“Fábrica de Óculos is a way of life”

This is what his mentor, Nuno Diogo, tells us. 20 years ago, what was the dream of this entrepreneur who has been in the optical sector since 1995 began: working for himself and following his own path. Fábrica de Óculos was born in 2003, in Cacém, a business model that is based on three factors: “know-how; innovation; and, most importantly, the people who are part of this project.”

After 20 successful years, do you feel that the decisions made over time were the right ones?

In 20 years, my decisions about the method or concept of the Glasses Factory were perfect, because everything worked. I opened the first store in 2003, together with my wife, and after 20 years we have a team of 90 direct employees and more than a million customers. Some decisions I made, in terms of human resources, were not the most correct, I failed. I failed some employees, just as some former employees failed me. But it’s part of the journey, part of the process of life and the business world.

Year after year, it shows sales growth. Continuous. How do you ensure that you sell more this year than in the previous year?

“In the land of the blind, he who has one eye is king”, says the saying. And, as I said before, I constantly analyze the market; I think and breathe the Cacém Glasses Factory and the Chiado Glasses Factory for 24 hours a day. The Glasses Factory is a way of life. That said, speaking of the business model, it is based on three factors: know-how; innovation; and, most importantly, the people who are part of this project. What inspired me most was the concept of work in relation to the name Fábrica de Óculos. The entire conception and work model came from my head, such a buzz of ideas. It wasn’t inspiration, it was a lot of perspiration and many hours of work, always thinking about the process of how to do it well and serve the customer better. As a final note, the commitment and dedication were so great that, during the first seven years, I was unable to take a single day of vacation. There was no time to rest.

Read the full interview on ÓpticaPro 247.