Meet Rita Charchyan, Retail Partner of Specsavers CF Fairview Mall Toronto
A few months after opening the first Specsavers location in Toronto, Rita Charchyan, RO, retail partner, reflects on her successful entry into the GTA, with the help of her optometry partner, Dr. Jestyn Liew, and their experienced team.
Q: How has business been since opening your doors at Specsavers CF Fairview Mall?
Rita: Being the first Specsavers location to open in Toronto has been incredibly rewarding, and we’ve had a great start with 30% more traffic than Dr. Liew and I had anticipated. My experience has been amazing. I have always had a goal of owning my own business, but there was concern about the pressures that come with being an entrepreneur. With Specsavers, I feel I have an incredible amount of support behind me, for which I am grateful. I have found the best partner in Dr. Liew and working with the Specsavers support office has helped bring us together as a team even more. I consider myself lucky to be in this position.
Q: What inspired you to become a business owner?
Rita: I come from a family of entrepreneurs and my father was my role model growing up. What stands out to me about Specsavers is their philosophy and values to make eyecare and eyewear accessible to all, aligned with my own. I always wanted to start my own business, so I was excited by the opportunity to minimize my start-up costs of ownership. It means I can focus on growing my business.
Q: What would you say to someone considering joining the Specsavers network?
Rita: For anyone considering Specsavers, I would say that you’re not joining a company, you’re joining a big community! It’s a great place to be, it’s very rewarding and you have constant, positive support. For potential staff, eyecare consultants and opticians, you’ll be joining a hard-working and caring team. Each location is like a community, and we are here for each other.
Learn more about optician and ownership opportunities at join.specsavers.com/ca
