Independent practices are judged by the public on the performance of all independents and practices need to support one another to raise the standing of the sector as a whole.
Speaking ahead of the launch of Independents Day 2015, founder and independent practitioner David Goad said he wanted to reach out to those independents who didn’t normally go to events or mix with their independent compatriots. He said, apart from the innovative speaker line-up, Independents Day was designed to bring like-minded practitioners together to share ideas and experiences and learn from one another by understanding alternative business philosophies.
‘Independents Day is about getting to the biggest number of people and getting them together so they can talk to like-minded people. There’s no obligation to buy into anything,’ said Goad. ‘It’s a meeting place to hear from other independents and hear ideas for things you could do in your own practice.’ Most people face similar issues wherever they are and this brings them into contact with other people’s solutions, he added.
Goad said there are some fantastic independents out there and while there was a loyal band of supporters for Independents Day and other meetings many never attended such events. ‘Independents have a third of the market so Independents Plc is a force to be reckoned with. We want to show them what they could be doing to strengthen their business. The general public deserves to have access to the kind of eye care that good independents practise. Let’s get our act together to give it to them. Bad independents affect us all.’
This year Independents Day will take place on Monday July 6 with a symposium, exhibition and dinner on Sunday 5. The theme for this year’s event is Riches For Niches, other highlights will include a guest speaker from the US. The event will take place at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole and costs £115 per delegate.