Doula Business Advisor: What If They Can’t Afford You?

Undoubtedly doulas will cross paths with folks who cannot afford to pay for doula services. There are several different ways to approach this issue. While your heart may want to say “yes,” your pocketbook or your partner may not be down with the sacrifices entailed in saying “yes.” Possible approaches include working out a payment plan, bartering, referral to a doula program providing free services to low-income women and their families (if available in your area), or offering a sliding scale.

I want to encourage every professional doula to provide all clients with the opportunity to give back something in return for her services. It has been my experience that people generally do not value services provided at no charge. If they are invested, if they are giving something in return, then they value the service. For your part, you are setting an expectation that they take responsibility for their birth, their family, their situation. You are not trying to rescue them from it; you’re asking that they step up. It’s better all round for everyone’s self-esteem.

Consider also that there is an amazing continuum on the theme of “I don’t have the money.” In some cases, such a statement is more perception than reality. One woman’s “I don’t have the money” might best be translated as “I would have to dip into my savings” or “I’m cash poor because I just bought the $30,000 vehicle parked in your driveway,” while another woman’s “I don’t have money” means she is having trouble buying groceries. You will have to decide if you have the capacity, in terms of available time and need to earn income, to take on clients who cannot afford your services. This may not necessarily be an all-or-nothing decision or one that can’t be revisited as your own circumstances change over time. I decide, on a case-by-case basis, who I can cut a break to and who my gut tells me I should cut a break to.

To be continued …

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 March 8, 2011 • Filed under Doula Business Advisor
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