Life After Doula Training – Learn about Business Ownership
In Part 2, I shared some resources to help you determine the state and federal requirements necessary to start your birth business in your area. In Part 3, I will take a look at business classes for small business owners.
Enroll in Small Business Classes
Live Classes. If you are starting a business for the very first time, you may find it valuable to take some live courses for small business owners. You may be able to find a comprehensive class series that covers everything from business planning to marketing to basic bookkeeping. Or, you can take classes a la carte, based on what you want to learn. In addition to learning business basics, this is a great way to meet other business owners, learn about even more resources available to you, and market yourself and your business.
Your tax dollars have created a fabulous resource in the form of the Small Business Administration, or SBA. Through the SBA, there are organizations called Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) and Women's Business Centers throughout the United States. Many of these organizations offer free and inexpensive classes and counseling to help you learn about running your business.
If you are not located near an SBDC or a Women's Business Center, see if your local community college or school district offers any adult education courses about small business. More good sources to check out include your local Chamber of Commerce or local networking and birth professional groups.
Online Classes. Due to the busy-ness of our lives, sometimes it is difficult to get away from our families to go live classes. Another option would be to take courses online. Here is a list of free online courses to check out:
- The SBA-based service called SCORE offers online classes on a variety of business topics in addition to offering counseling services.
- The SBA has a 10-step plan to help small business owners. Each step links to articles and videos so you can learn more.
- The Accounting Coach offers a free basic course to introduce you to accounting concepts and bookkeeping.
- My Own Business offers a free course with articles and videos from business professionals.
Another option for online courses is Udemy, where you can find a countless number of inexpensive courses on business topics, software instruction, and more.
Finally, there are many coaches and experts in just about any area who offer free information through blog posts and free opt-ins to full-blown paid courses and certification programs. From Google to Pinterest, a simple search will serve a wealth of information.
Join the Inspired Birth Pros Facebook group to share any resources for business classes or workshops that you've taken or know about.
