Opticians Have More Options Than You Think
Most people think of "Dispensing Opticians" and they think "Oh, that's the person that gives me my glasses."
Opticians generally work in an office where they can produce prescription lenses, fit glasses, provide contact lenses and consult patients on the products that they need. Most people don't imagine an Optician working alone, but this is definitely a field where you CAN own your own business and build a clientele of nothing but glasses and contact wearers. Carve out your little niche; find some office space and go to work in your craft. This is but ONE way you can make money because in some states you can do this kind of work as a "cottage business" and do other things to supplement your income.
If you've got big retail businesses on your area you could easily go to work at a Retail Optics chain and work "in the back" producing glasses or even out front helping customers. Sometimes Opticians will work as a part of the team or they may have the opportunity to manage the "lab" or even the store. In this way you could work a little "cottage business" out of your house or an office AND work at a retail chain and have two incomes at once.
Some Opticians attach themselves to particular Doctor's offices and work exclusively out of the Doctor's office. In this way the Ophthalmologist is able to refer people to his own office to get glasses and contacts and you are at their disposal for consultations and advice. It's not everyday that you get a chance to work side-by-side with another professional but in the "office setting" you can work with a Doctor you trust AND have that little "cottage business" at home.
If you're more the mercenary type then you might want to be an independent optician who works with multiple Doctor's offices or hospitals. There are lots of medical facilities that need someone on-hand to deal with "eye issues" and that means you as much as it means a Doctor. If you were "The Optician" then you might be working certain days during the week in one place and then certain days in another place. This is a way to get a change of scenery every now and then and, in effect, pad your income at the same time.
As I said from the beginning, a lot of people don't think of Opticians as folks who can own their own business, but you can! You can ply your trade at home, at an office, at a hospital or in a store, but you have the unique opportunity to have a "side job" where you just get to do more of what you enjoy. Even if you don't work out of your home you still have endless possibilities to produce a career that suits your lifestyle and family (and your wallet.)
