visual impairment can take to thrive in their daily lives.” The NEI noted, “The United States is facing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation with half of adults saying they feel lonely. That’s why Healthy Vision Month 2024 is focused on helping people with a visual impairment know how to access vision rehabilitation services, mental health support and social connection.”

Revitalizing Local Communities With the ‘Main Street Approach’

By Staff
Thursday, May 2, 2024 8:15 AM Main Street America, an inclusive, impact-driven movement dedicated to reenergizing and strengthening older and historic downtowns and neighborhoods, has announced that 1,188 programs have achieved designations as Main Street America programs in recognition of their commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach. The 2024 network of designated Main Street members includes 800 programs that earned accredited status—the organizations’ top designation tier—for demonstrating a proven track record of achieving outcomes in alignment with the Main Street Approach and exceptional performance in the six standards of community evaluation.

Indies Look to the Skies for the Eclipse

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, April 18, 2024 8:30 AM NEW YORK—Last week, millions of North Americans turned their eyes to the skies for a solar eclipse—total for some, partial for others, but special for all. Leading up to the big day, ECPs spent months educating their communities on how to watch the eclipse safely, and when the eclipse finally arrived, they were able to enjoy watching the astronomical phenomenon with proper eye protection. Here, we’re taking a look back at how indies watched the solar eclipse.

Jackson Davenport Vision Center

By Staff
Thursday, April 18, 2024 8:25 AM Office mascot Tag is ready to welcome patients at Jackson Davenport Vision Center in Charleston, S.C.

Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month on Social Media

By Staff
Thursday, April 18, 2024 8:20 AM NEW YORK—April is Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month, offering 30 days to focus on the eye health-related issues that women around the world face. As reported in VMAIL, more women than men live with vision loss, and women have a higher prevalence of age-related macular degeneration, cataract, dry eye, glaucoma, refractive error and thyroid eye disease. As always, Prevent Blindness is offering free resources, including fact sheets, shareable social media graphics, educational videos and web pages, on a range of eye health issues that predominantly affect women this month. On the local level, many ECPs use social media to spread important eyecare messages to women.

U.S. Small Business Administration Launches Digital Hub to Connect Small Businesses With Major Funding

By Staff
Thursday, April 18, 2024 8:15 AM The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced the launch of the SBA’s new Investing in America Small Business Hub, a digital portal that provides industry-specific resources to help small businesses tap into new and existing opportunities. “The SBA’s new Investing in America Small Business Hub will help more small businesses connect to the resources, funding opportunities, and support they need to capitalize on these opportunities and strengthen their businesses,” said administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the SBA.

Indies Celebrate World Optometry Day

By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, April 4, 2024 8:30 AM NEW YORK—The week of March 17–23, 2024 was World Optometry Week, culminating in World Optometry Day on March 23. With the theme “Advancing Optometry’s Commitment to Global Eye Care,” World Optometry Day aims to shine an annual spotlight on the profession of optometry and the contribution of optometrists worldwide to increasing access to eye health care as a human right, as reported in VMAIL. Here, we’re recapping how some independent optometrists across the country celebrated their profession’s special day.

Eyes on Trade

By Staff
Thursday, April 4, 2024 8:25 AM The team at Eyes on Trade in Winston-Salem, N.C., was excited to receive a 3D printed nightlight featuring their storefront from a patient.

Preparing for the Eclipse

By Staff
Thursday, April 4, 2024 8:20 AM NEW YORK—Next Monday, millions will turn their eyes to the sky for a solar eclipse. For those in certain areas of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, the eclipse will be total—but a partial eclipse will be visible throughout the entire continental United States. For ECPs throughout the country, reminding patients about the dangers of watching the eclipse unprotected has been a central focus for the past few months, as reported in VMAIL Weekend earlier in March.