Dear Savvy Doula,

Are you just getting started and want some guidance about business tax requirements, record keeping requirements, and more? The Internal Revenue Service offers online video classes for small business owners.

Just visit the following website and you will see the heading "Small Business/Self-Employed Virtual Small Business Workshop":

http://tinyurl.com/6w5ny

Classes are about 30 minutes in length. The instructors discuss a variety of topics and also reference the Publications you can refer to for more information, which is also available on their website. If you have more questions you want answered, there are phone numbers available on the website and you can speak to an IRS employee. Whenever I’ve called in, the employees have always been very helpful.

Now is a great time to find out what you need as you get ready for the end of the year!

With great appreciation for the important work that you do,

Darlene

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3. Day 15 of Reorganize Your Doula Biz - Is This a Business or a Hobby?

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Dear Savvy Doula,

So you want to be a doula. A Savvy one at that. I’d like to offer you 5 tips to help you be taken seriously as a business owner:

1. Make the decision and say to yourself "I own a doula business".  Does it feel different to say that as opposed to "I am a doula". As doulas, we are nurturing, caring, creative and passionate about birth. We hold energetic space for a woman. We use our intuition often. It’s a boldly feminine role. On the other hand, running a business is more masculine in nature. It must have its own structure and operate within bigger structures (as in state and federal government structures). We operate the business according to systems we put in place for ourselves, we put ourselves in the public eye through marketing and advertising efforts, and we hold our clients within a framework of expectations. Being a business owner takes recognizing not only who you are as a doula, but acknowledging the fact that you own and must manage the day-to-day tasks of a small business. Both sides of the coin must be balanced.
2. Create a plan for your practice. Business planning helps you to set goals, find out about your competition, determine what your clients want and see what money-making potential your business has in store for you. If you are the sole owner of your business and you are not planning to go into business with others or need outside funding, you don’t necessarily need to create a full-fledged formal business plan. Karyn Greenstreet, one of the business coaches I like, wrote an article highlighting the points you should explore when creating a plan.
3. Maintain a professional presence. You don’t need to wear a suit when meeting with other professionals and clients, but you should dress professionally. Communicate via email without shouting (typing in all caps), the use of slang, emoticons or acronyms (ie: LOL, IMHO, etc) and by all means, use your spell check. Be on time for your appointments and have an agenda to follow for your interviews, prenatals and postpartum visits.
4. Get some business cards. Business cards help to communicate who you are, what you do, and how to reach you. It’s much more professional than giving someone the same information scrawled onto a napkin. Business cards can range from free to fancy. I’d discourage the use of cards printed on perforated business card stock because the perforations are visible and don’t look very good. A variety of cards can be created inexpensively on VistaPrint using their free templates, or you can upload or create your own card using your logo and branding.
5. Create and have your clients sign a contract. Whether you charge for your services or not, you need to have a contract. Contracts help you define your policies and the boundaries you choose to work within and helps you to communicate those with your clients. It is also advisable to have an attorney look over your contract. If cost is an issue for you, see if there is an attorney referral hotline and ask if there are any attorneys who offer pro bono services. Some SBA offices may also be able to refer you to resources for reasonable or free legal services.

Be proud of yourself. You are a doula. You own a doula business. There are many other factors that make a business owner and a business, but the five tips I’ve given you will help you be perceived as a professional and will help you to increase your confidence.

With great appreciation for the important work that you do,

Darlene

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Image by blmurch via Flickr

I am a really lucky birth doula. Why? I live within a wonderful birth community, with lots of caring, wonderful, smart women who offer support, suggestions and resources when I really need it.

This week, I sent an email request to two of my favorite doula-related Yahoo Groups, asking about a hospital procedure that I was unfamiliar with. Within hours, I not only got answers to my questions, I was educated about a few things and received more options that I could suggest to my clients. What seemed like a hurdle to overcome became a sigh of relief. I feel so much appreciation today towards my birth community, both locally and internationally.

The point of all this is to encourage you to reach out to your fellow birth professionals whenever you have questions, need a new resource, or a shoulder to cry on. Where can you find this support?

• Do a search for doula (or whatever your profession is) email lists on Yahoo Groups and subscribe to the list
• See if there is a doula or birth network in your community
• If there is not a network, think about creating one yourself
• Visit Alldoulas.com
• Find birth professionals to connect with on Twitter and Facebook

In so many instances, more minds are better than one. You can benefit from the experiences of others and get support when you need it. You don’t have to feel alone as a birth professional, especially if you’re in a community with only a few.

If you are connecting with professionals online, however, please be mindful of client confidentiality and the information you put out online. Be professional, and know when a conversation should be taken offline. If you’re not sure, you may want to connect on an individual basis to get your questions answered.

I’d like to know how you get support from your birth community, and the ways in which you support one another. Add a comment below!

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Dear Savvy Doula,

Do you wear other hats? Are you a childbirth educator, a postpartum doula, a photographer, a massage therapist, or any hold any other title in addition to being a birth doula? You should package your services.

How Many Packages Should I Offer?

Three packages are a good start. You won’t overwhelm a potential client  with too many choices, and yet it will feel like there is a a variety to choose from. You can have:

1. A Basic Package
2. An Upgraded Package
3. Your High-End Bells and Whistles Package

I’ll offer my own packages as an example:

1. A Basic Package: My basic birth doula package is pretty standard, offering what most other birth doulas offer in terms of prenatal and postpartum visits, attendance at the birth, and so on.
2. An Upgraded Package: I am a Reiki practitioner, so I offer an upgraded package that includes some Reiki sessions in addition to everything that is in the basic package.
3. My High-End Package: I am also a life coach, so my high-end package adds a birth/parenting/life coach package to the Upgraded package. So, clients will receive doula services, Reiki and coaching.

You are not only limited to adding services. If you make and sell products, you could add some of your products to your upgraded packages. Use your imagination to build packages that no other doulas around you offer. This will automatically set you apart from your competition.

How Should I Price My Packages?

In a past article I offered some questions that you can ask yourself when setting your prices. Refer to it if you need help determining the price for your Basic Package. For pricing your Upgraded and High-End Packages, a good rule of thumb is to increase your price 10-30%. For example, the rate for your Basic Package is $295. Your mid-range package could be about 10% higher, at $325. Your premium package could be $375, a difference of about 15% over your mid-range package.

Magical Numbers?

Some marketing experts suggest that people really respond to prices that have any 5s, 7s and 9s in them. I can’t say that I agree. I do admit, though, that in the above pricing examples, I started off using the numbers $300, $330 and $380, and that I personally feel more attracted to the prices listed above. For some reason, they just look nicer. I invite you to experiment with your prices and see what feels good to you.

As always, I welcome comments and want to know how my business tips are helping you grow your birth business. Please add a comment below or send me and email and give me some feedback!

With great appreciation for the important work that you do,

Darlene

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