By: Jhanae Winter
There continues to be a need for stylish yet affordable prescription eyewear for all ages.
Heidi Munroe, owner of Frame’d Eyewear & Accessories, is doing just that as her business provides men, women and children with various affordable options that suit their eye needs.
“I provide glasses frames which can be taken to your optometrist to have prescription lens added, readers in various strengths, glasses chains and glasses storage cases,” Heidi said.
She started this business because both her and her son wear prescription glasses. The price to have lenses installed and purchase different frames were too expensive for Heidi to maintain even with insurance, so she did her own research and began to supply glasses on her own, she said.
With new knowledge on finding affordable but stylish frames and former business experience under her belt, Heidi started this business venture in December 2020.
“Getting started was pretty seamless. The journey has been exciting. I love shopping so sourcing inventory does not feel like a task, it's fun,” she said.
Heidi mentioned that obtaining a business license and registering through NIB proved to be an easy feat for her business.
As this is another source of income, before launching, she saved enough funds to properly plan and start the business.
She operates it from her home with options of pickup and delivery available, but she plans to have a storefront in the future for customers to shop and try-on at their leisure, she said.
“I want Frame’d to be the number one, one-stop for prescription glasses, which includes providing frames and lenses once we have your prescription. I also want to have a storefront to allow people to come in, view, try on, purchase,” she said.
Starting out with only providing glasses for women, Heidi has already expanded her business in less than a year. She also met other goals such as having 500 followers on social media, with 692, to date.
Networking in The Bahamas has proven to be a successful method for Heidi.
“I often get ‘I got your number from…’ or ‘I saw…. In a frame, do you have it?’ I was at someone else’s open house event, we got into talking about Frame’d and they told me to bring what I had inside for everyone to see. I had several sales that day,” she said.
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A sign of good business is seeing her clients continuously support her, anticipate her new releases and be the first to pick from Frame’d’s inventory.
“Clients often praise me for my business and helping them choose a frame that suits them,” she said.
Throughout her journey she maintains the vision for her business which is to outfit persons with quality stylish eyewear, helping them to see clearly without breaking the bank, she said.
Recognizing her clients needs and sustaining her customer service reputation, Heidi had to make a few changes to her business because of Covid-19.
At first she restricted people from trying on the frames, but soon realized this was taking away from the customer experience. She then changed her policies to allow try-on and would clean and sanitize after each customer.
She’s noticed an increase in sales, particularly on the weekends, as people can also browse ads and other content on her Facebook page at their leisure and purchase her items, she said.
Juggling her main and side careers, Heidi admits to the challenge of keeping up with it all and being focused while catering to business.
“Thank goodness for the Facebook Business suite and the ability to combine Facebook and Instagram. I have ads and posts scheduled to run on my pages. My evenings are spent making deliveries, placing orders, creating content, organizing inventory and ensuring we stay relevant,” Heidi said.
Through her own experience, she can say “entrepreneurship is not for everyone”. However, she believes it is important for all who wish to pursue it. The goal should not solely be about making money, she said.
Heidi’s love for what she does and providing services to her clients is her daily motivation.
“I love shopping, I love to dress up so I don’t see it as a job. I want people to look good wearing glasses. Gone are the days when you wore a simple black square frame. Let’s get into cat eyes in different colors and prints. Seeing my clients smile when they put on a frame and they love it, keeps me going”, she said.
To find stylish frames that fit your style connect with Heidi on Facebook at Frame’d Eyewear & Accessories and on Instagram @Framedeyewearaccessories
Frame’d Eyewear & Accessories, Quality, Stylish Eyewear for All Ages!
