Optical Express touts joint-venture scheme

Practitioners and store managers keen to become franchisees of a nationally known multiple will have their chance next month.

Optical Express is to step up its interest in franchising its outlets with a series of national presentations to encourage joint venture partners in 50 of its existing outlets, and at several new location openings as well.

The Cumbernauld company, which announced its intentions to create joint-venture opportunities exclusively in optician 12 months ago, has been piloting the idea from 2004-2005.

Now, chief executive David Moulsdale told optician this week, the business intended to offer the opportunity to optometrists, dispensing opticians and store managers.

'We're hopeful of getting significant interest from both inside our company, and elsewhere too,' he said. 'We intend to invite every registrant in the GOC's register to these evening events.'

Moulsdale said there would be nine or 10 'roadshow presentations' explaining the opportunities of joint-venture partnerships which the Scottish company offers.

Two will be held in Scotland (Glasgow, and Edinburgh or Fife) with other venues including Manchester, Birmingham, London, the south coast and the Bristol area.

'We've tested the financial  viability of joint-venture partnerships in pilot projects and it's been successful,' said Moulsdale. 'We envisage a two-
month process from when we meet a candidate to the individual becoming a full joint-venture partner.'

The company is also planning a 'testing centre' for interested individuals, he said, which would help coach and support staff before they established their franchise.

'We've identified 50 locations where we believe this project will work in our established outlets, and there are a few - such as Inverness and Bluewater - which are new locations on offer.'

The roadshow presentations will start in mid-April and run until the start of May.