Wow it has been a very busy fall for me and my family. Between family needs, training, working and team business I started to forget about taking care of my business. Yep I have a modest business that is focused on visual communication. I have reshaped this business, GSR Solutions, several times over the years but at its heart it remains the same. A free lance moniker used to support my cycling addiction.

As I said before, its modest and I decided this year its too modest to support my cycling addiction alone.

For those of us who race competitively for very long come to grips with the cost of our hobby. Do not be fooled, if you race and race for a team you are in a business. You are a one man PR and Marketing Army. That is if you have sponsors. If you have not been doing this for your sponsors they wont be sponsors for long.

My team MainStreetVelo is sponsored by a very diverse group of local businesses in Central Kentucky. I along with other members of MSV will communicate our team’s progress to them over the next season. We will also make our sponsor’s aware of marketing opportunities when they arise. I hope to come up with other creative approaches to help improve our sponsor’s brands.

While the team is sponsored I and my daughter are as well. I started another business in an effort to teach my young daughter a few things about running a business and how to earn money to help support her cycling efforts.

While writing about and planning for the 2010 season I decided to send my meager cycling resume to several new National Sports Brands seeking sponsorship. I was pleasantly surprised that I was offered real sponsorships as an individual!

In my next article I will introduce to you my new sponsors and the process I used to promote myself and some of the things I will do to promote my new sponsors.