Over the past two weeks, I’ve attended both a Techweek conference and a venture forum focused largely on industry startups. Two opportunities to represent Supply Clinic and explain why the dental supply industry is due for a paradigm shift. And in many respects, the two experiences could hardly have been more different.
In a way, it’s the difference between sawdust and fairy dust.
Last week, we had the honor of representing Supply Clinic at Techweek Chicago.
By 10AM on Thursday, our table was adorned with all sorts of dental supplies, from impression trays to face masks to OAP Cleaner. And we had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of attendees. Some weren't too interested in the dental supply market, but many were intrigued by Supply Clinic and its ability to bring a true marketplace to a broken system. The healthcare supply chain needs an overhaul, and our visitors recognized that. And everyone who stopped by our booth (we hope) had dentists.
We’re excited to announce that Supply Clinic will be exiting its closed beta next week! In short order, any interested user can simply create an account and start buying supplies.
Supply Clinic, in its simplest form, is a marketplace through which dentists and clinicians can buy dental supplies. Users can compare products by price, reviews, and vendors, and make the most informed purchasing decision possible. The site is simple, clean, and intuitive, cutting through the clutter that all too often invades every aspect of the healthcare industry.
We at Supply Clinic will be opening up our site to all users in the next few weeks. Naturally, this means that I’ve taken a bit of time to read up on the early strategies of today’s software and online giants, especially the ones that pioneered technical solutions and growth strategies that so many other businesses have come to emulate.
Google is always a good place to start. The company’s Gmail rollout is fascinating, and largely uninstructive for anyone who isn’t already some sort of internet behemoth. When Google began its foray into the world of email, its signature change was a significantly improved ability to search through old emails. Of course, searching isn’t of much value when you only have access to 10 MB of old emails. So Google also decided to allow all users to store up to 1 gigabyte of archived emails, an order of magnitude more than competitors. The catch was simple- Google would also use its vaunted search algorithm to scan through users’ emails and provide targeted ads based on the content of those emails.
A major goal of ours here at Supply Clinic is to allow dentists and doctors to focus on patient care, and worry less about the supplies they’re buying. By bringing the market together on a single platform, we take the guesswork and negotiating out of what should be a simple process.
In doing so, we have the opportunity to help not only patients across the country, but their incredible health care providers. One of these individuals is my close friend Aws AlDarkazali.