Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alona Landau and Zhanna Likhotin, co-owners of A to Z Optical, located in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are a local retail Optical practice with a part-time eye doctor on site. We have been in the optical industry since 2009, and we have a lot of knowledge and experience to share with the community. Our store is located at 2082 Ness Ave, unit 2. You can come for an eye exam in our store, or you can bring the prescription from any other doctor, whatever works best for you! We have a large selection of prescription eyeglasses for women, men, and children. We pick our frames with a lot of care; when we meet with local suppliers, we make sure to order products that customers are looking for. This way, we can provide them with fun frames, quality, and the best prices.

We love what we do, and we do it with a lot of passion. When you enter our store, you become family right away. We give service one on one because this way, our customers get what they need and want at the same time. Educating our patients is vital for us; one of our goals is for them to understand and know what they need and what they get from our Optical. We offer our services in 4 different languages, English, Hebrew, Russian and Ukrainian. This way, we have a chance to help people in our community that speak English not that well. We bill most insurance companies directly for our customer's convenience; this way, they don't need to pay upfront for their glasses. Come see for yourself and experience shopping for your next pair of glasses with us :)

Tell us about yourself

Our names are Alona Landau and Zhanna Likhotin; we are both licensed opticians and owners of A to Z Optical. We have worked in different Optical stores in Winnipeg since 2009 and have gained experience and knowledge in the optical field since then. The main reason we have decided to open our own Optical practice was that we wanted to make a difference in customer care and provide our patients with the best products and services. When we opened A to Z Optical, we let our creative minds do their best in establishing a practice that supports everyone in a custom way. We make sure that every single person that comes to us leaves with a great experience and product when they need it. Working with people satisfies us every single day! Coming to the store and knowing that we help people improve their lifestyle by providing them with the best options for their eyes makes every day a brighter day.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Our biggest accomplishment as business owners was becoming local professionals that people trust! It was not easy to start from zero and compete with the bigger optical stores around, but with a lot of hard work and a lot of commitment to our community, we gained their trust and love and became the local opticians that they trust and recommend to their families and friends. From 2019 we also established a program for senior homes, where we go into facilities and take care of their eyewear by repairing and adjusting their glasses. On top of that, we give them deep cleaning in an ultrasonic machine that kills all the germs on their glasses, leaving them clean longer. We love doing that for the seniors in our community; we came up with this project to give back to our community from our hearts ❤️

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

We found that one of the hardest things about being a business owner was dividing the time between the business and projects we had for the community and our families. We have little kids, and we found it very challenging when covid started, and daycares/schools were closed for a while. We learned to balance business and kids during the challenging times in a new way, and everything worked out well for us.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Dare to dream because dreams come true! If you have an idea and it is coming from your heart with pure intentions, that means it will come to life and will grow like a beautiful flower.
  2. Believe in yourself because what you do is unique! Believe in what you do and be committed to your actions. Don't be afraid to be different because that difference might be the key to your success.
  3. Ask for help. Look for people, mentors, or other business owners and connect with them for brainstorms. Don't be afraid to ask questions or advice and especially help when you need it the most. You will be surprised how many business owners out there are willing to help out.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

We would like to thank all of our customers that supported us from the beginning of our journey and keep coming back and sending their loved ones. We appreciate it very much, and we will do our best to provide for everyone that chooses to come to us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts 💕

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.atozoptical.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atozoptical/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_to_z_optical/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.