How to get my business off the ground

Written by Meg Kant

Four unexpected things that got my business off the ground

In 2015 when I signed up for my Maternal Support Practitioner training (aka doula training), I didn’t fully comprehend that I’d likely be starting my own doula business. It wasn’t until we dove into the business aspects of the MSP course that it really hit me that I was going to be an entrepreneur. 

To say that I didn’t know ANYTHING about business would be an understatement. I had no marketing background, no grasp of graphic design and zero financial literacy for business. I’m genuinely unsure what I would have done without the business support I received. I learned how to provide excellent care to my clients AND how to help clients find me.

There were a few unexpected topics that had the biggest impact on my business that I’d like to share:

1.Niching in business

“when you speak to everyone, you speak to no one.”

Niching is defined as “channeling all marketing efforts towards one well-defined segment of the population.” When you niche your business it helps you get clear on who you are working with and how you are best able to help them. 

When I first learned about niching it felt counterintuitive to what I wanted to do.  I wanted to work with everyone, and make sure that all pregnant people had doula support. However,  it quickly became clear that the more intentional I was with whom I wanted to work, the more loudly my branding/support spoke to them.

When I decided to specialize working with parents experiencing a perinatal mood disorder, my business began to take off. I started getting referrals from other clients as well as health care providers like the Perinatal Mental Health Outpatient Program to work with their clients. It was a game-changer. 

If you want more information our workshop “Getting Your Doula Business Off the Ground” has some great material.

2. Helping local Community: Connecting with potential clients

When I started my doula business people in my community didn’t know about doulas or the impact of maternal support. So the groundwork of getting my business up and running started through educating my community. I offered numerous ways to connect and learn with me that were no-cost options.

I figured out what potential clients were stressed about and adjusted my teaching to those topics. For example, I provided a free talk on “The three Biggest Fears about Childbirth” because my clients shared the same three fears repeatedly.  Therefore I captured the needs of my clients and filled those needs by connecting with them and educating them at no cost.

I saw the biggest increase of clients when I began to capture the information of people who might be interested in your services at those talks.

I had pieces of paper on each chair at my workshops with a place for name, email, phone and if they wanted to schedule a consultation. This was a great way to ensure I was able to connect with people after the workshop.

3. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software for my Business

I had absolutely no idea how many balls I’d be juggling as a business owner. All of a sudden I was in charge of marketing, doing consults, client care, prenatal appointments, going to births, sending invoices, sending follow-up emails, and so much more..

I started using a CRM software called Dubsado and it was a game-changer. (There are lots of different ones to look at, but this was the one recommended) Everything was organized in one place.

I purchased the Kickstarter Package, which is basically everything you need for your doula business in a box. I was able to transfer all of those documents into Dubsado so everything was available to my clients virtually. They could sign their contracts, do their client intake, and receive the invoices all under one really clean and clear software. 

How busy you are and your client roster will determine the kind of plan you want to use. When I had 3-5 births a month I subscribed to a plan that was about $30/month.  However with fewer births they have a free option to look into.

4. Under promise and over deliver

When you meet someone’s expectations they have a pretty positive experience, but it doesn’t always leave the most lasting impression. However, if you go above and beyond what they thought you were going to do, the positive impact for the client is long lasting. 

After each birth, I put together a memorabilia book of my clients with their babies. It was a surprise that they had no idea they would receive. I mailed it to them postpartum so it arrived unexpectedly and was always a huge hit. 

This is just one example but there are endless possibilities of things you can do. Going the extra mile genuinely means so much to people and takes a good experience and makes it an incredible one. 

These are just some of the things that were impactful for me and my business, I hope you find them helpful! Also, please always do what feels right for you, and run your business the way you see fit, there is not one correct way to do it.

Is there anything that you have found particularly helpful in your business? Share away in the comments, it might help someone else reading this!

Four unexpected things that got my business off the ground

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Xoxo,