Patty’s Blog: “” posts

Doula Programs: Free Grant Writing Training

Do you have a doula program that you need to fund? March of Dimes Michigan wants to fund well-designed programs that improve health outcomes for moms and babies. Join yours truly and a panel of experts on June 1st for the free Writing a Winning Grant Proposal workshop in Lansing. Learn to speak “Grantese” and get your initiative funded. This program is a Pre-Conference Workshop of the Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Michigan Conference. Can’t join us? The 2010 Writing a Winning Grant Proposal Comprehensive Training Package is available for purchase. A small investment can yield thousands of dollars for your program or initiative!

Pre-registration is required.

The Doula Programs blog provides a forum for doula program visionaries and implementers to consider common challenges, ask questions, and learn from each other. Patty Brennan is the author of The Doula Business Guide: Creating a Successful MotherBaby Business.

Posted by Patty Brennan on May 26, 2011 • Filed under Doula Programs
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Birth & Parenting News: The care provider difference

Midwives and doulas/birthing coaches are gaining in popularity as evidence increasingly shows that the type of caregiver a woman chooses can make a big difference in her labor experience. In particular, continuous labor support reduces the risk of cesarean section and other adverse outcomes in women and newborns.

Each Wednesday, our Birth & Parenting News blog highlights the latest news items, research results, consumer alerts, and legislative action alerts of interest to expectant and new parents and the professionals who work them.

Posted by Patty Brennan on May 25, 2011 • Filed under Birth & Parenting News
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Doula Business Advisor: Checking Accounts?

If you are a doula operating as a sole proprietor with a Doing Business As (DBA) certificate from your County Clerk’s office, simply take the certificate to your bank to open an account. You have two choices here: setting up a separate business account or adding your DBA to your  personal/family account. By adding the DBA to your existing account, you can most efficiently access your money. All deposits go immediately into your personal checking account. A separate business account will require you to transfer funds, after deposit, to the personal account when you want/need to get paid.

If you have formed a corporation of one kind or another, on the other hand, a separate business checking account will be necessary. First, you will need to obtain a federal Employer Identification Number (EIN). This can be done easily online at www.irs.gov. Take the certified Articles of Incorporation from the state and the EIN letter from the IRS with you to the bank.

The primary advantage of a separate business checking account is that the bookkeeping is cleaner. Psychologically, it may be less painful to pay out business-related expenses from a business account than it is from a personal checking account. It is much easier to track what is actually going on with the business if it is separate from your personal finances. You will have income, minus expenses, including taxes that need to be set aside. What’s left over is what you can afford to pay yourself as an “owner’s draw.” I think that the separate account helps independent business owners develop a business mindset. At the end of the year, your tax picture will be much cleaner as well. However, if you are just doing a little bit of doula work, supplementing family income here and there, you might want to forego the complication of a separate account.

The Doula Business Advisor blog is designed to support the establishment and long-term sustainability of private doula businesses. Patty Brennan is the author of The Doula Business Guide: Creating a Successful MotherBaby Business.

Posted by Patty Brennan on May 24, 2011 • Filed under Doula Business Advisor
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