5 Business Tips for New Doulas
KISS, right?
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Doula Work!! It’s the best job ever and I adore it. I’ve also learned a thing or two along the way… and one of those things was to NOT overcomplicate things - Just Keep It Simple.
So here we go. A few bits of “Been There Done That” for you…
Birth Pro Tips:
1. Setting up your Business: Before you buy a domain or spend money on marketing materials and tee shirts, do a trademark search to make sure that the Trademark for your business name is available. Once you have set yourself up as an entity, you will need to get an EIN, in order to open a business bank acct. Once you know your idea for a name is available, you can begin to set yourself up as a business legally.
You might wish to go to your local college and see if they have free small business counseling. Many do!
2. Track Your Expenses: Remember that the costs of setting up your business are tax deductible. Itemize the cost of your contract and the client intake form, Labor Tools such as a peanut ball, your doula bag and the items in it, trainings that you take, food when working, etc. Keep track of these expenses on a spread sheet.
3. Decide what to charge: Take a look at what the doulas in your community are charging. At first, you will need to charge on the low end until you get a following. Then as you get busy, you will be able to increase your fee. My rule of thumb is that when you are consistently booking 3 clients or more for a few months, it’s time to increase your fee. BUT! Listen to what my own mom told me:
“Charge What You Are Worth But Be Worth What You Charge”
So you might wonder how you know what your worth is? Well, it will be quite clear that you are charging too much if you find that people balk at your fee. Take a hard look at your skill set and see if you are over pricing yourself. Once you have experience and a fabulous reputation in your community, then you will be able to set your fee more freely.
4. Forms and Contracts: Before you meet with your client, send the Client Intake form and a copy of your new contract to them so that you are fully prepared for your client. You will gain a lot of insight into what your client desires for her birth from the intake and also recognize areas that she and her partner may want more information. If you are new to doula work and not sure what you should be talking about when you meet with a family, the intake form really helps with discussion points. (Don’t reinvent the wheel!! We have a solid contract and intake form for you here. )
A side note: Consider using the term “consultation” instead of “interview” for that first meeting because you are providing valuable information to the people who may hire you. They are, in fact, consulting with you. I provide a consultation for a set fee that can be applied to the balance of my doula fee.
5. Go paperless. Keep your life simple. I don’t have a single paper folder for my doula work. I use Jotforms for my contract and intake. Jot forms can take payments and e-sign and best of all it is FREE for up to 5 forms! I recommend them because I use them! Use my affiliate link here to get started!
If you are interested in Doula Coaching, I do offer this service on a one-to-one basis. OR consider joining our 4TFM Birth Pro Community where you will learn all about these things and so much more from other professionals, too.
