Essential Birth Consulting is a specialist midwifery consultancy providing business consulting, coaching and management expertise to private midwives.

Melissa Maimann is a Medicare-eligible midwife with business management qualifications uniquely placing her to provide advice and mentoring to other midwives who are considering private practice: she is the only private midwife in Australia to hold a Master of Business Administration: a specialist masters degree dealing specifically with business management.

Traditional midwifery degrees do not deal specifically with the business-side of private practice.  The business aspect is essential to consider, if midwives are to be professional and successful in their practice. Many midwives have learned through trial and error and have found this approach to be unsatisfactory.  Now, business consulting services are available to you so that your practice may be successful, rewarding and safe.

How we can help you: starting your own practice

• The process of becoming a Medicare-eligible midwife
• The processes of establishing a private midwifery practice
• Marketing
• Business planning
• Pricing strategy
• Business strategy
• Advertising and promotion
• Contracts: with clients, hospitals, obstetricians
• Models of care: review and design
• Budgeting
• How to set up a business
• Process analysis and development
• Financial management

We want to make it easy to make the transition into private practice!  Contact us today to discuss your needs.

How we can help you: joining our team

• A chance to become a part of a private midwifery practice, complete with rooms and an established model of care
  
• Assistance with the necessary paperwork to become an eligible midwife and obtain a provider number
• Assistance to obtain an ABN and register for GST
• Debriefing, mentoring and support
  
• Assistance to plan and implement a continuing professional development program
• The ability to work with women where you feel it is best: in private consulting rooms or in the woman's home
• The chance to provide continuity of care
• The opportunity to work within established guidelines
• The security of working within a model of care that supports best practice maternity care
• All equipment provided
• Back-up provided
• Work with an established practice model

We want to make it easy to make the transition into private practice!  Contact us today to discuss your needs.

Essential Birth Consulting's human capital is derived from a variety of sources:

• Rigorous MBA-level study
• Practical experience and knowledge in developing and running a thriving, successful private midwifery practice in a competitive geographical region, both for home and hospital birth
  

Melissa Maimann's experience running a successful midwifery practice, combined with Business Management qualifications (MBA AGSM 2007) and experience in managing a health care facility uniquely places her to assist and support midwives at all stages of their business life:

• Midwives who are considering entering private practice and are unsure if it is the best move - especially when leaving hospital employment. 
  
• Midwives who have taken the decision to commence private practice and need advice on what to do, when and how. 
  
• Midwives who are established in their private practice and need ongoing advice, coaching and business know-how.

Private midwifery practice is undergoing rapid change in Australia with the implementation of Medicare funding for private midwifery services.  These important reforms bring with them increased regulation and responsibilities for midwives and it is important that as private midwives, we understand and meet our obligations.  As midwives leave hospital employment to commence their own successful private practices, some help will be needed along the way.

Knowing what is required and developing a plan of action will save literally hours of frustration and considerable time.  Please contact us to arrange an appointment for business consulting for your successful private midwifery practice.

I hope that many midwives will take up the rewarding challenge that is private practice.  I also want you to be successful so you don't burn out, feel overwhelmed by the bureaucracy that surrounds any private enterprise, or, like so many small businesses - fail within the first two years of operation.   Please contact us to arrange an appointment for business consulting for your successful private midwifery practice.