Alice Turner from YourDoulaBiz is our guest blogger today. See below to learn more about her doula business management program that you could implement to hep your business run smoother and grow. Be sure to check out her offer at the bottom:) –DTI
Take the Struggle Out of Running Your Doula Business
Along with acquiring actual doula skills, new doulas usually have to become small business owners. They have to learn about and handle marketing, advertising, budgeting, website development, tax preparation and more! This can be quite overwhelming. In speaking with several doula trainers about why so many doulas complete the training, but don’t actually work as doulas I heard the following answer: Running the business side of the doula career is too hard.
Here is where YourDoulaBiz can help. YourDoulaBiz is a doula business management program designed by a doula for doulas. When I started my doula business seven years ago, I created a series of Excel spreadsheets to manage all of my data. This method worked, but I still wasn’t able to access my data when I was away from my computer. As a former database developer, this solution frustrated me and motivated me to create YourDoulaBiz.
YourDoulaBiz is a tried and tested system used by doulas around the world today. By using this system, doulas won’t have to spend time deciding what data they need to store and then create a method to store it. Think of the time savings with just this task alone! Even better, the status choices on the Client form nearly walk them through the process of working with a new client (Pre-Interview, Interview, Hired, Birthed or Not Hired). Similarly, YourDoulaBiz provides a method to keep track of Tasks. The task choices walk them through the tasks that are completed with new clients (Interview, Contract Signed, Prenatal, Labor, Postpartum etc). As a bonus, both mileage and expenses can be tracked for each task. Totals for these along with birth outcomes are presented on a yearend summary report making tax time easier.
When developing a payment model we took into consideration the financial burden of starting a doula business. At YourDoulaBiz doulas can choose a Mini-Plan for just $25/year or $3/month. This is a great plan for new doulas and allows for the management of 5 clients in their first year. If their practice is busier than that they can easily upgrade to the Standard Plan which is still a reasonable rate of $50/year or $6/month.
As the creator and owner of YourDoulaBiz, I am dedicated to making this system the best that it can be. I value feedback from users and add their suggestions to our list of new features that will be released in the coming months. The program will only get better! I am thrilled to help both new and experienced doulas alike make the process of running their doula businesses easier and more successful.
About the Author: February 2012, Alice Turner will be celebrating her 7th year anniversary of leaving corporate life for her calling as a birth doula. In addition to her birth work, Alice is the owner of YourDoulaBag and YourDoulaBiz. Her professional goals are to help mothers in their birthing process as a doula and Lamaze instructor and help doula’s reach their business goals with YourDoulaBag and YourDoulaBiz.
Use coupon code: " DTI " which will give you an extra month for free. With this code you get 13 months for the price of 12.