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What are some of the driving factors that can influence a practitioner or independent optical owner’s decision to consider acquisition possibilities or other types of practice transition options? Here are two groups that offer advice to help practitioners make the right move at the right time.

Acquios Advisors Offers ODs Services for Every Stage of Growth
Acquios Advisors offers services for every stage of a practice’s growth. Whether opening a new office, securing a better sense of work/life balance or bringing in more patients, Acquios Advisors can create an advising plan that fits any business, noted Rick Guinotte, CEO of Acquios Alliance and Advisors. The group’s consulting services include partnership development, exit and entry strategies, valuation of optometry practices and succession planning. The company is not a broker and does not give legal advice, he added.





“We discuss what the client’s timetable looks like and the past three years of data to identify the office performance,” said Guinotte. “We also look at the current trends to identify how it will impact the value of the location(s). We walk our clients through each step necessary to make certain the office is where the client wants and needs the terms of the sale.

“We also walk the client looking to purchase the office each step of the way,” he said. “We show them where the office being considered has its strengths and opportunities. We discuss and guide them to see what a fair purchase/sale price will be for them to make sure they are knowledgeable to know what their cash flow will look like once they own the office, taking into consideration the loan, new lease and any new investment necessary to make the office successful and profitable for their immediate ROI as well as making sure patient retention is as high as possible.”

In 2023, Acquios Advisors worked with 17 optometrists who were selling their locations and assisted 28 ODs as they acquired a private practice.



Rick Guinotte



“As a doctor considers selling their practice, we will look at the future of the practice, create conservative projections for the business, and show the owner what they can earn in the coming years while maintaining their independence and developing their associate to take over a practice,” Guinotte said. “There are many ODs out there interested in practice ownership. We are eager to assist and network those ODs with candidates seeking positions with promise in a private practice setting. We make sure to address concerns some might avoid in conversation. We are here to help ODs in buying an established practice or selling an established practice to another OD to carry on the legacy started in the past.

“Patients are loyal not only to their optometrist but also the technicians, opticians and all on staff,” he said. “They want the individual care and attention best delivered by private practice. We embrace this mindset for the clients we help. They want the relationships; they want to be there in the community for and with the patients.

“Selling a practice one optometrist started and transitioning the practice to another optometrist is scary for many. Retirement is not an easy step for people. This should be an exciting time for doctors to sell the office and know the new owner will carry the torch forward and be there for the community it is located in.”

Additional services offered by Acquios Advisors to ECPs looking to either sell or purchase a practice include reviewing the current lease to make certain the terms are favorable and time remaining on the transferrable lease are fair and balanced, drafting of LOI’s, purchase agreements and partnership agreements, access to an in-house legal advisor to review these documents, helping to educate the client to understand the difference between an asset purchase versus a stock purchase and the pros and cons of each option; and explaining the pros and cons of seller financing versus the buyer going to a bank or other lending institution.

In selecting a partner to help with the often challenging and emotional experience of practice transition, Guinotte offers the following advice to ODs: “Plan ahead, be fair, ask yourself why did I become a practice owner, and what do I want for myself as I begin my next chapter in my life,” Guinotte said.

“Have open, honest communication with an advisor. Understand options and explore them but do so with cynicism. This is your baby. I have had clients tell me it was more difficult to sell their practice than to walk their daughter down the aisle. Can you get more sentimental than [that]?”


Vision Source NEXT Helps Private Practice ODs Plan Their Next Move
Vision Source, a network of 2,994 locally owned optometric practice locations in the U.S. with 4,500 doctors as of calendar year 2022, is dedicated to preserving the business of independent eyecare and ensuring member practices, and others like them, remain independent by delivering resources to enable practice success, said Jeff Duncan, general manager, Vision Source. To that end, Vision Source NEXT, introduced in 2018, was developed to provide pathways, resources and assistance for independent optometrists at every stage of their private practice career or practice ownership journey, whether as a student or a member looking to start, acquire, sell or work in private practice.





Vision Source NEXT provides exclusive guidance and programs to support success, Duncan noted, and since its inception has helped more than 200 optometrists open their first private practice. Vision Source has also supported its members in successfully transitioning their practices to other private optometrists. The first transition took place in 2021 between retiring optometrist Dr. Scott Lewis and Dr. Alex Tadros.





Jeff Duncan

Dr. Alex Tadros





“Vision Source NEXT allowed me to continue the legacy of Dr. Scott Lewis’ practice, while allowing Dr. Lewis the ability to sell his practice in a competitive market,” said Dr. Tadros, Vision Source member. “Without the Vision Source NEXT program, a purchase of this caliber office would not be possible. It was a true blessing to have this opportunity with a network poised on promoting private practice and a seller who truly exemplifies that same passion and desire to continue the legacy of private practice.”

As part of Vision Source’s commitment to supporting independent optometrists, Vision Source NEXT offers structured programs and resources that allow members’ legacies of private practices to continue among future generations of private optometrists, Duncan said. Members considering retirement or a career change can leverage resources such as the following:

• Guides for preparing the practice for an effective transition well in advance of the sale.

• Support in understanding the valuation of the practice and relevant legal documentation.

• Consultation and support from in-house practice financial and transaction experts.

• Assistance in identifying a like-minded optometrist to purchase the practice.

“Vision Source is dedicated to preserving and enabling the business of independent eyecare,” Duncan said. “We support this commitment through our unique combination of autonomy, collaboration, industry leadership and legacy building. Vision Source’s network of private optometrists operates with full autonomy over their practice management and clinical care. This autonomy over care means practicing within the highest levels and broadest scope of licensure, supporting best-in-class patient outcomes.

“As members of Vision Source, private practitioners have access to nationally renowned optometrist experts,” Duncan said. “Members meet regularly with leaders to take part in peer-to-peer business strategy collaboration, unlocking best practices and key learnings to drive the success of their private practice. This spirit of collaboration is one of the many reasons Vision Source’s network of private practices grows at a rate faster than the industry.”

Committed to strengthening the legacy of private practice, Vision Source supports best-in-class business and patient care practices, while introducing solutions to ensure the future of private optometry remains strong, Duncan noted. Additionally, Vision Source NEXT offers several pathways for private practice ownership, including being connected with members looking to transition their private practices or warm-starting a new private practice.

Vision Source members receive multi-level support, according to Duncan, most notably through a community of national and local optometry experts who provide consultation and expertise in all phases of business growth. This expertise is complemented by learning and development tools created by a team of renowned optometrists. Dr. Tadros, who participated in Vision Source’s first optometrist-to-optometrist private practice transition, shared his experience leveraging these resources.

“Vision Source is so much more than meets the eye,” he said. “The amazing network of doctors willing to share knowledge and insights at the drop of a hat, or the ability to reach out to another practice who has gone through the same struggles and challenges is incredible. Learning from some of the most successful doctors in the nation and having seen the compassion and genuine desire to help others is humbling.”

Duncan encourages optometrists who are considering a practice transition to connect with Vision Source, noting that support includes valuation modeling, inclusive of the trade-offs of further building profit and practice value versus transitioning the practice in the near-term. Consultants also assist in understanding relevant legal documentation, provide insights from financial and transaction experts, and assist in identifying a like-minded, private optometrist to purchase the practice.

“Our team of experts provide objective, individual consultation to help you plan for your future,” he said. “We will also walk you through critical considerations regarding the legacy of your practice, team members and the patients in your community.”

Vision Source is a part of Essilor of America, which is a division of EssilorLuxottica.