Optometry Practice Funding for Exam Equipment, Frames and New Locations

Two businesses under one roof

Optometry earns from exams and medical visits plus the sale of frames, lenses and contacts, each with different cash timing.

The exam side is service revenue: paid by patients or reimbursed by vision and medical insurance. The optical side is retail, with frame inventory purchased from suppliers, lenses ordered from labs and contact lenses sold on a recurring basis. Exams drive optical sales, so the two depend on each other.

Vision plan payments can lag, and lab bills come due before the patient pays the balance. That is why many practices keep a credit line or working capital available.

What optometry owners fund

Common requests include diagnostic imaging, exam lane equipment, frame inventory, a second location and a practice remodel.

• Diagnostic equipment. OCT, visual field testing, retinal cameras, autorefractors, slit lamps.
• Optical inventory. New frame lines, sunglasses and contact lens stock.
• Edging lab. In-house lens finishing tools to cut turnaround time.
• Space. A remodeled dispensary, extra exam lanes or a second office.
• Marketing and technology. Online booking, recall systems and a website.

Buying an existing practice is usually an acquisition loan, which ROI Funder does not place.

Payback example: adding an OCT

Estimate how many scans you perform, the fee per scan and the time saved, and compare to the monthly cost of the machine.

An illustrative example. An OCT costs $45,000. The practice performs 15 scans a week and collects an average of $40 a scan after insurance, which is $600 a week or $2,600 a month. The scans also help catch conditions earlier and support medical billing.

If financing totals $52,000 over 48 months, the monthly equivalent is about $1,080. That means the machine contributes about $1,500 a month above its cost in this example. At 6 scans a week, revenue is $1,040 a month, which would not cover the payment on its own. The clinical value is real, but the cash math should still work, so check scan volume with your own records. See our payback period guide.

Which products fit

Equipment financing fits clinical machines, a line of credit fits inventory and lab bills, and a term loan fits remodels.

• Equipment financing for diagnostic machines, 2-7 days.
• Business line of credit for frame orders and lab bills, 24-72 hours.
• Term loans for a dispensary remodel or added lane, 1-5 days.
• Working capital with same-day funding possible on approved, complete files.
• SBA loans for larger, slower projects at lower cost.

What funders review

Funders read three months of deposits, consider your credit and time in business, and look at existing debt on equipment.

ROI Funder considers 500+ FICO, 6+ months in business and $20,000+ in monthly revenue. Optometry practices usually have steady deposits from patients and vision plans. Funders also notice if frame and lab payments are a large share of outflows.

If you have an equipment loan already, say so, and share how it is being paid. A complete file is the application plus 3 months of business bank statements.

Capture rate and recall systems

Improving the share of exam patients who buy glasses or contacts from you, and bringing them back on time, raises revenue without new equipment.

Track capture rate, which is the percentage of exam patients who buy in your optical. Train staff to present options, offer second-pair deals and have frames that match your community. Send recall reminders so patients return annually.

Contact lens subscriptions and online reorders add steady income. Combine them with a clean schedule and you create deposits that are predictable enough to support planning for equipment and staff.

It also helps to keep appointment schedules full. Open slots in the exam calendar are lost revenue, so use online booking, reminders and a short waitlist. If your exam lanes are busy and patients wait weeks for an appointment, that is a strong sign that new equipment or another doctor day could pay for itself. If the schedule has gaps, fix that first.

Consider your vendor relationships as well. Frame suppliers often offer better terms on larger or prepaid orders, and lens labs may reward consistent volume. Review those terms yearly and compare them with the cost of financing before taking either route.

Keeping retail inventory productive

Track frame turns and capture rate, and stock to what sells in your area.

Unsold frames are cash on a wall. Measure how many frames you sell per exam, and trim lines that sit. If frame sales drop but exams hold, a smaller, better-curated board may serve you better than new financing. Our guide to inventory payback explains how.

Applying takes a few minutes with a soft credit pull and no obligation to accept an offer.