Verizon programme helps Florida optician grow revenue

Boutique optical retailer The Optical Experience increased revenue by about 20% after owner Destynee Turner adopted new budgeting, automation and customer retention strategies through Verizon's Small Business Digital Ready programme.

Turner, who runs the West Palm Beach, Florida-based business, said the programme helped her improve how she managed operations, retained customers and planned around seasonal demand. The changes also reduced time spent on manual administrative work and supported a more structured approach to marketing and inventory management.

The Optical Experience operates as a boutique optical business combining a retail shop with one-to-one appointments, mobile services and on-site telehealth eye exams. Turner launched the business after working in large-scale optical retail and wanting more direct control over the customer experience.

Revenue growth

Turner said one of the biggest changes came from learning how to manage the business's finances more deliberately. Before taking part in Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, she had accounting software in place but was mainly using it to log expenses rather than to guide business decisions.

A local business group introduced Turner to an in-person Verizon Small Business Digital Ready event, where she was shown a budgeting framework she later adapted for her own business. That framework helped her break down profit into different categories, including operations, inventory and owner pay, and identify areas where spending was not generating a return.

She said that process led her to cut back on networking events that were not directly contributing to growth and to focus spending on activities more closely tied to business outcomes.

"It's really cool when you implement the knowledge from these courses and can actually see things changing and growing," said Destynee Turner, Owner, The Optical Experience. "Having tools like Digital Ready, with all these experts willing to share this information, is gold."

Turner said customer retention also became a stronger focus. One change was the introduction of automated annual check-up reminders for clients. She had previously managed reminders through spreadsheets, which required manual follow-up. Moving that task to an automated process reduced administrative work and encouraged more repeat visits from existing customers.

According to Turner, the switch saved about three hours a month and contributed to revenue growth by helping bring customers back for appointments and purchases.

Retail model

The Optical Experience was launched as a mobile eyewear service in 2018 before Turner opened a physical store in 2022. The retail location was built around a more personalised model than the one she had experienced in previous roles in larger optical businesses.

Clients visiting the store complete a lifestyle questionnaire, and Turner pre-selects frames based on their preferences before the appointment. Eye exams are conducted on site through a telehealth appointment with a licensed optometrist. Appointments are handled one-to-one rather than through a conventional retail floor model.

Turner said the business was designed to create a service structure that matched the type of care she wanted to provide.

"I've literally created my own lane," said Turner. "There are people who have mobile opticals and there are other opticians who have shops, but they're nothing like mine."

That model also shaped how she approached operational changes. Rather than expanding headcount or changing the format of customer appointments, Turner focused on back-office efficiency and retention.

AI and automation

Turner said Verizon's Digital Ready programme also helped her become more comfortable using artificial intelligence tools in the business.

One example was inventory processing. When new frames arrive, Turner photographs the SKU numbers and uses AI tools to turn that information into an inventory spreadsheet. She said that task had previously taken up time she would rather spend with customers.

The use of AI sits alongside other changes to the business's day-to-day operations, including the automation of reminders and a more structured social media approach. Turner said Digital Ready courses helped her shift from ad hoc posting to a more deliberate content strategy, which improved engagement across her channels.

The programme also influenced how she thinks about seasonality in the business. Turner said summer had initially been a difficult trading period, but the training prompted her to map out lower-demand months and plan promotions around them in advance.

She said that planning now helps support revenue during quieter periods and gives her a clearer view of when to invest in marketing or step back and reset.

Expansion plans

Turner is now studying towards a doctorate in optometry and plans to keep the business operating while she completes her training. She said she eventually wants to open a second location in her community while continuing to build on the business systems she has already put in place.

For Verizon, the story reflects how the company is positioning Digital Ready as a support programme for small businesses looking for practical guidance on finance, digital tools and operations rather than only connectivity products.

Turner said the business training has strengthened her long-term ambitions while helping her run the shop more effectively in the present.

"I want to grow as a business owner," said Turner. "I might not have a million stores, but the people I help, they love what I do. That's what carries me."