Today we chat to former Miss India SA International, Venetia Gopaul. A practicing optometrist by profession, Venetia runs her own eye care brand called Eyeconic Optometrists.
With a speciality in pediatric eye-care, Venetia is passionate about developmental visual health in children and she often spends her time working with schools based in KwaZulu-Natal to screen and treat visual disorders in kids.
Tell us about your business?
Eyeconic Optometrists is a primary eye care provider in the Durban area. It’s a full scope medical optometry practice with a branded Eyewear Boutique, we specialize in behavioral pediatric eye care, take a keen interest in myopia control, vision therapy and contact lenses.
What motivated you to start your own business instead of working for a someone else/ or another company?
I guess I had an idea of precisely what I wanted to achieve from the end of primary school and I had a pretty short timeline in terms of how soon I needed to achieve it. A few of my goals were to accumulate assets that could generate streams of income to find my projects and afford me the lifestyle that I envisioned for myself. I had to be able to give back to my community by assisting to fund and treat ocular disorders in children that could not afford healthcare. These goals really demanded a 110% and catapulted me into starting my own business. I knew that working for another company mean’t that there was a ceiling in terms of what I could achieve, earn and how fast I could grow whereas having my own business meant that the sky was the limit.
Did you always desire or plan on opening your own business?
Yes, yes , yes. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs it was just a matter of time in terms of venturing out on my own. The intention was definitely there, and the goal was to make an impressionable difference and contribution towards eye-care in South Africa, business quickly became the most logical solution. Where I could still experience being in practice, continuing to develop relationships with my patients, and have some control over how I could achieve my vision and incorporate my long term goal into the mix. Being an entrepreneur is a huge part of who I am, I love that every new day is a new challenge and a new lesson, it motivates me.
Tell us about your business journey?
So I don’t think I could’ve gotten this far without all the supportive people in my life and the nitty gritty things that made a colossal difference, I tried to maintain good grades throughout School/University. It wasn’t long before I started optometry school, which I attended using a trial case filled with lenses and an eye doctors ocular scope set that my grandad got me – I still have it in my practice today. I knew that I needed to understand the industry like the back of my hand and that I needed to find my niche so I took a job in another city. Being far away from home pulled me right out of my comfort zone and taught me how to engage with various types of people and how to manage various situations. I immersed myself in learning about new products and treatments in eye-care and I found myself focusing on the daily operations of running a practice and understanding the business models behind it. During this time I was overwhelmed, overworked and alone however I thoroughly enjoyed what I did. I focused on my passion for pediatrics and spent my time improving my knowledge and skillset. I saved up capital, built up my credibility with financial institutions and started off by buying an existing practice and created a brand with the support of a major optometric group. My team and I worked hard at it, patients loved the experience and product offer and we managed to double our growth projections in a year.
What would you describe as your biggest challenge when it came to starting your own business?
My biggest challenge was figuring out what worked in the area surrounding the practice and what patients in that area valued the most, it took some time and we had a few hiccups along the way, but it was a learning curve that I needed to have experienced.
What would be your top 5 tips for starting and running your own business?
Hmmmm………..
- Take calculated Risks, Start off with an existing business, it’s a lot easier to build your client base from an existing foundation.
- Do your homework to suss out the market you’re in, ensure that your products and services are premium and reigns supreme in terms of adding value to the lives of your clients.
- Remember to pray, invest and believe in yourself and your abilities.
- Keep moving forward, there’s a difference between a businesswoman and being self-employed. Work in your business for a limited period of time to provide guidance and support to your staff and team, train and equip them to handle situations the way you’d like it and keep moving forward.
- Inspire and treasure your team, make your staff feel appreciated, taking care of them will result in them taking care of your business.
How does one juggle being a business owner and having a personal life?
I guess this one is subjective and depends on the lifestyle you’re looking for. For me, being an entrepreneur means late nights spent working, early morning meetings, days without breaks and occasionally losing your mind, however it all boils down to balance and on the plus side….I get to travel, obtain fulfillment from knowing that I contribute towards fulfilling a societal need, determine my own schedule and lest we not forget the tax benefits of being an entrepreneur. Being surrounded by a supportive partner and family makes the balance between work and play effortless. My patients make being in practice an absolute pleasure and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I am a firm believer that daily affirmations manifest
So now that we know more about Venetia, the optometrist and business woman, lets find more about her style!
Your go- to outfit for a work day would be?
A pastel coloured formal shirt with a pencil skirt + occasional clinical lab coat, chunky heels and a tote styled handbag to match
Favourite places to shop?
Forever New, Poetry & YDE
Heels or flat?
Chunky Heels
Lipstick or lip gloss
Lipstick. Rimmel Matte In 610 High Flyer.
Fave thing to do to destress?
Deep tissue massages and bubble Baths. I can start and end my day with those.
Dream holiday destination?
Venice.
You can find Venetia at EyeConic Optometrists. Shop G7 Reservoir Hills Mall Durban.
Contact No: 031 262 8032 or 061 431 4686
Follow Venetia at
Instagram: @venetiagopaul & @eyeconicoptometrists
Facebook :venetiagopaul and EyeConic Optometrists.