Comment: Location, location, location

Whether it is Kirsty and Phil finding that dream home for a young couple or Mary Portas advising a start-up business, today it seems location is king. More importantly, for optical practices that doesn't mean finding a great place and signing a long lease, it means keeping your eyes on the planning applications and moving if necessary.

Where a practice is makes a huge difference. At one level you have a tale (see news) of an optician whose business has been ravaged by over-running roadside repairs. Reducing the pavement and surrounding area to a mud pie does little for footfall it seems. At least holes get filled eventually.