OEN Member NewsOnDiem brings gig economy to health care (Portland Business Journal)
Entrepreneur Joe Fogg knows how to get things done. It’s a skill he honed working for years under Kent Holce — the son of legendary Oregon entrepreneur and investor Tom Holce — as an executive at Cerus Industrial.
After watching and learning from Holce, Fogg knew he wanted to start his own company. He teamed up with co-founders Adam Sweeney and Jackson Oates to start OnDiem, an online platform to connect health care practices with health care professionals for temporary and permanent gigs.
The company released a beta version of its service in July in five regional markets. Three weeks ago, it launched nationally. At this point it is focused solely on the dental vertical but has plans to move into medical practices.
The platform has 5,000 dental professionals signed up and 2,000 dental practices. Practices can post either permanent job or a shift that needs to be filled. Vetted professionals in the area then receive an email about the opportunity and decide whether they would like to take it.
Users are considered contractors but unlike other “gig economy” platforms like ride hailing or food delivery, professionals on OnDiem will have the opportunity to sign up for benefits through the company.
Fogg wants to build OnDiem using the best elements of both traditional staffing and the gig economy.
“We are a people company. We will use the platform to automate the process but it’s people taking care of people,” he said.
The technology/product: OnDiem is an on-demand, real-time staffing platform for the health care industry. The first focused vertical targets dental practices to place hygienists and assistants in permanent gigs or fill temporary shifts. After practices post jobs, professionals in the area then receive emails about the opportunities. “Sometimes (a job) goes so fast it doesn’t even register on the job board,” said CEO Joe Fogg.
OnDiem created a platform to connect on-demand health care professionals with practices that need to fill shifts. The company is starting with the dental vertical.
How it makes money: Permanent jobs are posted for a flat fee charged to the practice. For temporary jobs, the initial post is free, but the company will take a percentage of the overall shift when the transaction is completed.
Size of the market: The health care staffing market was valued at $27.3 billion in 2016, according to company research. By 2025, the global health care staffing market is expected to hit $43.6 billion, according to Grand View Research.
Competition: traditional staffing agencies and online job sites such as Indeed.
Competitive advantage: OnDiem was built to give professionals and practices the flexibility to find hours or personnel when needed and in real-time. The company further differentiates itself from other so-called “gig economy” platforms by offering workers — who are considered independent contractors — an avenue for health insurance and 401(k) benefits through OnDiem. The company plans to roll-out the benefits options in December, Fogg said.
Business it could disrupt: The traditional staffing model.
Managers: Co-founder and CEO Joe Fogg, who has a background in industrial sales and marketing leadership; co-founder and Director of Customer Experience Adam Sweeney, who spent 15 years as a web developer; and co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Jackson Oates, who spent nearly 20 years as a web developer.
Investors: Angels and friends and family.
Capital raised: $750,000
Capital sought: The team is in early talks with investors and is exploring options.
Company: Gig Forces Inc., DBA, OnDiem
Based: Portland
Founded: 2017
Employees: 8, plus 135 contract field sales reps
CEO: Joe Fogg
Web: ondiem.com
Source: www.bizjournals.com
