Vision Blurry? Will Progressive Lenses help? Dr. Michelle Provides the Answer in this Month’s VSP Envision Newsletter “Ask the Eye Doc” Column 

Read all of this month’s VSP EnVision Newsletter. To subscribe to the monthly newsletter, go here.

Tags: Ask the Eye Doc, Blurry Vision, Dr. Michelle Calder Cardwell, Progressive Lenses, Urban Optiques, VSP, VSP Envision Newsletter, VSP Envision Newsletter January 2011, VSP Eye Doctor, VSP Provider

Having problems seeing at night? Dr. Michelle of Urban Optiques discusses how to improve your night vision in this month’s VSP EnVision Newsletter.

Read all of this month’s VSP EnVision Newsletter. To subscribe to the monthly newsletter, go here.

Tags: Ask The Eye Doctor, Dr. Michelle Calder Cardwell, Improve My Night Vision, Night Vision, Nyctalopia, Vision Care Advice, Vision Care Tips, Vision Services Plan, VSP, VSP EnVision Newsletter, VSP Provider

Should You Be Worried About Seeing Dark Spots or “Floaters” in Your Vision? Dr. Michelle Answers the Question in this Month’s VSP EnVision Newsletter “Ask the Eye Doc” Feature.

What does it mean if you are experiencing dark spots or “floaters” in your vision?

That was the question posed in this month’s “Ask The Eye Doctor” column in the VSP EnVision Newsletter:

Q:  What Are Those Dark Spots I’m Seeing in My Eyes?

While “floaters” are actually quite common, you’ll want to read Dr. Michelle’s entire explanation in the VSP EnVision Newsletter to understand why spots or floaters develop, the current treatments available for them, and when a visual disturbance warrants a trip to the optometrist.

You can view the complete response here.

Tags: Ask The Eye Doc, Ask The Eye Doctor, Dark Spots In Eyes, Dark Spots in Vision, Dr. Michelle Calder Cardwell, Floaters, Optometris, Optometrist, Urban Optiques, Vision, Vision Care, Vision Floaters, Vision Health, Vision Spots, Vitrectomy, VSP, VSP EnVision, VSP EnVision Newsletter

What’s Hot? Detroit’s Truly Independent Trendsetters Dish On What’s “In Store” For Fall Style

Last month Candace Dickow at 944 Detroit approached us with a very cool opportunity: 944 was looking for 10 of Metro-Detroit’s leading Independent  Trendsetters to participate in a special two-page feature in 944’s September Fashion Issue on what we thought would be hot this season in terms of fashion, style and accessories.

What we especially loved about the concept was that unlike many of the other major local, upscale lifestyle magazines in Metro-Detroit, 944 chose to focus on smaller, independent businesses, versus simply falling back on the big, upscale department stores that seem to be featured over-and-over again in other local magazines’ fashion spreads and pictorials.

At Urban Optiques, we’ve always scratched our heads when we see the local glossies turn to the giant department stores for product and insight on style trends.

We have scores of fantastic, smaller, independent boutiques and retailers right here in Metro-Detroit that have deep expertise in their industries and are blazing fashion and style trails at a pace that the more conservative department store buyers simply aren’t willing to commit to.  And many of these featured businesses are offering deeper, more unique and exclusive collections than the corporate giants at Somerset Mall. In fact, in the case of Urban Optiques, most of our eyeglasses and sunglass brands simply can’t be purchased

Last month Urban Optiques sponsored the 2nd Annual “Buy Michigan First Festival” in Northville, and based on attendance and response, there is a tremendous amount of demand in Metro-Detroit for supporting the types of businesses featured in the “Independent Trendsetters” spread in 944.  These smaller businesses create jobs, keep a large portion of their profits in the local economy, tend to reinvest into the community and are quickly putting Detroit back on the map as as an up-and-coming center of creativity, entrepreneurship — and yes — style.

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Tags: 944 Detroit, 944 Magazine, Adam and Eve, Amanda Kalasho, Anita Sabri, Bethany Shorb, Chantall Bacall, Cyberoptix, Designer Eyewear Trends, Detroit Boutiques, Detroit Female Entrepreneurs, Detroit Independent Trendsetters, Detroit Trendsetters, Dr. Michelle Calder Cardwell, Eyewear Trends, Fall 2010 Fashion Trends, Fall 2010 Style Trends, Fall 2010 Trends, Fashion, Fashion Eyewear Trends, Fashion in Detroit, Fashion Trends, Jovan Jane, Jovan Kassab, Kiss and Tell, Leslie Binno, Metro Detroit Female Run Businesses, Natasha Robin, Nicole Nona, Nikalet, Pink Pump, Royal Dutchess, Rubys Balm, Sahrob Jabero, Sandi Dabish, Sheryl Freedland, Style, Sway, Tawny Theiu, Urban Optiques

EDGE Magazine — One of the Largest GLBT News and Entertainment Portals on the Web — Highlights Urban Optiques in its “Spring Shades” Style Feature

Yesterday morning we were thrilled to see that EDGE Magazine published a lengthy interview I did with them last week around how to choose fashionable sunglasses and take care of your vision at the same time.

EDGE is the largest network of local Gay, Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) news and entertainment portals in the world, serving 500,000  readers from a variety of metropolitan areas around the United States and beyond.

Unfortunately, they don’t currently serve Detroit, but we’re hoping to change that with this story.

Check out the full article here (it’s pretty cool):

http://www.edgeonthenet.com/index.php?ch=style&sc=fashion&sc2=news&sc3=&id=102117

We also made EDGE’s photo spread on cool sunglasses, sending them a pair of the same Ray-Ban 3025 aviators that Megan Fox has popularized.

Special thanks to David Andrusia, the author of the article,  and the entire EDGE staff for being so great to work with.

Tags: Designer Sunglasses, Dr. Michelle Calder Cardwell, EDGE Magazine, Fashion, Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgendered, GLBT, Megan Fox, Megan Fox Sunglasses, Ray Ban, Ray Ban Aviators, RB 3025, Spring Shades, Spring Sunglasses, Sunglasses, Urban Optiques, Urban Optiques Press

“Vision Care Venture” Magazine Features Story on How Urban Optiques Uses the Internet to Market & Service Its Clients and Patients

The latest edition of Vision Care Venture Magazine went live today and Urban Optiques was the featured cover story!

Our article offered advice on how optometrists and independent optical shops can use the Internet to build their business.

You can check out the full article here.

Tags: Dr. Michelle Calder Cardwell, Five Ways to Grow Your Optical Practice, Five Ways to Grow Your Optometry Practice, Health Care Marketing, Health Care Social Media, Interactive Marketing, Internet Marketing, Media, Online Marketing, Optical Shop, Optical Social Media, Optometris, Optometrist, Press, Social Media, Urban Optiks, Urban Optiques, Urban Optiques Media, Urban Optiques Press, Vision, Vision Care, Vision Care Venture, Vision Care Venture Magazine

“New” Is Everywhere at Urban Optiques These Days … And We Like It That Way! Find Out How We Are Always Working to Help You See & Be Seen!

We’re fast approaching the six month mark since we took ownership of the downtown Northville optical-shop-formerly-known as Urban Optiks and relaunched it as “Urban Optiques.“

It’s literally been a whirlwind for the past five months and it seems like just yesterday that we celebrated our grand-reopening.   Since then, we’ve made all kinds of improvements and changes (both large and small) to enhance the patient and client experience and we have dozens more on the way.

So I thought I’d take a few minutes today to bring everyone up to speed on what’s been happening around Urban Optiques, and some of the exciting things we have planned for the future.

As I go through this you’ll notice a common theme:  newness.

Nearly everything about the past six months has involved some type of change in the existing business, the experience, the product and how we serve our clients and patients.

What I’m proud of is that I think we’ve been able to preserve all of the best things from previous owners of this practice, while making some exciting changes that open up new possibilities for growth and improved client service and vision care.

New Patients from New Places

First, we just had our best week ever at Urban Optiques in terms of new clients, exams and eyeglass sales. March will likely be our best month since purchasing the business.  Traffic into the store has been increasing week-over-week since November, but this past week felt like a real tipping-point for us.

What is even more exciting is that 75 percent of you are first-time patients.

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Tags: Detroit Designer Eyewear, Dr. Michelle Calder Cardwell, Metro Detroit Eyewear, Northville Eye Doctor, Northville Optometrist, Urban Optiks, Urban Optiques