how to make the right connections?

My first contract jobs came from recommendations from co-workers. I've even gone back to previous employers on a contract basis. This is especially helpful if you know people who do contract work in other areas. Be on the look out for anyone who goes out and does their own startup. There may be a doctor that starts up a private practive in another town.

Get ready to start cold calling unless your referalls can keep you busy on a full-time basis.

I agree with Jeff - my first consulting gig was at the firm I had just left, but in another department. In that context, (assuming you are still employed) look for areas in your firm where there is an obvious need but little chance of the firm filling it internally, ideally projects of a size that gives you something decent to get your teeth into, but not so big that the budget will take forever to get approved.

Some other thoughts:

• It's worth asking your current employer whether they would consider employing you part-time - this can provide a useful transition to being stand-alone, and if you're really good at what you do, they might prefer a chunk of you rather than lose you completely.

• Consider whether there is a niche service you can provide. Often going looking for consulting work on a general basis can be a bit soul-destroying - there are tons of firms out there offering the same thing and the market tends to be tight. However if you are able to offer a specific service - e.g., outsourced support on a specific niche package, then you stand a better chance of getting a prospects attention - because you are offering to address a very specific problem they have.

• In terms of networking, you should take a look at LinkedIn. It's surprising the value there - for example, you could either join or set up a group there that is specific to your area of expertise - that's a great way to make new contacts and potentially generate new business. Some tips on using LinkedIn can be found here and here but I'm sure you can find much more on-line.

Hope this helps.

I found myself in a similar situation such as yourself back in the early 90's. As you probably know, the majority of physicians in this country belong to small to medium sized practices.

First, if you are still on good terms with your previous employer, I would try to secure a good reference from them. Having a referral from another practice will establish yourself somewhat with other practices.

List Jeff previously mentioned, expect to do a lot of cold calling. Don't ask to speak with the physician's at the practice, speak with the office managers. These people are usually the one's working in the PM's and EMR's on a daily basis. They are the ones you should market your services to.

You need to figure out what type of IT services you will want to market and support. I can tell you from experience, if you have a solution that will save the practice time, they will be more than happy to listen to you. Time is money.

As part of the new healthcare dollars Congress has already allocated, all practices will need to adopt some sort of PM system and drive "meaningful use". Most practices in your market don't have the time nor technical ability to decipher what they need to do to tap in Federal stimulus dollars. This could also be another way to get your foot into the door.

Besides looking at LinkedIn, you should seek out various healthcare user groups. For example, join the forum at the CHUG (Centricity Healthcare User Group).

Good Luck!

I agree with a lot of the answers you've already received. Network, Network, Network! The more people you know that know someone, that knows someone... well you get the drift. I also wanted to invite you to take a look at the Microsoft SMB Center. Believe it or not, even with one employee you ARE a small business! There are some great tips and tricks available on this site for increasing exposure, especially under the Start-Up tab in the Learning Center area.

Best of luck to you in your new business!