Audicus

How did you decide to start a hearing aid business?

We were shocked that hearing aids typically cost $3,000-$7,000 per pair and aren’t covered by insurance. It didn’t seem right that in this digital age, a hearing aid would cost so much more than an iPhone. It turns out that hearing aids are expensive because of all the middlemen involved in the process. We created Audicus, a website that offers affordable hearing aids directly to customers and saves them 70 percent. And it works: since launching a little over a year ago, Audicus has saved consumers more than $2.5 million.

I had no idea hearing aids were so small and, frankly, pretty now. What kinds of improvements have been developed over the last few years?

Hearing aids have become a lot smaller, more comfortable and more sophisticated. Today’s hearing aids have also become more autonomous: for instance, they can detect an environment and adapt automatically to it. In addition, modern hearing aids, like the Audicus aBlue, have an optional Bluetooth feature that allows the user to connect a hearing aid to a smartphone, TV or other device.

How has ShipStation helped you with your business?

When we first launched, we would carry our boxes to the post office, manually enter each recipient’s address and print labels one by one. It was extremely inefficient. Then we discovered ShipStation. We love how our Shopify orders automatically appear on ShipStation and we are now able to ship from our office. ShipStation has helped streamline our fulfillment process. It sends automated notifications to customers, updates order statuses, links to tracking information and allows us to ship all over the world with a few clicks. ShipStation can be pivotal for any e-commerce site.

What’s your favorite ShipStation feature?

We love that ShipStation allows us to use multiple shipping companies. For example, for domestic orders we use FedEx, but for international orders we may use USPS. We can decide which shipping method or shipping speed will best suit the customer. It’s always about making our customers happy and ShipStation allows us to do so. Also, the ability to print labels and packing slips in bulk has been a lifesaver.