Chapter 1

There was one thing Dan Brighton often heard people say when he was growing up and that was that all Doctors were rich. Now having hit the ripe old age of twenty seven years he came to the realization that saying all Doctors were rich wasn’t necessarily true. That was because he was an optometrist and he wasn’t rich nor did it seem like he would be.

Dan had now been a licensed optometrist for almost a year and while he was making what was a fair buck but it wasn’t going to be enough to put him on easy street. He had managed to pay off the small student loan he had taken out for school. Living at home with his parents while going to school was a big factor as to why he was now debt free. Working during the summers at his father automotive body shop had also been a big help in achieving this debt free status.

Dan was employed as an optometrist for a small national chain of eyeglass stores that was located in a small strip mall across from a large shopping mall. That large mall had three eyeglass stores which markedly reduced the amount of business conducted at Dan’s location. Since a large part of Dan’s compensation was based on the number of exams he did, his compensation was not what he had hoped it would be.

In arriving at his place of business this morning he saw that the police were directing traffic and it looked like the fire trucks were making preparations to leave. Circling the block he managed to park his SUV at the rear of the building.

Walking up to a fireman he asked what had happened. He was told there was a grease fire in the small take-out Mexican restaurant at one end of this strip mall. Dan’s store was located at the other end of this strip mall. The fire at the restaurant substantially damaged that restaurant and there is smoke damage to all of the other units in this strip mall.

In going into his place of business Dan confirmed the considerable smoke damage which was done in noticing some soot and possible water damage to the ceiling. He phoned Jerry Casey the District Manager for this eyeglass store and broke the news to him that they were out of business for now and asked him what Dan and the staff should do.

Jerry said to make sure the store was secured and stay closed for today. He said he would call Dan later with more information on what should be done.

Later in the early afternoon Jerry phoned Dan.

“I have spoken and discussed the matter with Kevin Hayes the VP of Sales. In a way this fire comes at an opportune time in that we were debating what to do as the lease for this location is up for renewal next month. The bottom line is that this store operates on a break even basis at best and for that reason we decided not to renew the lease and will close this location. I can offer you a job at the store on north Warren Street but that is good drive for you to make going the wrong way with traffic. As an alternative I can give you your vacation and holiday pay along with a two week severance package. It’s up to you to tell me what you want to do.”

“What are you going to do with the examination equipment and the eyeglass frames in the store?”

“The eyeglass frames since they can be cleaned we will keep. The equipment you use in doing exams and writing prescriptions is depreciated out and we don’t have a need for it at any of our other locations. Since we don’t need it we will probably donate it.”

“How about you keeping my vacation and severance pay and in return you let me take that equipment?”

“You want to start your own practice?”

“I think I do but I am not sure what kind of a practice I want or where I want to do it. Competing with you and those other chains is not for me since I think it would be a losing proposition. What do you say about me taking that equipment?”

“Sure, that seems fair, take the equipment and good luck to you.”

The next day Dan and his brother Terry went to the store with a rented truck and took all the equipment Dan used in doing his exams and issuing prescriptions for glasses and contacts. They also took some of the chairs and cabinets. All of this equipment was temporarily stored at the auto shop till Dan figured out what he was going to do with it.

Dan knew that for what it had cost him for this equipment it was like he had stolen it. How he was going to use this equipment was now the big question.

Needless to say Dan had a sleepless night in pondering the question of what to do. Opening a store was one option but just had he told Jerry, that to him did not seem to be a viable money making option. There were many optometrist in the area that he would competing against for business. Not only was there that but it would be expensive for him to set up shop in the area.

He remembered reading the stories in the paper and seeing the reports on TV about the Wilkinsing Foundation first doing a Physician’s Assistant program in parts of the State and recently seeing were they now were doing a mobile dental preventive program. He wondered if having a mobile eye clinic program was something that was possible to do and if so, could he do it.