Kinda had a sh!t day today...

Quote from rabtech

Many of you all know that I work for different doctor offices and do networking and computer support. I also do support for teleradiology and secure network connections and storage.

I have watched as the private MRI and Nuclear imagining centers were bought up by the hospitals. Each time I would loose one of these centers I would just put more of my efforts toward the orthopedic and family medical clinical clinics that I work for. It has come down to me having two large clinics that have multiple doctors and a few medium size business that I work for. Each time I would loose a location I would just adjust things so that I could get by.

Well last week one of the two clinics I work for was bought out by the local hospital. So far they have kept using me. But it's just a matter of weeks. I can see the writing on the wall. They will bring there own people in sooner or later.

Well here is the part that finally wiped my normal happy smile off. Today I was working at the large orthopedics location and I was told that I needed to help them do an inventory on all the IT related gear. I asked why and they informed me that they were in the process of being bought by some company called Tenet. This is the nail in my coffin I'm sure.

I guess I'll carry on till I can't carry it anymore. I have made it 47 years and now.

Sorry for the sucky story. I had much rather have something fun to post about. But it's about all I have on my mind right now.

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Damn Bobby, that sucks. I know after being self employed, there was no way i wanted to go back to work for anyone. Is there a chance you could hook on with one of these hospital giants and actually BE there IT department showing them how long and how well you've kept their independent offices up and running? It would mean you're at their command and have to punch a clock, but it beats having to look for a lower paying job that you'll hate for the remaining years ti retirement.

Dude

that sucks but I completely understand we have the same thing going on in our industry - Investment companies and really big players keep buying up the little guys. Then instead of the people who know the business running the show it is the bean counters that call the shots. Small retailers are dropping like flies. What the big boys don't screw up the idiots selling on the internet with no overhead and no support screw up the rest.

Move to NC mountains and we can open a custom Slingshot Shop!

Quote from MACAWS

Dude

that sucks but I completely understand we have the same thing going on in our industry - Investment companies and really big players keep buying up the little guys. Then instead of the people who know the business running the show it is the bean counters that call the shots. Small retailers are dropping like flies. What the big boys don't screw up the idiots selling on the internet with no overhead and no support screw up the rest.

Move to NC mountains and we can open a custom Slingshot Shop!

You need some part time help?

We at my work have been facing a very similar issue. I am in the retirement plan business we setup and administer the accounting and valuations for retirement plans like 401(k) plans and others. over the years a huge number of our clients have been doctors. Well ever since Obama care the hospitals have been buying out the small doctors. What happens is that the Doctor becomes an employee of the hospital. to his patients everything looks the same, they go to the same office, see the same front office people and the same doctor, but when the insurance gets billed everything is billed as if it had been done in a hospital which allows the Dr to bill substantially more. For whatever reason insurance companies will pay more for the same procedure if it is done in a hospital and since the Drs office is now owned by the hospital everything they do is technically done in a hospital.

This all works great for the doctor because all of the normal issues of running an office and paying a staff are now handled by the hospital, but it sucks for us because the doctor can no longer have his own plan because he no longer has his own business to fund that plan - The doctor is now an employee of the hospital and will be covered under their plan

most of the time this means the Dr's plan gets terminated and the money is rolled to the hospitals plan and we loose a client

since Obama care put the squeeze on Doctors becoming hospital EE's has been good for them and really bad for us

in the last 8 or so years we have lost about 50% of our Dr clients because of this

Im just glad I am at retirement age and mentally ready to be that old guy you see watering the plants in the garden area of Home Depot

Rab keeping putting one foot ahead of the other and moving forward and all the bumps will put you in a good position.

With your talent, as this door closes, another is sure to open. I know this doesn't help right now but I went through a career change after 15 years in the same field. I was terrified, sick at my stomach, and couldn't sleep or think about anything else. I only had one skill that I used for 15 years. Went into a field that had nothing to do with the other. It wasn't without struggles but they were short term. You have obviously been successful in this field which means you will probably find something related to this field. But if you find something outside of your field, give it a shot. We all fear what we don't know but after we take that chance we look back years later and say I wish I had of done this much sooner. Just a thought.

Quote from rabtech

I can see the writing on the wall.

Wow very sorry rabtech . Keep your head up. we will send prayers if you need them. Well wishes from all around, I hope everything turns out for the best. Your a good man.

Quote from rabtech

Thanks for all the replies and all the nice things that were said.

I am still kicking. I still have some great accounts that I work for. And some of them use me at least 1 or 2 times a month. And I havent been let go yet by either of the companies. I do belive it will happen because I am a costlier person to pay as a contractor when they have their own people on salary that do what I do.

As far as working for one of the companies or the hospital that is doing all the buying out... At this point they would not pay enough for me to justify going to work for them. Right now I still have work coming in from my other smaller companies that equals or slightly exceeds what I would make from a salaried position with a single company. BUT it's getting very close. Right now I have to make a list of credit cards and monthly payments and temporally go online and reduce my auto payments down to just the minimum due. I have most setup to pay the minimum due plus a specified amount each month. That will help temporarily till I can stabilize what I have coming in each month.

Honestly i need to sell some of the stuff I'm not using. I have a motorcycle trailer that I only use to haul my trash cans to the bottom of my driveway with each week. It's a 3 bike trailer with a V nose storage area. It has aluminum wheels and new trailer tires. I also have the Sloan 18' Kwikload rollback trailer that I could sell. It would definitely help to sell it. Its times like now that I should look around and get some of these things listed on the internet for sale.

Some have mentioned changing professions in the previous posts. I would absolutley love to change professions and do something that I enjoy. I just dont think that there is enough business to keep me going. I just dont know..

I didnt mean to bring anyone's spirits down with this thread. It's just that sometimes taking the time to post a problem or something that is bugging me it will help me work through it.

I have to get to work this morning. Like I said, I'm still kicking. We shall see how it all works out...

Thanks for the replies

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How much do you want for your big brake kit? I've seen you ride in the mountains and either your brakes lights don't work or you're not using your brakes

Tenet is one of my customers, not an easy outfit to work with, at least their Dallas office isn't.

let us know if we can help!

If you have ever been a veteran maybe now is the time to see if you qualify for any disability. Earplugs is the big deal now. If not a veteran have you used roundup? Seems like stupid stuff but my veterans disability is just about all that is keeping us afloat.

Just saying look for alternate income streams.

LC

IIRC, this forum now has a couple thousand members. $50/year should help eliminate some of your concerns! I'd think most of us get enough from the forum to justify a modest yearly membership fee!

Now this is just a little humor to make light of a difficult situation.

If my Sling was as fast as yours, I'd set up across the street from amusement parks and charge people to go on a REAL RIDE.

Quote from rabtech

No, I am fine.... I haven't lost the contracts yet. I am going to see how this all unfolds. It is possible that these companies will not want to deal with coming to these two locations. And they may leave me alone. I just don't want to wait to the last minute and have no plan. Ill keep the thread updated as things happen. I am sure it will be interesting to see how these two big companies handle consultants like me.

I know you haven't wanted to charge a membership fee like other forums, but you provide an excellent forum for the rest of us and I'm sure most of us would gladly pay a modest fee to keep it going.

Start slinging out those solicitations sooner than later as I have been in the EXACT same spot you are in the past.

http://www.hoovers.com/all-pro…/register-free-trial.html

I know we all hate solicitations, but unless you have a large sales-force that is drumming up business that is the best way to get in the door.

I started off with 2 campaigns that got me a shit ton of business.

Solicit the Controllers/CFO's of your local businesses and sponsor a Top Golf event for 30 people.

The second event I did a day at the range as both were very successful.

Amazing how many contracts you can sign when you give someone 2 hours of shooting a full Auto.

Keep chugging through the muddy waters, eventually you will make it to the coast everytime.