Business is business

Article

My son, a recent graduate of the University of Alabama’s film school, does freelance video work. It is a cool way to pay his bills, and a fella has to start somewhere. On occasion I get to be his unpaid production assistant, which is to say I stand in the background and hold the microphone.

My son, a recent graduate of the University of Alabama’s film school, does freelance video work. It is a cool way to pay his bills, and a fella has to start somewhere. On occasion I get to be his unpaid production assistant, which is to say I stand in the background and hold the microphone. No camera time for dad, which is probably just as well. I’ve been told more than once I have a face for radio.

Recently one of his gigs took us to Atlanta, where he filmed some videos of over-the-road (OTR) truckers. The pieces, designed to be infomercials for a trucking website, were interviews of OTR truckers detailing how they handle their finances.        

In essence, these OTR truckers are independent businesses. They own their trucks and deliver their loads under contract. They keep up with their expenses. They measure their production. As I was listening to them talk about their business (I was holding the boom microphone, after all), I thought of the similarities between what they do and what I do. 

The great business oracle and songwriter James Taylor once said, “Keep your overhead low and your profits high.” I heard this mantra repeated several different ways by the truckers-how much it costs them to operate per mile, how much money they net per mile. They use metrics to measure their production the same way we do whether it's cost per mile or gross revenue per OD-hour.

What it all comes down to no matter what we choose to do, be it optometry or trucking or selling hot dogs on the street, is we’re all in business trying to make a living by turning a profit. The basic formula applies no matter what business you are in: gross minus cost equals net. When you consider what their fuel costs are per mile and how much they have to spend on vehicle upkeep, you can see how these OTR truckers are really struggling to turn a profit.

In that way, they are no different than us. As optometrists, we deal with reduced reimbursements, having to work harder to make the same money. How overhead costs continue to rise as our net shrinks. I had one optometrist colleague recently tell me, “It's a wise man who can slay the overhead dragon.” I wasn't good at slaying that dragon my first go-round in practice, but you bet your bottom dollar I'm watching my costs much closer this time. I've come to realize that every dollar I save reducing my overhead is a dollar that I keep. And I want to keep as many of those little green things as I can!

So what are you doing in your practice to keep all those little green things? I’d enjoy discussing business with you. Contact me at erniebowling@icloud.com.ODT

Newsletter

Want more insights like this? Subscribe to Optometry Times and get clinical pearls and practice tips delivered straight to your inbox.

Recent Videos
What to know about legislative moves that have been made through May this year.
Rhue and Canto-Sims talk the value of contact lens patients, financial insights, and key benefits of implementing a contact lens management system.
Drs Brianna Rhue and Diana Canto-Sims discuss the benefits of implementing a contact lens management system that can help improve lens sales at your practice.
Optometrists local to the Los Angeles area overview their efforts to continue providing support to patients affected by January's wildfires.
Brianna Rhue, OD, FAAO, FSLS, reviewed key takeaways from The Future of Myopia Management: Perspectives from Leading Experts talk from SECO 2025.
Alysse Henkel, vice president of Research and inSights at The Vision Council, advised that expanding budget and mid-market frame options may help improve frames sales.
Steven T. Reed, OD, American Optometric Association's president, overviews the 2024 highlights and how the organization plans to extend success into 2025.
Walline, OD, PhD, FAAO, states that the best way to learn the benefits of artificial intelligence for your practice is to stay on top of continuing education attendance.
Practice owners testify to the importance of trying new things, not being afraid to fail, and utilizing community as a resource when starting up a new practice.
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.