Julie Kubsch's phone rang at 8:30 one Saturday night. On the other end was a frantic mother of a 3-year-old with broken glasses who asked her, "Is there any way we can get together this weekend to fix these?" Kubsch , an optician who had not sold the woman the glasses, said, "Sure."

She met up with the family on Sunday morning, found a frame that the lenses fit into, repaired them, and sent the family on its way, but not before selling them a back-up pair so it wouldn't happen again. Most opticians don't make housecalls, but Kubsch, the owner of Specs Around Town, Ltd., has been a mobile optician for nearly a year now. She tools around town in her royal blue Volkswagen Beetle with "Bug Eyz 4" inscribed on the license plates. She makes personal calls to homes, offices, or virtually anywhere a customer may want to meet to buy spectacles in the Bloomington-Normal, Ill. area, which is about two hours southwest of Chicago.

Where did you get the idea for the mobile optical business?

I've been an optician for a little more than 18 years, and always worked in offices -- either ophthalmologists' or optometrists.' When we moved to Buffalo, N.Y. a few years ago, I had 13 years experience, but I was unable to be an optician because it was a licensed state. So, I went through the licensing and took the practical, and once I worked in New York, I saw that opticianry was much more of a profession than in unlicensed states. I saw a lot of opticians who had their own stores. They were self-employed and did very well at it. It had probably been about three or four years that I had been thinking about going mobile.

Why does this niche business work for you?

We live in a town that's very white collar. There are a lot of two-income families that are just busy, and they like the service of someone coming to them. I also have some unique lines of eyewear.

Who are some of your other customers?

We've got some big companies here. We are home to State Farm Insurance and Eureka Vacuums, and we also have a Firestone plant here. I'm finding that the companies don't have any objection to me coming in because it saves them time and money. The employee doesn't have to leave work. I don't really have a green light to solicit customers, but if anybody calls me, I'm more than welcome to go in and work.

How do you spread the word about your business?

I think the concept of it is so new that the marketing of it is the biggest thing right now. I joined a local Chamber of Commerce and a networking group. I speak at a lot of different events, and in March, I did a fashion show with a local department store.

What is your travel radius?

I've traveled to Peoria, Decatur, Champaign-Urbana... I will probably go within 60 miles.

How do potential customers contact you?

I do have a mobile phone, or they can e-mail me off of my Web site, www.specsaroundtown.com.

Are your hours by appointment only?

Pretty much, but I do work out of the home, and I find my business line ringing more and more at odd hours. I had a call on December 30 from a husband of an acquaintance of mine who had a flexible spending account, and he needed to put it into something medical. He called and said, 'I've got to meet you somewhere. My wife says I've got to get my glasses from you.' My kids had a basketball game so I said, 'Well, I can come to your house this evening.' But that didn't work for him, so he asked me where the basketball game was and said, 'Can I meet you there?' So, there we were in the school parking lot fitting him with a new pair of progressive lenses and frames!

Why a VW Beetle?

We've got two children who were 13 and 10 when Volkswagen introduced the new Beetle. They were like, 'Mom and Dad, we've got to get one of those!' Then it hit me what a great marketing tool it would be. People will see me around town and they'll say, 'Hey Bug Eyz!' It'd be fun to have a fleet of them someday.

Do you think you'll ever have to upgrade to something bigger... like a bus?

For what I need my car is plenty big.

Where do you keep your inventory?

I've got two rep cases that I carry around. I have about 300 frames, and the cases fit right in the trunk. I also carry all my tools and lens samples around.

What are some advantages of being mobile?

Being my own boss. And, yes, if our kids have something going on, I can schedule around that.

What are some of the hazards of being mobile?

I'm on the cell phone all the time in the car! The other hazard is leaving behind things when you make a call, and then trying to retrace your steps to remember where you left it.

Have you ever been pulled over for a traffic violation?

No, not yet! EB