Acquios Advisors
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Over the past year I have used Acquious Advisors to help me navigate a practice buyout. Everyone at Acquios was phenomenal. Rick was constantly there to offer me the guidance and support I needed during this time. I am a fairly recent graduate from optometry school, and taking the leap to practice owner was one that I really struggled with. Rick and the rest of the team ran detailed financials on the practice I was buying, and made me feel so much more comfortable moving ahead with the purchase. Not only did they help me complete the buyout, but they also helped with the transition. They walked me through everything from coming up with an employee handbook to having to fire an employee.  Rick got to know me and my practice. I look to him not only as a trusted advisor, but also a friend. I would highly recommend Acquios Advisors to anyone looking for assistance in purchasing a practice or needing guidance in running their practice.

Rick’s been in the industry for a very, very long time. He used to work in optometry, so he’s seen it all. He knows everything in the field when it comes to vendors, staff and different optometric companies – and he’s worked with so many doctors across the nation for so long that I can go to him with any question and he has an answer for it, or he can get an answer for me very easily. He brings the nation’s optometry experience to my practice. That’s powerful.

I’ve worked with Rick [since 2009], and he truly understands our business. He gets it. We’re trained as clinicians, but we need help with the business aspect of eye care. Rick is our coach, adviser and advocate. If you’re thinking about working with Acquios, sign up. I know you’ll be happy with your decision.​

We partnered with Acquios Advisory Services last year after receiving a glowing recommendation from a friend and fellow OD in Texas. From the very first meeting, working with Ellie Rogers has been an absolute game-changer.

Ellie brings a wealth of experience from consulting with optometry practices of all sizes. Her deep understanding of the industry has helped us identify and implement smarter, more efficient practices across our business. One of the most impactful tools she introduced us to was a comprehensive Excel tracker that gives us clear visibility into our revenue and cost trends. Ellie has an incredible ability — like a skilled physician! —to interpret the data and guide us toward the right decisions.

Another invaluable resource she directed us to was the staff development section of the Acquios website. We recently brought on a new team member with no prior experience in eyecare, and the educational training videos helped her get up to speed quickly. It saved us countless hours of training and set her up for success from day one.

We would highly recommend this service to any OD who is looking to improve their practice.

We would like to thank Rick and the entire team at Acquios Advisors for all their help during our practice transition. Over a year ago, my wife and I purchased an optometry practice. Rick and his team did an excellent job guiding us through the acquisition, hiring staff, and putting systems in place. In addition, Rick was able to help us understand the financial side of the practice. They are consistent with their communication with us and are always available when needed. We highly recommend Acquios Advisors to anyone that is purchasing a practice or wants to take the steps to improve their existing practice!

I have worked with Kirk for more than 5 years. He has helped us place a real-time budget in place that has become the bible for any fiscal decisions we make for our practice. Kirk has made site visits to our office and has been helpful in organizing our staff to be more structured and productive. He has also been helpful in increasing staff morale. He’s quick to respond any time we have a question or concern and has been helpful in solving any problems that occur. He is very adept in all aspects of our optometric practice and has been very helpful in any management aspects. He has been a lifesaver.​

As we know, most people are more inclined to post a bad review vs a good one. So I wanted to take this time to tell you both how much I appreciate your time and invaluable insights for my practice. Like good small businesses, you both provide personalized and customized care. I feel that on every phone call. I thank you for opening my eyes to opportunities. And I look forward to building a better business. Rick and Kirk don’t just provide you benchmarks but help you change the way you look at your practice​.

I am so thankful that I chose to work with Acquios. As an upcoming new business owner, there have been so many questions and areas of the business that I honestly have had no knowledge about. Kirk and Rick have been incredible. They respond so fast, had the best financial terms of any I had seen, and have already helped me save so much money in the negotiations. The biggest thing that sets them apart for me is how personable and kind they are. So many others I have talked with have been stuffy and intimidating and just made me feel inadequate. I have never felt anything but encouragement and support to my unending questions. It’s a small business that truly seems to care about ME and MY practice and not just a financial venture for them. I feel like they are both my advising team, colleagues and friends. It is by far the best business decision I have made as I know it will continue to positively impact every aspect of my business in the future. I can’t wait to see where this new venture leads!​

Just wanted to tell you thank you. I would be way too nervous to make these big decisions and move forward without your business expertise. I can feel confident growing and moving forward because of you! Thank you. Have a great day!

We had the great opportunity to work with Kirk Kastens on multiple levels as a cold start practice. He was phenomenal in strategizing our next step and developing a system to make us productive from the start. We received terrific help with budgeting, goal setting, hiring, and patient scheduling as we continued to grow. Kirk’s extensive experience in “real world” private practice was a tremendous asset to help us turn a dream and a vision into a reality. We found it easy to communicate and relate our needs, which enabled us to put a plan in motion. We would definitely recommend Acquios to help with your current needs and your future growth. Top notch!​

[Since 2013], I have had the privilege of working with Kirk as I start my own optometric practice. Kirk’s mentoring and knowledge of the field have been instrumental in my growth over this first year. He is very professional and maintains a positive attitude in stressful situations. I get asked all the time about the one thing that I would recommend to someone starting their own practice, and the first word out of my mouth is always a good consultant. Kirk has helped me build the team, materials and confidence I needed to make my practice a success.​

I highly recommend Acquios Advisors for private practice advising needs. The advisors are extremely knowledgeable and have many years of experience. They are always available to provide useful advise and feedback no matter how big or small the issue you are facing as a practice owner. I always feel better after speaking with Rick. He puts things into perspective, provides great guidance and recommendations that make sense for our situation. I appreciate everything he has done for our practice over the years and we will continue using Acquios Advisors for many more.

Rick is so personable and down to earth, but practical as well. He’s helped us with the business side of our entire practice, using his past experience to provide us with good insight and feedback about everything from finance and budgeting to the products we sell. He’s taken a vested interested in our future – you can tell he really cares and wants us to succeed. I appreciate both his extensive knowledge and his sincere approach.​

Rick’s philosophy matches up with our own, and his recommendations are time-tested and proven to produce results. He has so much experience with many different kinds of optometry offices and the problems they all face. Since we started working with him, we’ve made tremendous changes to our office and office culture.

We’ve really taken off in the last 4 years, nearly doubling our annual sales to be in the top 5% for a single doctor’s office. Our increase in gross has all been due to our consulting and ideas from Rick. We rely heavily on him for our marketing, business plan, day-to-day office procedures and communications. The best thing we ever did for our practice was to use Rick’s consulting services.​

Thank you SO much for your quick work [on an Office Valuation]! Definitely exceeded expectations on quality and promptness of your work.

I’m tremendously grateful for all that you have assisted me through. I know I wouldn’t have gotten this far without you. You’ve always listened to my concerns, and you’ve made such a positive impact for my family and me. Leaving my previous career for a possibly better life with a new practice was a huge, frightening step forward, and I wanted to thank you for having been there every step of the way.​

As an office manager, I often feel the pressure of managing chaos and struggling to keep things running smoothly for my doctors. Since beginning our relationship with Acquios Advisors, I no longer feel that stress. Rick is my secret weapon! Working with Rick for the past five years has been the best investment we have made in our practice. It has provided me with the opportunity to better manage my responsibilities and focus my energy on being the leader my team needs. We are now operating more smoothly; we have increased our productivity, production and profitability; and I have a better understanding of how my office is running. Rick has been such a huge contributor to not just my professional growth, but also my personal growth. I can truly say that I love my job, and love what I do, thanks to Acquios Advisors.​