“Motivating the team is really important”

6.30am

I usually get up around half past six. I’ve got gym equipment at home, and I try to spend at least 20 or 30 minutes doing a bit of exercise. I feel really energised afterwards.

My wife works with me, as one of the optometrists in the practice. We get ready, wake our daughter up, and then give her breakfast. It can be a bit of a struggle sometimes, with a three-year-old, trying to negotiate what she wants to wear. I usually look at my phone as soon as I’m ready, to see if there’s anything that I need to deal with first thing.

8.00am

We drop our daughter off at nursery, and head into work. My wife drives, and I’ll catch up on emails on the way. That’s how my workday starts.

8.30am

I get in for about half past eight, and usually our management team is in around the same time. I’ll ask the team if they want a coffee, and then we’ll catch up. If it was my admin day the day before, I’ll see if there is anything I need to deal with. I’ll also make sure everything is in order for opening the store: retail standards, and making sure the frames are correctly merchandised.

8.45am

We’ll then have our daily huddle with the wider practice team. Motivating the team is really important. If there are any wins, any feedback from customers, or anything else to praise our colleagues with, we’ll mention it. The practice opens at 9am.

10am

As a dispensing optician, I work on the shopfloor, and I have patients booked in to see me. I think the team appreciate having a director working alongside them. It’s good for me too, because I can see how things are panning out, if there is anything that needs improving, or if there are any training requirements for the team.

I really enjoy interacting with the customers. Because the store has been established for so long, and I’ve been there for almost 15 years, there are regular customers who are like family. They have been coming for years; they bring their children and their parents. It’s nice to show them that the business owners are present. It’s about building that rapport and loyalty. At the end of the day, we’re there to help our residents in the community.

“I think the team appreciate having a director working alongside them”

1.30pm

Usually, I try to take my lunch between one o’clock and half past two. It depends on how busy we are. Sometimes my colleagues will book patients in to see me, and they’re only available during their own lunch break, so it’s a quick lunch.

I’ll have some fruit and a sandwich. I eat as much fruit as possible. I like to go for a walk – it’s important to get out of the practice, to recharge and get some fresh air. I walk around the town for 10 or 15 minutes. I know quite a few of the local business owners, so I pop in and speak to them. It’s showing my presence around the area. It gets me away from work and the normal tasks, to refresh my brain and mind so I’m ready for the afternoon.

2pm

My first tasks of the afternoon include making sure I’ve completed any outstanding tasks from the morning, and checking the afternoon clinics. I’ll also have a catch up with my management team and supervisors around any outstanding customer orders, or anything that has been delayed, making sure that the customers have been made aware of any issues.

3pm

Unfortunately, we don’t have any enhanced optical schemes in place in Leicestershire. This is a conversation I had with the local MP, who was the shadow health secretary at the time, when he visited the practice. Most of our optometrists are qualified in independent prescribing and have got higher glaucoma certification. They’ve done a lot of these extra qualifications, but we can’t put it into practice much because there are no schemes in place.

The Leicester Royal Infirmary Is under a lot of pressure, struggling with the volume of cases they’re seeing. It would be very helpful, not just for them, but also for patients, to be able to access those services in the community. There are a lot of patients who are unwilling to go to the hospital.

It’s a bit of a shame, but we do what we can: we offer private enhanced optical services, and manage what we can in practice. It would be great if more enhanced services were in place.

5.45pm

I’m usually in until the practice until about quarter to six. It depends on childcare arrangements, and who is picking my daughter up from nursery. If I’m able to, I’ll stay until the end of the day.

“We offer private enhanced optical services, and manage what we can in practice. It would be great if more enhanced services were in place”

8pm

Usually, once I’ve picked up my daughter, given her some tea and given her a bath and got her ready for bed, I’ll have a quick look at my emails, and then we’ll usually sit down and watch a box set or something on Netflix. At the moment we are watching In Flight, on Channel Four.

Being Indian, I love my curries. We’ll make a curry at least once a week. Hopefully, my mum makes something and sends it over.

9pm

I’m quite busy, so I don’t really have any hobbies during the week – it’s mainly spending time with family.

I do like stand-up comedy, so whenever someone worth going to see is in Leicester, I’ll try to get tickets. I’ve got a group of friends who enjoy stand-up comedy as well, so we’ll all get together and go and see whoever is in town.

11pm

You never clock off, as a business owner. There are always emails or something else to deal with. When you’re working in store, sometimes you struggle to get admin done. Those tasks are usually done in the evenings, but I do try to protect time with my daughter. I don’t really want to be doing any work, especially because I don’t see her all day. The time I do spend with her is very short. I try to make the most of the time I’ve got with her and my wife. Because of that, sometimes I am up working until 11 o’clock or midnight.