Knowing How to Plan an Event Doesn't Mean You Know How to Build a Business

I was scrolling Instagram this morning and came across something that was really confusing.

I found a few business coaches for event planners and noticed that they were sharing tips on... how to plan an event.

Wait... what?

Literally.

How to build a timeline. How to make sure the event runs smoothly. How to avoid common event day mistakes.

And I just sat there thinking... isn't that what your clients already do?

If you've been running an event business for 2, 5, or 10 years, you already know how to plan an event. That's literally the skill that got you into business in the first place.

The problem usually isn't planning the event.

It's building a business that doesn't rely on you for absolutely everything. It's consistently bringing in clients. It's knowing what to charge. It's creating systems. It's leading a team. It's understanding your numbers. It's actually making a profit. Those are usually business problems, not event planning problems.

If someone comes to me for business coaching, I'm not going to teach them how to write a run sheet or manage registration. I'm going to help them build a stronger business around the expertise they already have.

That doesn't mean we never talk about the events themselves. We absolutely do.

We bounce around creative ideas and event concepts, and I often help clients who are transitioning into a new niche, whether that's moving from weddings to corporate, nonprofit to social, or something completely different. Sometimes they ask for my opinion on a specific element, too. After 25 years of planning events, I do have an idea or two. But that's not what they hire me for.

Because knowing how to produce a great event and knowing how to build a profitable event business are two completely different skill sets.