By Manveen Bedi, OD, FAAO, FSLS
In the summer of 2021, I officially started the process of opening my own private practice cold. Six months and many details later, I opened the doors to patients. In-between came the work: I developed a business plan, outlined the specialty services I wanted to offer, met with lenders, finalized the lease, designed the space, managed construction, ordered equipment, built practice protocols and hired staff, to name a few.
Four years later, here’s a reflection of my journey, and the steps I took from day one that helped lead to my practice’s success.
1. Identify Your Unique Blueprint for Patient Care
After earning my Doctor of Optometry from the Illinois College of Optometry and completing a cornea and contact lens residency at Marshall B. Ketchum University (Southern California College of Optometry), I spent a few years focusing on two main clinical passions: specialty contact lenses for advanced corneal diseases—keratoconus, post-surgical ectasia, corneal transplants, and other irregular corneas—and evidence-based myopia control for children and adolescents.
Opening my own practice had always been a long-term goal, but the timing finally felt right when I realized I needed full autonomy—clinically, operationally, and creatively—to practice the way I believed patients deserved. Only in private practice could I decide which technology to invest in, how to structure specialty services, and how to shape the entire patient experience according to my own standards and values.
2. Do Your Homework
Putting the business plan together was rigorous. I spent months studying the local market: how many practices were nearby, how saturated general optometry was, and most importantly, where the real gaps were in specialty corneal care and pediatric myopia management. I wanted to build something the community actually needed. With my accountant’s help, we created detailed financial projections that made the plan strong enough to satisfy the bank and secure the loan.
I’m extremely passionate about systems and protocols—they set the foundation for consistency and efficiency. Even during the build-out phase, before we saw a single patient, I was writing detailed patient-journey protocols for scleral lenses, hybrid and RGP fittings, orthokeratology, and myopia control.
3. Create Protocols for Every Practice Touchpoint
Well before opening day, every aspect of the practice was mapped out:
Phone answering protocols (I wrote exact scripts, so every staff member sounded knowledgeable and consistent)
How inquiries were converted into consultations
Necessary paperwork including transparent estimate sheets, printed research summaries, and informed consent forms
The creation of comprehensive binders (physical or digital, depending on patient preference) so patients could read the evidence behind their treatment
Pre- and post-visit email templates to answer questions and reinforce understanding and education
For scleral lens patients specifically, we send a pre-training email sequence with application/removal videos and simple homework (practice with the plunger, watch the videos twice, etc.). After they passed training, they received another email with exact recommendations: which preservative-free saline I preferred, where to order DMV suction cups, dos and don’ts of lens wear, hygiene protocols, warranty details, and a clear annual replacement schedule with second-year costs. Transparency from day one built trust and compliance.
4. Hire the Right Team and Ways to Find Patients
Hiring started about one to two months before opening. I interviewed extensively because the right team is everything. I looked for people who were self-motivated, genuinely kind, and aligned with the clinic’s values. One rule I still follow strictly: hire fast when you find someone great and move even faster if the fit isn’t right. In a small practice, one mismatched personality affects everyone.
Early patient volume came from two main sources: referrals and digital presence. I created professional referral pads and faxed or hand-delivered them to every primary-care optometrist, pediatrician, and corneal surgeon in the area. At the same time, I set up:
Online booking integrated with our EMR
Built triage questionnaires so the front desk asked the right questions
Ran targeted Google Ads.
5. Strategies to Overcome Early Challenges
Of course there were plenty of challenges. Some protocols that looked perfect on paper needed immediate changes once real patients started coming in. Community needs shifted, patient expectations varied, and feedback—positive and negative—was constant. I learned to stay extremely flexible, update systems quickly, and treat every piece of patient feedback as constructive. Humility and speed of adaptation have been just as important as the original plan.
Today the practice is steadily becoming the kind of clinic I envisioned—specialty-focused, technology-supported, and centered around thoughtful patient care. We continue to refine workflows, add new technology and therapies as evidence evolves, and respond to what our patients and referring doctors actually need.
I’m grateful every day for the trust that patients, parents, and referring providers place in us. That trust is what motivates me to keep improving—clinically, operationally, and as a practice owner. Four years after opening my practice, it’s all been worth it.
Manveen Bedi, OD, FAAO, FSLS, is the owner of Toric Optometry & Optical in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Bedi pursued her Doctorate of Optometry at the Illinois College of Optometry. During her time there, Dr. Bedi was awarded membership to the Beta Sigma Kappa Honor Society, Tomb & Key Honor Society, and a life-long membership to the Gold Key International Optometric Honor Society based on her leadership efforts and academic performance. After graduating, Dr. Bedi completed a residency in Cornea and Contact Lens at the Southern California College of Optometry at the Marshall B. Ketchum University. She focused on specialty contact lens fitting for corneal pathologies, aphakia, and prosthetics. Dr. Bedi is passionate about teaching and has lectured at local optometry societies and universities. She has written articles for Contact Lens Spectrum and presented at several meetings. She is a Fellow of the Scleral Lens Society and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry
