Selling contact lenses is a highly regulated business

Running a successful business takes more than just a good idea.

Competition and regulations are big factors in determining the success or failure of a venture, and how you deal with both of these are crucial for a company's reputation.

Trevor Rowley is an entrepreneur running a successful online retail business selling contact lenses, Postoptics.

Trade has really taken off and the business has been growing at a rate of 30 to 40% a year.

Cheaper

According to Trevor, the contact lens business is ideally suited to mail order.

"People know exactly what they are buying and it is a repeat business," says Trevor Rowley.

Prices for online lenses can be more than 30% cheaper than from your High Street optician.

They can be bought in bulk and sent out to you within 24 hours of your order.

But the optical business is highly regulated.

Like the dispensing of medicine, eyecare products have stringent controls and failure to follow the guidelines is likely to cost you dear.

Trevor is a trained ophthalmic optician, and had 10 years' experience before moving into the world of mail order lenses.

Flourish

His professional qualifications have been key to his success.

Without them his business would not have been able to flourish in this country, where the law states that the supply of contact lenses can only be done under the supervision of an ophthalmic optician.

To buy lenses from Postoptics - and indeed any lens retailer - the customer must present their prescription.

Buying online means that this can't be done in person so Postoptics asks for prescriptions to be sent or faxed to them.

These prescriptions are then verified individually, which means that a phone call is made confirming all the details, which are then logged.

Prescriptions over 12 months old aren't accepted, and if the prescription can't be verified the customer's order will not be taken.

Serious repercussions

There can be no room for error when it comes to eyes and contact lenses.

Misreading a prescription and sending out the wrong lenses could have serious repercussions for Postoptics, so attention to detail is crucial.

At Postoptics there is a team of people employed specifically to check the prescriptions and then verify them with the optician.

When Trevor started the business he was criticised by many traditional opticians for "cherry picking" the easy and more lucrative bits of the business while ducking his "healthcare responsibilities".

But over the past few years, Trevor has built up good links with more than 200 opticians who he now works with on a regular basis.

Earning respect from his peers has enhanced the reputation of Postoptics - and reputation is something not to be underestimated.

Fortunate

"Reputation is critical," says Trevor. "Satisfied customers are the best and cheapest form of advertising. And for satisfied customers you need good service."

Other would be entrants into the same market have not been so fortunate.

One potential rival was taken to court by the General Optical Council for failing to verify prescriptions.

In terms of growth it would be easy for Postoptics to move into non-regulated overseas markets where supplying lenses would be less time-consuming, but that doesn't interest Trevor.

For him, at the moment, the most important thing is good customer service and consumer protection.

But what about competitors stealing business from his own UK market?

Specsavers, the High Street convenience optician, launched its own mail order lens service a year ago, and that's going to have an impact.

But the market is still a new one.

Although contact lens use itself is fairly stable, it's estimated that only 2% of users currently buy their lenses online.

Postoptics are counting on that figure growing to about 15% over the next few years.

With new competitors entering the market, are prices likely to fall?

"We want to make sure we're competitive, but convenience is the big factor," says Trevor.

"If you try and be the cheapest, you'll never succeed. It's not worth it."

Trevor Rowley has found a fast-growing niche market. He sells contact lenses online.

At the moment only 2% of contact lenses wearers buy their supplies online and Trevor reckons his business, Postoptics, has 90% of the market.

His predictions have not quite lived up to expectations - but what expectations!

He'd hoped for 50% growth and has achieved 30 - 40%.

You can understand why when you realise that lenses are 30% cheaper online than in the High Street.

Have a look at www.postoptics.co.uk to find out how it works.

Just think...

Why are contact lenses so much cheaper online than in the High Street?

Why do you think that sales have grown so fast?

Costs and competition

Postoptics set the price so that: