OnTheClock CEO Shares Inspiring Journey and Vision on Software Spotlight Podcast
The Inspiring Origins of OnTheClock

It was late 2003 when Dean Mathews, a developer and entrepreneur, stumbled upon a recurring theme on online accounting forums. Small business owners and accountants were struggling to find a reliable, web-based employee time tracking software system. Recognizing an opportunity, Mathews took action. “I was just reading through it and I was like, you know, I could build that. And literally the next day started,” he recalled.
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Employee Time Tracking Software
Within months, OnTheClock was born, and Mathews landed his first client just days after launching. “Fun fact, this wasn't our first client, but Feral Hair, does hair replacement, they are down south somewhere. They were they signed up with us in 2004 and they are still with us today.”
From Passion Project to Thriving Business
For over a decade, OnTheClock remained Mathews' passion project as he juggled other entrepreneurial ventures. It wasn't until around seven or eight years ago that OnTheClock truly transformed into a full-fledged business with a dedicated team of 23 employees.
“We really only turned into what I would call a real company, probably about seven or eight years ago. So we still feel like we're in that startup mode, even though we're in older software. So yeah, it's, we're kind of like, we're mature, but we're young.”
Overcoming Early Challenges
In the early days, Mathews faced significant challenges in attracting customers and mastering marketing strategies. “Back then, it was 20 years ago, right? So people don't search for products on the Internet like they do now. So we focused real heavily, I focused real heavily on SEO at the time.”
Mathews also had to learn how to create compelling pages that would entice potential customers to sign up. “I had to learn marketing. I had to figure out how to create compelling pages that would entice the user or the potential customer to sign up.”
Innovative Features and Integrations
One of OnTheClock's key milestones was the introduction of its mobile app, which now accounts for the majority of user interactions. “We can see that a majority of our users are on the phone app at this point. So they are, we still have a lot of people using the website as well, but the overwhelming majority of our customers and employees use the app.”
Mathews highlighted recent updates, including a redesigned PTO system and seamless integrations with payroll platforms like QuickBooks and ADP. “We just finished up an ADP integration. We're working on a square integration right now. We integrate, for the most part, all payroll platforms can be pushed time.”
Core Values and Company Culture
During the interview, Mathews shared insights into OnTheClock's core values, which prioritize employee growth, customer satisfaction, and creating an amazing product that customers love.
“We have values. These really stem from my values, but, you know, I went around to the office and talked to a lot of people and really tried to build it as our values. And the first one is a passion for people, right?”
Mathews emphasized the importance of fostering a positive company culture, where employees feel their work is meaningful and impactful. “You know, it's so important that you feel that your work means something and that you're not just working for nothing. And, you know, it affects other people's lives.”
Exciting Roadmap and Future Plans
Looking ahead, Mathews revealed exciting plans to expand OnTheClock's capabilities, including embedded payroll, task management, HR functions, and employee onboarding and offboarding features.
“So one of the big things that are a sister product of ours that we were just talking about earlier ADP and QuickBooks is payroll. So they a lot there are four or five companies right now. They're offering what's called embedded payroll So embedded payroll is where you can take the payroll and build it right into your system So you do the customer never has to leave on the clock to run payroll?”
The goal is to provide small businesses with a comprehensive suite of tools to streamline their workforce management processes.
What is OnTheClock?
OnTheClock is an employee time-tracking software company that serves over 18,000 companies worldwide. It was founded in 2004 by Dean Mathews, a developer and entrepreneur.
How does OnTheClock's pricing work?
OnTheClock has a simple pricing model of $3.50 per employee per month. The price decreases slightly as the number of employees increases. There are no separate pricing tiers or feature limitations.
What are some key features of OnTheClock?
Core features include clock in/out, PTO management, GPS tracking, shift scheduling, and integrations with payroll platforms like QuickBooks and ADP. The mobile app is widely used by customers.
How does OnTheClock support its customers?
OnTheClock offers multiple support channels, including phone, email, live chat, and webinars. The company prides itself on providing responsive and helpful customer service.
What's next for OnTheClock?
OnTheClock plans to expand its capabilities with features like embedded payroll, task management, HR functions, employee onboarding/offboarding, and more comprehensive workforce management tools for small businesses.