20/20 Money Episode #275 – An optometry practice “cold start” update with Drs. Bob Steinmetz & Eric Baas, OD from iCare Advisors

Welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guests on today’s show are Drs. Eric Baas and Bob Steinmetz, co-founders of iCare advisors, a consulting firm dedicated to the success of cold start practices nationwide. With close to 350 successful cold starts nationwide and 11 practice starts between them, I was really excited to have them back on the show to talk through the “state of the cold start” marketplace—looking back on 2023 as well as looking forward (as best they can) to what’s coming down the pipe here in 2024. We spend time talking through  data that their team has compiled directly from the source—that is to say it’s not self-reported—and what they’ve learned from that data that is helping cold start ODs be successful. We also take a bit of a trip down memory lane, with both Bob and I sharing some pieces of data that we both just happen to come across in our respective archives, that show just how much optometry has changed over the years, and why that should give us so much confidence on the success of private practice into the future. We discuss rural optometric practices and what they’re observing as established practices are looking to sell and how they reconcile that with a younger OD that is faced with the decision of buying that established practice vs cold-starting in the area (hint: if you are an owner of said rural practice, we share an offer/statement you should most definitely NOT share with anyone). We wrap up the conversation with a light-hearted discussion about how both of them manage to get so much done in all of their businesses.

As a reminder, you can get all the information discussed in today’s conversation by visiting our website at integratedpwm.com and clicking on the Learning Center. While there, be sure to subscribe to our monthly “planning life on purpose” newsletter that’s filled with tips and ideas to help you plan your life on purpose. You can also set up a Triage conversation to learn a little bit more about how we serve in the capacity of a personal and professional CFO: helping OD practice owners around the country reduce their tax bill, proactively manage cash flow, and make prudent investment decisions both in and out of their practice to ultimately help them live their best life on purpose. You can also check out any number of additional free resources like our eBooks, blog posts, and on-demand webinars. Lastly, if you’re interested in learning more about the upcoming launch of the 20/20 Money Membership in January of 2024, please check out the link in the Resources to learn more about what we have in store for you! In next week’s episode, I’ll have more information on some upcoming webinars that you can attend which will give you a sneak peak into the membership and details about joining the first cohort!

And with that introduction, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Drs. Eric Baas and Bob Steinmetz.

Resources:

20/20 Money Community Information

iCARE ADVISORS

Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell

Bob’s Review of Optometric Business Article

Warming up to cold starts Part 1

Warming up to cold starts Part 2