Client Results

"Williams Group has been an invaluable resource for me as a first-time business owner. Purchasing a private practice early in my career was a big step. There were many areas where I lacked the knowledge and confidence necessary for business ownership. My consultants helped me with every step of the process—from the appraisal and purchase negotiations, to establishing a budget and managing staff. Their resources and guidance paved the way for me to make my practice a success. Choosing to utilize their wealth of knowledge was one of the easiest decisions I made during this process."

Amy DeVries, O.D. | Fremont, Nebraska

"I've always felt that consultants in our field are very helpful. I've used different ones at different times that I felt were going to help me. At the time I heard about Williams Group, I had tried just about everybody.

"The one thing that Williams Group in particular brought to me was a real knowledge of how to organize the business and how to make the staff involved in that business aspect--to realize they were an integral part of it and that they had a responsibility in their area to make sure that area grew. Not just me trying to make me make all 5 areas grow, but that they were a part of that as well. And that's one thing I thought that Williams Group brought to the table that I think they've been very successful with.

"The taught me a lot about teaching my staff to be team leaders, about how to make better recommendations to my patients, about tracking and planning our budget and our time. They offered a lot of great programs at a great time when we really needed the help.

"The staff is really responsive to helping you. They have an intuitive way of getting to the problem at hand, helping you find it and helping you fix it. They're very attuned to helping with anything that I have needed; I don't think I have ever asked Williams Group to help me with something where they didn't say, 'absolutely, we'll get it done.' "

Neil Draisin, O.D. | Charleston, SC

“Our practice has been on a fast track toward rapid growth since day one after joining Williams Group. The individual consulting we have received is very specific and is oriented to my practice's needs and goals. Having been a member of another consulting group for several years with mixed results, I'm so pleased that Williams Group has truly helped me achieve my goals, grow quickly and move my practice in the direction that I desire. The unique individual attention and one-on-one coaching is exactly what our practice needed to stimulate growth and excitement. Joining Williams Group has been one of my best decisions, and I look forward to working with them for years to come.”

Edward Jagela, O.D., F.A.A.O. | Steubenville, Ohio

"I wasn't aware of anything that was really difficult in my practice other than somebody I knew and highly respected that was one of your earliest clients had a fabulous practice. He was a great guy, a very happy and content fellow, and he raved about his Williams Group experience. I thought it was a good enough testimonial for me, and figured I should give this a try. Revenues have gone up, and I have since moved practices, but there was an initial 15-20% surge in the first year with just very basic implementation of just a very small part of the overall whole program. We got the initial surge, and we saw a solid 10% growth per year for a number of years after that as well.

"I've always valued my free time out of the office, and working with Williams Group has made it easier to have more financial wherewithal to manage my time outside of the office. It has made the whole office more efficient in how we do everything."

Mike Bennett, O.D. | Guthrie, Oklahoma

"Before Williams Group, our management was nonexistent. Revenue-wise, things were comfortable, but there was so much more out there and we didn't know how to quantify it or what it was we were looking for. We just wanted things to be better. Revenue was probably the main reason we sought out Williams Group, and as it turns out, revenue is not what you learn about; revenue is not something that you can just go get. You have to change your philosophies. You have to change your management principles.

"You don't really have to do anything physically, you just have to change your concepts and your approach. That's really what Williams Group taught us. Take your plan for providing the highest quality eyecare and get everyone to buy into a system. Truly, what's good for the patient is good for the practice.

"We've proven that it works--we went through FastTrack in 2006, and by 2008 we had doubled our revenue at our main office. It was an amazing transformation. We couldn't have done it without the help of Williams Group."

Chad Thompson, O.D. | Beloit, Kansas

"When I was looking to grow my practice, Williams Group became apparent to me as an obvious choice. I have actually engaged them twice. Because of my belief in the relationship with Williams Group, I continue to work with my consultant on a retainer program. I can call him at any time and email him at any time and make arrangements to bounce ideas and thoughts off of him that can help make our practice better.

This retainer program is a perfect example of how customizable Williams Group's programs have been for me. At the beginning of the year we estimate how many hours we might work together and we come up with a contract and an idea that makes sense. Quite frankly, I don't want to practice without Williams Group in my back pocket; I consider them to be a very valuable member of my team that helps my practice to continue to grow and continue to improve."

Steven Wilson, O.D. | Williamson, West Virginia

"I tried to build two practices up at the same time, and I was in practice for about 5 years and was only able to build them to a certain point. Then I was really having a lot of trouble building it further because I didn't have a lot of business background. I wanted to get my practices to the point where I was making a better living and become more comfortable. That's when I contacted Williams Group to see if they could help get me beyond the ceiling that I had hit.

"Working with Williams Group, among other things, really ingrained in me some of the principles of budgeting and internal marketing. Those were concepts that I wasn't very knowledgeable or comfortable with, but internal marketing is definitely better bang for your buck and will get you more patients.

"They gave me the tools to measure my numbers, which is something I didn't do on my own. Tracking the numbers was important, and once I tracked them I could work on making them grow. My annual gross was probably about $500,000, and now I'm closer to a million dollars, which I attribute greatly to my relationship with Williams Group."

Brian Wadman, O.D. | Greenfield, MA

"After 9 or so years in a practice that I really loved, I decided that I wanted to venture out and start my own practice. I called Williams Group because I thought they were a great organization. I called them up and we had a great discussion about what I wanted to create in my life and what type of practice I wanted to have, and they painted a picture of the kind of support that Williams Group could provide for me, so I signed on at that time.

"I hadn't yet leased a space or made all the decisions that you need to make but I felt like I had the partnership of Williams Group to help me make all those critical decisions. I was assigned a consultant that I spoke with weekly--Tammi, who was amazing--and we were worked through helping to decide on location, staff, etc. Fortunately I had a patient base and some equipment I had already purchased, but it was a brand new start where I had to be responsible for everything. I had so much confidence because I had the support of Williams Group behind me.

"The very first year of business we did $500,000 and we grew steadily every year thereafter, and I really think Williams Group was a huge part of that; they helped me get started in the right away and helped me make good decisions. My experience with Williams Group has always been extremely professional. When they say they're going to do something, they do it. When they don't know an answer, they find out the answer. When I've talked to colleagues about Williams Group in the past when they've had questions, that is the first thing that has always come to my mind: how professional the organization is, how service-oriented they are, very generous. For the amount of money I put in, I always felt like I got 3 or 4 times back what I put in.

"Over the past several years, I have hired Williams Group 3 or 4 different times to help with different levels of growth we were in. I just love the organization and I appreciate them and I really think they could be of service to anyone at any phase of their practice."

Ann Voss, O.D. | Bellaire, TX

"I just wanted to grow my practice, and I'm always open to learning, and Williams Group was recommended to me by a colleague, so we went to FastTrack in Arizona. Williams Group had a new approach and offered guidance.

"I wasn't really thinking of growth as much as managing, and Williams Group offered me a whole different way of thinking about being the CEO of my own practice. Anytime you learn something new and bring it into your life, it always comes out benefitting you, and the financial outcomes were definitely something that happened.

"I had never had a budget, and it's taken me a long time to really understand working with a budget, and that's probably the biggest part of it that working with Williams Group has taught me. Also, finding the right people and hiring has been an issue, and through working with Williams Group and now the Williams Group Leadership Summit, I think it is just fantastic what they're doing. This is so different from anything that they've ever done, and it's teaching me to think differently and out-of-the-box from anything I've done before.

"I just think Williams Group, through this Leadership Summit, is offering something different. Fast Track teaches us a lot about the business management principles, and now this Leadership Summit is helping bring the human side to things. Both programs are very valuable to the Williams Group experience."

Dennis Ratinoff, O.D. | Palo Alto, CA

"Starting with Williams Group, the adjustments were a little hard to get at first, but they really revolutionized us. Management structures and looking at things differently instead of leaving everything to the doctors has helped us to develop a system where we definitely spread out the responsibilities. Everyone has really invested in the program.

"We're not even in the same ballpark of size of practice that we were before we started with Williams Group. For our area, our revenue-per-patient is very good, around $400 per patient. Williams Group taught us a lot about tracking the numbers and how important it is to really know the numbers and know what's going on.

"Our consultant, Kirk, is so down-to-earth and easygoing, and I love that the consultants invest the time to come down and do a practice visit. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Kirk.

"Doing FastTrack with Williams Group was the best decision Dr. Thompson could have ever made, because we didn't have the resources, management or leadership at the time. Our practice really needed to be updated and working with Williams Group was a wonderful, eye-opening experience."

Shelli Redden, Office Manager | Beloit, KS

"I have a fairly small practice and I was wanting to grow it some, and also to be a little bit more fulfilled. I've been in practice for about 26 years and I had a fairly high turnover rate. I was looking to keep my good employees and have more fun at work.

"What's happened since I've been working with Rick Guinotte at Williams Group is that I'm getting to be a better communicator with my assistants and I'm learning to hire more efficiently. I'm a lot more relaxed and my finances are better. Since working with Williams Group, I'm adding on to my building, I've paid off all my loans, and I've got new software. It's a really exciting time at my office.

"Today, my staff and I work together in more of a team effort. We're managing patients much more efficiently. Just training the staff and communication is really helpful at the office. As far as financially, I've spent $130,000 on equipment this year alone and I am out of debt. That's a big deal to me; it's working out very well. This is a big accomplishment for me and it's due in large part to my working with Rick and Williams Group."

Laurie White, O.D. | Dodge City, KS

"When we were decided to open our practice, we realized it was a very daunting task, so we sought several different colleagues' opinions and asked them what we needed to do. One of the colleagues we respected recommended getting a consultant. We researched different consulting firms and Williams Group seemed to be one of the best according to other professionals' opinions.

"Starting a practice is something they don't teach you in school, and once we started to build the practice (which we did before we started working with Williams Group), we realized that we were in WAY over our heads. Once we sought Williams Group, we got their help and their guidance in finishing those beginning steps. The help they gave us in getting us to the stage where we could actually open our doors was tremendous and invaluable.

"I think the best thing we took out of working with Williams Group was that all of the things that we did, we did correctly from the beginning. We didn't have to suffer through a lot of the hard things that a lot of offices have to do and learn things the hard way; we did it the easy way from Day 1."

Dustin Reece, O.D. | Concord, North Carolina

"We opened our practice just a year after I got out of optometry school, so there was a lot that I was still learning about being a doctor, and there was a whole lot of stuff I didn't know about the business aspect. We really needed the extra help. I think the term FastStart describes it well--it helped us get off to a fast start instead of just opening and then trying to play catch-up and figure out all of the things we didn't know.

"Working with Williams Group helped us be a lot more proactive about our approach to opening a practice as opposed to be reactive--had we not had that help, we would have been realizing that we REALLY didn't know anything, and trying to figure out how to fix it at that point. Instead, Williams Group helped us put practices and procedures in place to help everything run smoothly."

Payton Patterson, O.D. | Panama City, Florida

"I had lost my intensity; I had lost my enthusiasm for practice. Tom Bowen and I started talking and we came to Nebraska and did FastTrack. At that time my practice was doing about $350,000 a year. That was it. I had gotten really slack. Since that time, if everything continues the way it has been, we're going to do over $900,000 this year. And I contribute that as a direct result of the changes that Williams Group came in and made for us and with us.

"The biggest change is that the quality of my life has improved drastically because I now only work 4 days a week. I take a 3-day weekend every weekend, and we're generating in those 4 days more income than I've ever had. It's just been incredible. The quality of my life has improved dramatically. I'm not sitting around worrying about paying bills anymore, and I'm only working 4 days a week. I play golf one day a week every week. It has been absolutely phenomenal, it really has."

Coy Brown, O.D. | Waynesville, North Carolina

“Williams Group taught me everything I needed to become a successful business/practice manager. They showed me how to operate the optical dispensary, market my practice, and schedule patients for efficiency. Williams Group guided me step-by-step on how to operate the business side of the practice. Even in my first year of private practice, I estimate that I earned what I paid for Williams Group several times over – and that multiple keeps growing each and every year. Williams Group helps private practices not only remain a viable option, but also flourish in a very competitive business environment. Williams Group can and will take your talented and successful practice and make it more successful.”

Kirk Kvitle, O.D. | Quincy, Illinois

"When I was planning to open my own practice, I consulted a colleague of mine who was grossing over a million dollars a year in a 1500 square foot office. I wanted to know what he considered to be the key to his success and was prepared to write down a long list of recommendations. Instead, he told me that he only had one piece of advice: take the Williams Group FastStart Program. I was concerned about the cost of the program, but my colleague told me to borrow the money if necessary – that the program would pay for itself many times over."

"Five years later, I can say with confidence that was the best advice I could have received. The FastStart program exceeded my expectations and provided the guidance and practical advice I needed to launch my practice. I broke even within two months of opening my doors, and my practice continues to grow despite the downturn in the economy. Best of all, Williams Group has provided me the keys to a balanced life – I now have more time with my husband and our five children, ages 9 and under."

"I cannot recommend Williams Group more highly. Anyone considering opening a new practice should attend. Borrow the money if you have to; in six months you will look back at the cost of the program and consider it a bargain."

Allyson Mertins, O.D. | Fayetteville, AR

After graduation from optometry school, I decided to dive into practice ownership. I wanted to make sure my lack of ownership experience wouldn't jeopardize my financial investment, so I hired Williams Group to teach me how to think like a business owner. Now I could not imagine opening a cold-start practice without their guidance. They gave me the tools I needed to make informed decisions to build a successful practice. I learned how to analyze locations, begin marketing efforts, create floor plans for maximum patient flow and do basic practice accounting.

After the practice opened, Williams Group continued guiding and supporting me. I learned to analyze practice statistics and attended executive training twice—once with my staff. With their recommendations, my practice reached average per-patient revenue of more than $375. We continually have an 86% anti-reflective capture rate, as well as 40% transitions sales. Our pre-appoint success rate is more than 50% after only one year of implementation. Ultimately, everything Williams Group taught me falls into this philosophy: "What's good for the patient is good for the business."

Rachael Click, O.D. | Mount Pleasant, SC

"Working with Williams Group has been a tremendous experience! I now have a clear understanding of how our office is performing each day, and our staff feels empowered to solve any issues that arise. Williams Group helped us identify the biggest opportunities we were missing, and their exceptional recommendations have brought positive results. Our revenue-per-patient is up, and we are now achieving our potential for growth.

"I would highly recommend Williams Group to anyone interested in growing or improving their practice. Be prepared to work hard, follow their recommendations, and utilize the tools and information they provide. We continue to work with Williams Group and couldn’t be happier with the results."

Cindy Wang, O.D. | South Pasadena, California

“Before Williams Group our team had great camaraderie, but we were unengaged, unmanaged and under trained. We had no marketing program, no benchmarks, and no specific team objectives. Our revenue-per-patient was not where it should have been. Working with the Williams Group team took our practice to a whole new level.

Now our team is completely engaged in what we are trying to accomplish and work is more fun! We have a crystal clear plan with specific objectives, and our overall revenue is skyrocketing. Revenue-per-patient is up 28 percent in the four months since engaging Williams Group, and we expect to gain another 10 to 15 percent over the next six months. While other practices are facing major fiscal issues, our team has the confidence to move forward with tenacity thanks to Williams Group.”

Calvin Kettner, O.D. | Kelowna, Canada

“It is not how much you gross, it is how much you take home that really matters. After working with Williams Group, our net increased by 40 percent. Williams Group gave us the tools to move from ‘success’ to ‘potential.’ More importantly, they gave us a step-by-step plan to implement what we learned, and a structured relationship to make it happen. It was the best money I ever spent. I only wish I would have made the call to Williams Group ten years ago.”

Sallye Scott, O.D. | Senatobia, Mississippi

“Our practice's growth was beginning to decline, and we wanted to achieve more. So we decided to team up with Williams Group to bring our practice to the next level of success. We trusted Williams Group's experience, and we worked hard to follow every recommendation they gave us.

“The results have been tremendous! We grew by 25%, and are now on track to gross $1 million on one doctor, just 6 years after we started our practice! Williams Group helped us lower our cost-of-goods-sold, and our revenue-per-patient is up by $42/patient. We are so thrilled with our results, and we look forward to consistent growth for years to come.”

Jason Holtom, O.D. & Tedra Kindopp, O.D. | Red Deer, Canada

“We have experienced steady, double-digit growth with Williams Group over the past eight years. We grossed 3.3 million last year with revenue-per-patient of $375.00. We have also increased efficiency – our exams have doubled and our revenue has tripled.

Thanks to Williams Group, I have gone from opening cold to being one of the largest practices in Montana. It is one thing to have a big gross, it is quite another to feel good about the relationships you have developed along the way. Working with Williams Group has enabled me to focus on patient care and not management hassles. I enjoy my work, but more importantly, I am able to enjoy my family and life outside work.”

Brian Linde, O.D. | Billings, Montana

“Since my relationship with Williams Group, we dramatically increased our growth and I love talking about how much better things are – and my Vision Source colleagues have noticed! I work about 32 hours a week, but have the income of 40 hours a week. Most importantly, practice ownership is FUN again, and I can enjoy my relationships with patients and staff rather than feeling stressed.

Williams Group realizes my practice is unique. We have a relationship specific to my needs, and I can enjoy being part of a network of colleagues with the same goal in mind – taking our practices and quality of life to the next level. My relationship with Williams Group has really paid off for me – new equipment, terrific staff, and the best patient care ever. Plus, I am taking care of my financial future. And that feels GREAT!”

Michelle Valella, O.D. | Battle Creek, Michigan

“Williams Group provided help with everything from acquiring and readying a location, creating a logo, planning an initial frame board, hiring and training staff, and planning a grand opening. Every step of the way, I could call and ask questions to see what would work best. I have been open for almost a year and am so pleased. I have a great staff that is truly motivated to do what is best for the patient and therefore what is best for our practice (our average revenue-per-patient is consistently over $400). I was even voted “Best Optometrist” by the readers of the local paper. Williams Group has significantly impacted my success. I do not think I would be this far along had I not utilized their services.”

Somer Lyons, O.D. | Minden, Nevada

“It is truly my pleasure to express our gratitude to Williams Group for providing our optometric clinic with essential tools that have enabled many years of practice growth. We were new grads who had just purchased an established practice, when we signed on the Williams team. Over the course of a number of months, we focused our attention on every aspect of patient contact, from telephone technique to the pre-test area, the exam room, and the optical, and from internal marketing to external marketing. Williams Group helped us to discover that what really matters is “the patient experience.” After 20 years of practice, we are still guided by Williams Group philosophies and we continue to use the tools that we were given every day. The reward is the loyalty that’s created by providing our patients with the best level of eye care possible.”

Howard Dolman, O.D. | New Hamburg, Ontario

“After the passing of my father, I went from seeing my first private practice patient to becoming the CEO of a 35 year old office – all within eight months. I struggled through the first few years of practice and realized I needed help. I decided to hire the experts at Williams Group. After going through the FastTrack program, we experienced double-digit increases in revenue – some months we were up 30 to 40 percent. Today, my office is much more organized and efficient. We are having a lot of fun while providing better care and services for our patients. The Williams Group FastTrack program is truly something you and your staff must experience.”

Gregory Kame, O.D. | Los Angeles, California