5 Mistakes many new doulas make… And how you can avoid them

Doula work is heart work, it’s a calling that we get and there’s no turning back. For many of us though, when we do our training, we learn the ins and outs about birth, birth settings, physiology, interventions, etc. and if we’re lucky some things about starting a business, and then we launch ourselves into the world full of excitement and passion and ideas.

It often doesn’t take long after that for us to realise that there are lots of other doulas out there and to start falling into the trap of comparison and self-doubt. After all, we then realise we’re on our own and the work of setting up a business and gaining momentum is immense.  

The early days of a business can be overwhelming for anyone, and doulas are no different. The first steps are critical in laying a foundation for the long-term. Here I am going to share five of the most common mistakes new doulas make, and how you can avoid them in order to set yourself up for success.

1.     Delaying or fumbling your way through your first website design without understanding the foundations of a successful web presence.

You may not feel confident in setting up a website presence until you’ve gained a little experience and a handful of testimonials, you may not even be ready to take on clients. But this is a great time to dedicate to establishing your online presence. This will be a place to easily refer people to in order to learn about your philosophy of birth and the energy you’re putting out there.

Having a website lends credibility to your business and can be a starting point for your other marketing activities. It doesn’t have to be perfect at the start, and it will most certainly change and evolve over time, but a basic site provides reassurance to potential clients and collaborators, and it is something for you to build on and polish as your business grows.

Please note though, although a simple website presence is better than nothing, it’s unlikely that once you publish it people will find it without driving them there with intention. The external face of your website (the part the world sees) is only as powerful as the back end so take some time to read a little about website design and functionality, customer experience and SEO. And be sure that your website is communicating with the major search engines and tell people about it.

There are many layers to SEO, and it can cost you a lot to get it set up properly but at the start you can find free tutorials online and most likely in the forums of your website host to just get you started. Again, this is something that you will continue to tweak and improve as you grow but having the basics set up is important. You don’t need to start out with complex analysis and keywords. Knowing some basic words someone may find you through, like ‘doula near me’ can be a simple way to optimise your website presence from the start. I’ve also developed a really affordable resource called the Doula Website Guide, that teaches you this and SO MUCH more so you can confidently set up your website yourself, and avoid overcapitalising on Web Designers, Copywriters, and SEO experts. You can take a look at the guide here!

2.     Spending lots of time, energy and money thinking up a business name and designing a complicated logo and business cards.

I know this stuff is fun to do, but it’s not going to be what makes your business a success at the start. If you have a business name in mind already that you love, go with it, but if you don’t, why don’t you consider just using your name for now? If you do opt for a business name then make sure it’s one that isn’t too similar to those that other doulas are already using. Try to think of something that is easy to remember as well and make sure that you’ve done the work to make sure Google knows about your website. In terms of your logo, think about how it will look when printed very small on your paperwork. If it’s intricate or very detailed, it might be difficult to see to why not try something simple and easy also to explain. Think of the customer experience trying to explain you to someone else, or trying to look you up just from the memory of having heard about you.

It can also be very exciting to design and print business cards and other materials but these are not necessary at the start of your journey. It is probably an expense that you can do without. One of the pitfalls here is that business cards are usually printed in the hundreds and realistically, you’re not going to come face to face with hundreds of potential clients in your first couple of years in business. By the time this period has passed, your business and offerings and branding may have changed significantly and no longer feel really representative of what you’re wanting to put out there.

You may also change your business name, contact information and socials handles in this time and then be faced with having to update all of the cards. The last thing you want to do is find yourself with hundreds of cards you no longer like and that no longer feel right, that you end up putting in the bin. Speaking from experience here!!

What about printing a few A4 sized flyers with beautiful imagery and impactful copy for you to put around your town in strategic locations with little tabs people can tear off with your name and number on them, or that they can simply take a photo of to look you up when they get home. You may also like to see if the allied health providers you’re building connections with would be prepared to display these in their waiting rooms.

3.     Thinking you need to wait until you have _____ experience or _____ certifications to really step into your business.

I get it, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed at the start, to compare yourself to others and feel insecure about what you’re putting out in the world. You might see other doulas who also offer childbirth education, lactation consulting, placenta encapsulation, rebozo work, prenatal yoga and any number of other things and feel like you too need to add these to your repertoire before people will take you seriously. But you don’t need to do any and all of these, especially at the start. You will most likely be spreading yourself too thin and possibly overinvesting. I think that also by taking course after course it can be an implicit way to avoid putting ourselves out there, which you will have to do eventually, no matter how many different hats you wear.

I recommend that you start with the basics, get good at what you do and set yourself up with strong foundations, and know that your ideal client will care more about the quality of your care, how deeply you listen, whether you make her laugh or feel good about herself etc. More on this below. Take note that most of these qualities are ones you had before you took any kind of training.

Also, don’t forget that marketing doesn’t end with websites and social media. There are people in your own community who will become great assets for your business, so put yourself out there and start making connections, having conversations and making sure that the people around you know what you do. You might even like to start referring folks to other allied health professionals in your area who you know support pregnant women which may over time develop a reciprocal referral arrangement. It is never too soon to start putting yourself out there and will just get easier with time and practice.

4.     Thinking that the most important piece of having a doula business is the birth work. 

Of course, it’s easy to think this, and to feel insecure as a doula until you’ve had experience with (an arbitrary number of) births. But the thing is, with birth work, it’s not the birth experience that matters but the interpersonal skills, intuition, deep listening skills, wisdom, trust, and ability to quickly establish rapport with people in intimate settings.

Then of course even with all of the above in mind, in order to get the birth work you need to know who you want to work with, to understand their pain points and know how to attract them , to establish your online presence, to give sound consideration to your policies and articulate them clearly in your contract, to consider your professional boundaries and limitations, to understand your finances and ensure you have the right systems in place to meet your own financial requirements, and of course to work on your mindset. 

I strongly encourage you to get all of this set up before you start taking on lots of clients, and like with everything else, you will tweak it all as you go grow but you will be starting with a solid foundation for your business to set you up for success!  

5.     Not understanding who your ideal client is, what their pain points are and how to speak to them.

At the start of your business journey, you may feel compelled to work with just anyone, to gain experience and to alleviate the fear that if you don’t accept all enquiries, you won’t get any cash flowing in your business. But the thing is, just like there are infinite kinds of women, there are infinite kinds of doulas and not all will be a good fit for each other, obviously!

If you look at other doulas’ websites, you’ll probably notice that they more or less all say the same thing – informing you what a doula is, what we do (and/or don’t do), how we can help you and how to book in for a chat. But if you look closer, hopefully you’ll also note that each doula is talking to a specific ideal client or persona, someone who fits a particular description and when THAT person lands on the site they will feel seen, validated and like the messaging was written specifically for them. It is your job (among the other 53,987 you have) to figure out how to do this in order to establish a strong connection from the start and to evoke an emotion in the potential client that makes them want to connect with you straight away.

You want people to see your authenticity shine through in your website and either say yes, I want to interview that doula or say no, she's not the right one for me, and move along. You'll find that the more specific you are about who you serve, the easier it will be to connect with your perfect clients. I have a free resource on helping you to understand and attract your ideal client, which you can find here.

So, there you have it, five of the most common mistakes new doulas make, and how you can avoid them. Of course, there are many more, like not understanding how to price correctly to position yourself where you want to be, not setting up your systems to automate as much as you can, not establishing professional boundaries to avoid taking on too much, and so much more. I will share more about these and other mistakes to avoid in another post soon so be sure to follow me on my socials so you’ll know when it’s ready. You can find me on IG @marygiordano.com.au

In the meantime, if you’re starting your business or are in the first few years, you could be the right fit for my unique Doula Business Membership, where I provide live and tailored support for all things Birth Business in fortnightly group coaching calls. 

Can’t wait to see you thrive!

Doula Business Mentor