If the only reason you don’t do something is because you never did, that’s not a good reason. If the environment has changed dramatically and you are feeling pain because of it, this is a great reason to question yourself, to ask why. -Seth Godin

Unless you’re Alberto Contador, you’re probably feeling the effects of the global recession. Whether you’re an athlete, managing a team, or promoting an event, the pinch probably has you worried a bit. The natural inclination I see is to rush headlong towards the activities that have always brought in money in the past, and push them harder than when times were good. Trouble is, that’s probably not the best strategy.

For those companies that still have money, the same-old same-old is not an attractive investment. When consumers are spending less and less, companies want the most direct and efficient route to whatever consumer dollars are out there. No longer can they throw money at a general opportunity and guess which 50% of their budget is bringing the returns. Every dollar needs to be accounted for and producing returns.

If you’re ready to step outside of the usual, this is a great opportunity for you. I’m sure the Specialized/Alberto Contador/Team Astana negotiation was unusual, and the result certainly is. My guess is that the result was a good sponsorship deal for Specialized, a guaranteed contract for Contador, and we’ll now see AC staying at Astana even if their Pro-Tour license isn’t renewed.

But what about missed opportunities?

Daniel Holloway’s personal Ustream of the Munich Six-Day from his laptop was one of the only ways to know what was going on there. What if the promoter set up a couple of cameras, a mixing board, and streamed the event on the Internet? The riders could stop in and chat with fans live between events, and sponsors would have live access to engaged fans. I would bet that they could attract an international audience as large or larger than their current in-person audience, giving them a reason to pitch more and larger sponsors. Critically for six-day promoters, when the event grows in stature internationally, locals will be more likely to show up – who doesn’t want to be part of an EVENT?

Does your local event have a unique feature that stands out from other events? Maybe your men’s fields have gone up and down in quality, but the women’s fields have gone from strength to strength. What would happen if you doubled-down on that and, heaven forbid, made it a women’s only event? Promote the hell out of it using social media – which would be incredibly effective – with the goal of becoming the premier women’s event in yourstate/yourcountry/theworld. Can you make more out of less? Sponsors would love you for that!

What if you’re not winning as many races as you used to? What are the possibilities if you spent a ton of your non-training/racing time forging real connections with fans over social media? How valuable is it to your team and/or sponsors if you have 300-500 die-hard fans that will follow and support you wherever you go, even if you’re struggling? Damn valuable, that’s the answer.

Your Iron Curtain

Anything different that you might do is a risk. But if you’re already struggling, is it really a risk? Isn’t it a risk to keep doing what you’re doing? I recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal about red deer in Germany and the Czech Republic. Throughout the Cold War, there was a fence, a road, and guards that constantly patrolled the border, making it impossible for even wildlife to cross. 20 years after the fence has come down, almost all the deer – even those born AFTER the fence came down – refuse to cross the old Iron Curtain. Yet two bucks – one from each side of the border – cross to feed and mate. They will, if they haven’t already, become the alpha males of their herds, having their choice of food and mates.

Is that fence really there for you, or are you pretending that the Iron Curtain is still there? What border can you cross that might have great success on the other side?