Only Hearing Aids, LLC

When Dean Anderson moved to the Vernal area with his medical practice, he quickly became part of the staff in the local hospital's emergency room. Emergency room work was exciting but lacked something. Dr. Anderson realized he missed the entrepreneurial element of having his own business. The excitement of starting a business, along with filling a need he saw in the community, compelled him to start Only Hearing Aids.

As with any new start-up, projecting client patronage was a concern. Combined with the need for only a small amount of affordable office space, Only Hearing Aids faced some stumbling blocks in the beginning. Dr. Anderson was referred to the Uintah Basin Small Business Development Center (SBDC), which also oversees the Business Incubator in the USU Bingham Entrepreneurship Center.

"Dr. Anderson came in and explained what he was trying to accomplish. The business startup, along with his research in audiology, was a perfect fit for the incubator," said Mark Holmes, Uintah SBDC director. "He was our first incubator client and it has worked out well for both of us."

Anderson is now seeing sales on a weekly basis. He is also about to publish research.

"Through my work here with the SBDC and incubator, I have been able to gauge public demand for the product and will soon publish an article dealing with the use of ear-buds by teens and the results of that type of listening," Anderson said.

The SBDC is looking forward to seeing Dr. Anderson’s research and to the day that he graduates from the incubator and becomes a long-term business in the community.

The Utah SBDC network is comprised of 11 regional centers hosted by Utah colleges and universities. The centers serve entrepreneurs and small businesses across the state. The centers are funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.