5 Ways to Get Paid What You're Worth!

One of the best ways to let the world know you're not a confident doula is by discounting your services!

I'm sorry but it's true!

Discounting devalues your services and we all know that doulas put in more hours and energy with an expecting family than almost anyone else!

First of all, you need to decide what is the right price for your services. Evaluate the market in your area. What are other doulas charging and what are they offering? How long have you been a doula and what are your specialties? And lastly, what is your time away from your family worth?

For a doula to earn the equivalent of the US minimum wage, for full-time work, she would need to charge roughly about $400 per birth. Once you set your fee if you find that you are getting a lot of full-paying clients and are feeling very busy, you’ll probably need to raise your price a little.

When you meet with potential clients who inform you that they can’t afford your fee, before you lower your price, the first thing you should do is offer them a payment plan. Many doulas have huge success splitting their fees into three payments, 30/30/40, two before the birth and one afterwards.

Consider accepting credit cards and paypal! Oh and don’t forget that the fee that the credit card company will charge you is tax deductible, even your PayPal fees are! Just remember to keep good records!

Top 5 ways to have doula services that others will pay top dollar for:

Be a doula of character. Listen more often than you speak. Be educated. Be honest.
Be compassionate and show it as often as you can without trying to fix every problem your client has.
Have boundaries. Your clients might want you at their beck and call but by having boundaries shows that you respect yourself and your doula practice and in turn, they will respect you. This is also a great way to teach others how to have healthy boundaries. Be a good example of health.
Know that you're worth your price and be confident when you talk about the cost of your services. If you stumble over saying your price or you allow them to pay you what they think you're worth, then it seems like even you don't believe that you're worth the money. Confidence is key!
Be there! It sounds simple enough but a lot of doulas talk to their clients about what they're going to do for them but when the actual day comes, the doula doesn't show up or worse, is distracted when she is there. Show up and be focused!