Andre Senyk (speckyfoureyes.com)

SpeckyFourEyes.com is an online prescription glasses and contact lens retailer.  Founded by Andre Senyk in 2005, the idea was borne whilst Andre was at University studying to be an optician. At University, he noticed a ‘subconscious’ push towards working for a high street optical store – but he wanted more than that and didn’t want to follow the crowd. This drove and inspired him to create his own business in competition with the major high street optical retailers. He’d worked out that the high street opticians were making a fortune yet he could manufacture a pair of prescription glasses for a patient, using their test prescription and sell them for as little as £12 (12 GBP)

“It’s been an amazing two years,” said Andre. “The business has really taken off – I’ve significantly increased staff numbers and am looking for more as SpeckyFourEyes.com continues to grow.’’ Andre is committed to staff development and training and one of his Dispensing Opticians, Maryam, is currently training to be an Optometrist. ‘’This is great news for my business – having professional staff adds value to the business and ensures all our customers receive the best customer service possible,” he continued.

‘’All this success has stemmed off from the fact that I was Regional Finalist in the Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. The amount of press and attention I and my business received was incredible’’. Anglia Ruskin University, where Andre completed his degree in Optics, awarded him the ‘Success in Business Award 2007’ which was presented at a lunch by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Michael Thorne.  ‘’The Success in Business Award 2007 provides Andre with an opportunity for public recognition and celebration as he’s been judged to have been particularly successful in his field and profession,’’ he said. 

SpeckyFourEyes.com was also been nominated as a finalist in the Eye4EnterPrize Awards, a competition open to people who wish to create a Bradford based business, social or voluntary enterprise.

To complete his success hat trick, Andre has since bought out an undisclosed competitor, amalgamated the business into his and added a further 10,000 customers to his rapidly increasing customer database.

 “Winning and being nominated in business awards is confirmation that, four years ago when I started this in my bedroom at my parents’ home, I made the right move and now all the hard work is paying off.  Almost all Optics graduates from Anglia Ruskin University work for the standard high street optical stores. I’ve gone against the grain and made a success of it - SpeckyFourEyes.com is giving the high street opticians something to think about as internet retailing gains strength.”

‘’At the Shell LiveWIRE Awards Regional Finals I met Imran Hakim (Dragon’s Den / iteddy.co.uk) and we got chatting… he too was an Optician and was interested in what I was doing with my business. We had a meeting after the Awards and arranged a steady supply chain of particular lenses – to this day we still do business.’’