A doula from Tennessee called me last week for an emergency consultation. "Sheri, I really need help. I'm worried that I'm going to have to quit this doula work if I can't make more money. My husband and kids don't understand how much I love what I do. They keep looking for jobs for me. It really irritates me that no one takes my doula work seriously." As we started digging I discovered that Catherine was like most birthing professionals, she started in this field because of her passion for birth but she had no idea how to do business. Actually, it wasn't only that she didn't know how to run a business; she had never treated it like a businessmore like an expensive hobby. Knowing that Catherine's situation is very similar to that of most birthing professionals, I thought I would share the attributes of a strong birthing business. Check in to see how healthy your business is right now: 1. You have a business planyou know how much you want to make every year. 2. You know who your ideal client is and where to find them. 3. You have scheduled time off a few times a year for vacations (and to avoid burnout). 4. You aren't afraid to charge what you are worth. You also know what your services are worth. 5. You have good health and great energy for your clients. 6. You have sat down with your family to explain your goals and asked for their support. 7. You are willing to invest in your business by learning. You take classes and read things that will help your business. Catherine discovered that her business was not healthy. She had never treated her work as a business; she treated it as a hobby. She frequently had trouble asking people to pay her for her services. She had no idea what her expenses were or how much she was making. She was always on call and never scheduled a vacation. Her family really suffered. Because they didn't see her much and didn't see her making any money, they thought that they were doing her a favorite by encouraging her to find a 9-5 job where she would have vacation time and weekends off. Catherine has made progress in the past week. She has made a commitment to make her passion a real business. She has set up goals for the next 1 year, 6 months, 90 days and month. She set up these goals with the help of her husband and kids. They are finally excited about her business. She has also set up a budget for her business so that she doesn't spend every penny on items that aren't directly benefiting her business. She has decided on vacation time with her family. The family decided on two, one-week vacations a year and four, three-day weekends a year. Catherine has also signed up for Business 101. In Business 101 she will learn how to create a business plan, and how to make better use of her time. She plans on being more efficient in her marketing. Did you find out that your business is not as healthy as you would like? If not, don't despair. Now is the perfect time to put the life back into it. Make a commitment to yourself, your family and your business that you will sit down and plan your future. You can be a passive participant or an active one in your business. Being an active participant will give you the freedom that you crave. Decide to build your business plan now. If you need more help in doing that you can always enroll in Business 101 taught by Sheri Menelli through The Birthing Business Institute. The Birthing Business Institute
Sheri Menelli, Executive Director
3212 Rancho Companero
Carlsbad, CA 92009
Telephone (760) 431-2228
info@birthingbusiness.com ? 2006 Sheri Menelli, The Birthing Business Institute. All rights reserved. WANT TO PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE? You may publish this article for free as long as you include this statement with it: Sheri Menelli "The Business Doula" offers keynote speeches, mentoring, training and products designed to get birthing professionals to "Live Their Passion and Love Their Income ?". Free Monthly teleseminars are available at http://www.birthingbusiness.com |
