Well, Here's An Interesting Job Development

Elias Graves

Elias Graves

Common misfit
Yesterday I reported the company I work for has been sold. I finally had a brief meeting with the new owner and the first topic was providing cheaper products. :annoyed:

The development, however, came from a phone call I received. There's a therapist I work with who runs an outreach program; kind of a recycling program for used wheelchairs she provides to people with no insurance coverage. She has an opportunity to get a contract with Medicaid to begin a recycling program for the state. It would be to collect used equipment, refurbish it and dispense to Medicaid patients.
Before she bids on it, she wants to know if I'm interested in running it for her.

Fascinating. I'm going to meet with her now.

EG
 
Modern Saint said:
Sales numbers are always the tough part but that is what it takes running a business.
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Indeed. I'm not a real competitive person, however, and that's always been the most stressful part of my job. And turning customers away because of funding issues always hurts. This could be a chance to do more charitable work and not worry so much about increasing sales another 4% this quarter.

IF this program goes through, it will mean even fewer customers for me, as the state will push everyone they can into this program to save $$$.

Downside is that it's a state contract and if they decide three years from now it's not saving as much as they'd like, goodbye.

I'd give up some stability in exchange for stress reduction and some soul fulfillment.

For some pesky reason, I've always valued helping others more than getting rich. :messedup:

EG
 
Elias Graves said:
For some pesky reason, I've always valued helping others more than getting rich. :messedup:

EG
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I am there with you bro in regards to the value of helping! It is a tough compromise on the getting rich part as it may not be typical goal but you want to be financially independant.
 
That was interesting.
The therapist, of course, heard of our buyout and was NOT happy with the way it was handled. She's been through buyouts with suppliers before and she says this is the first time it's ever happened where the new owners didn't come to her (a referral source) to discuss transition plans. She's not happy about that.
I'm not either.
In fact, she's pretty hot over it and plans to take our customers in the pipline and move them to other suppliers. She's a bit of an odd bird, but she sees her patients as family and their needs come first.
She does, however, like me. My wife works for her clinic, BTW. So, she came to me with this proposal both to help me if I choose not to stay with the new company, as well as help her patients.
We are now awaiting a callback from an official with Medicaid.
This could get interesting.

EG
 
Elias Graves said:
That was interesting.
The therapist, of course, heard of our buyout and was NOT happy with the way it was handled. She's been through buyouts with suppliers before and she says this is the first time it's ever happened where the new owners didn't come to her (a referral source) to discuss transition plans. She's not happy about that.
I'm not either.
In fact, she's pretty hot over it and plans to take our customers in the pipline and move them to other suppliers. She's a bit of an odd bird, but she sees her patients as family and their needs come first.
She does, however, like me. My wife works for her clinic, BTW. So, she came to me with this proposal both to help me if I choose not to stay with the new company, as well as help her patients.
We are now awaiting a callback from an official with Medicaid.
This could get interesting.

EG
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Job mojo out your way. I hope this shakes out in a way you can be happy about.
 
Elias Graves said:
That was interesting.
The therapist, of course, heard of our buyout and was NOT happy with the way it was handled. She's been through buyouts with suppliers before and she says this is the first time it's ever happened where the new owners didn't come to her (a referral source) to discuss transition plans. She's not happy about that.
I'm not either.
In fact, she's pretty hot over it and plans to take our customers in the pipline and move them to other suppliers. She's a bit of an odd bird, but she sees her patients as family and their needs come first.
She does, however, like me. My wife works for her clinic, BTW. So, she came to me with this proposal both to help me if I choose not to stay with the new company, as well as help her patients.
We are now awaiting a callback from an official with Medicaid.
This could get interesting.

EG
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Two things

-If you are providing someone with something they need for a fair price, you are helping them.

-Depending on what kind of contract you have with your employer, trying to take their customers with you to another company could open you up to a lawsuit.
 
Wow, things seem very interesting. I guess your best bet is to hang and play both sides against each other for a bit, very passively, until you get an idea where this is all going. FWIW, medicaid/care is terrible about paying their bills on time, and I know a ton of medical types (including some retail pharmacies) that are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments from the fed for these programs, and the response they get is 'you will be paid at the next federal appropriation of funds, in order of request filing', along with a reminder it is against the law for them to deny service to medicaid/care patients, even when the fed hasn't paid them in 6 months. My dad's pharmacy chain used to run millions of dollars out the door and have to sit and wait for the fed to pay. They will pay, but not fast. So, maybe not a stable source of income. Also, the federal grant process is a crazy mess, so I would quit a paying job for someone who is 'going to put in for a grant', as it is might not materialize.

Once you get the refurb wheelchair gig, you can get us all those awesome Rascal scooters, right?
 
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reverend1 said:
Two things

-If you are providing someone with something they need for a fair price, you are helping them.

-Depending on what kind of contract you have with your employer, trying to take their customers with you to another company could open you up to a lawsuit.
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True. The customers I work with are disabled and mostly rely on Medicare/Medicaid or insurance to cover things. There are many features that can go on a chair that are beneficial, but not covered and the cutomer ends up doing without. That's always the part that hurts. Knowing someone could go back to cooking for themselves if they had a seat elevator on the chair. Seat elevators are deemed a convenience item by Medicare and are not covered. Who needs to cook? :messedup:

IF this happens, I would not be going to a competitor business, so non compete laws don't apply. I'd be working for a nonprofit doing stste contracted work. I'd be safe and not taking customers.

As far as the non-compete goes, however, my contract is with the old company, not the new one. As of now, I have zero contract with these guys.

EG
 
Tiltsta said:
Wow, things seem very interesting. I guess your best bet is to hang and play both sides against each other for a bit, very passively, until you get an idea where this is all going. FWIW, medicaid/care is terrible about paying their bills on time, and I know a ton of medical types (including some retail pharmacies) that are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments from the fed for these programs, and the response they get is 'you will be paid at the next federal appropriation of funds, in order of request filing', along with a reminder it is against the law for them to deny service to medicaid/care patients, even when the fed hasn't paid them in 6 months. My dad's pharmacy chain used to run millions of dollars out the door and have to sit and wait for the fed to pay. They will pay, but not fast. So, maybe not a stable source of income. Also, the federal grant process is a crazy mess, so I would quit a paying job for someone who is 'going to put in for a grant', as it is might not materialize.

Once you get the refurb wheelchair gig, you can get us all those awesome Rascal scooters, right?
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This particular contract is with the state and has already been approved. The state is waiting on someone to bid on it, so there's not much "what if" involved. It looks solid. The big question mark is longevity of the contract.

Of course, I'd be marketing this program to hospitals and all the other places I go now, and going in as a nonprofit rep, the doors open much more easily. It would keep me involved with everyone I currently do business with. If the contract went south, my credentials are highly sought after, so landing a new gig would not be hard.

EG
 
Elias Graves said:
True. The customers I work with are disabled and mostly rely on Medicare/Medicaid or insurance to cover things. There are many features that can go on a chair that are beneficial, but not covered and the customer ends up doing without. That's always the part that hurts. Knowing someone could go back to cooking for themselves if they had a seat elevator on the chair. Seat elevators are deemed a convenience item by Medicare and are not covered. Who needs to cook? :messedup:

IF this happens, I would not be going to a competitor business, so non compete laws don't apply. I'd be working for a nonprofit doing state contracted work. I'd be safe and not taking customers.

As far as the non-compete goes, however, my contract is with the old company, not the new one. As of now, I have zero contract with these guys.

EG
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Since they bought the old company, your old contract is still in force. Where they can get you really isn't non-compete. It's using company resources, time, and proprietary knowledge to enrich a competitor. Non-compete would only apply after you left the company.
 
Sounds like some up sides and down sides. I hope you make the decision that is best for you, whatever it may be. :thu:
 
reverend1 said:
Since they bought the old company, your old contract is still in force. Where they can get you really isn't non-compete. It's using company resources, time, and proprietary knowledge to enrich a competitor. Non-compete would only apply after you left the company.
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Well, it's not a competitor, so that really isn't an issue. I would not be taking any business from my current company.

EG
 
Tiltsta said:
Wow, things seem very interesting. I guess your best bet is to hang and play both sides against each other for a bit, very passively, until you get an idea where this is all going. FWIW, medicaid/care is terrible about paying their bills on time, and I know a ton of medical types (including some retail pharmacies) that are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments from the fed for these programs, and the response they get is 'you will be paid at the next federal appropriation of funds, in order of request filing', along with a reminder it is against the law for them to deny service to medicaid/care patients, even when the fed hasn't paid them in 6 months. My dad's pharmacy chain used to run millions of dollars out the door and have to sit and wait for the fed to pay. They will pay, but not fast. So, maybe not a stable source of income. Also, the federal grant process is a crazy mess, so I would quit a paying job for someone who is 'going to put in for a grant', as it is might not materialize.

Once you get the refurb wheelchair gig, you can get us all those awesome Rascal scooters, right?
Click to expand...


This, the government will pay EVENTUALLY. 120+ days is normal if your lucky. I will only take government contracts if I get 75% in advance. You also have almost no recourse to get paid by the government.
 
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