If you want to buy tickets to a bullfight in Spain, you’ll need to decide whether you want them in la sombra (the shade) or el sol (the sun). It may not matter when you buy tickets to a U.S. ballpark, but in Madrid, there is a noticeable price differential depending on where you sit. La sombra is a premium ticket with people paying more to be sheltered from the sun’s heat.
I’m surprised this manner of pricing hasn’t caught on in the States. Some customers prefer sitting in the shade during hot summer games — and if they value it, there is a willingness to pay for it. While existing stadiums can’t control which seats are sol and which are sombra, they could capitalize on the difference and charge more for something that costs them nothing extra.
Is there something that is out of your control but that could become an advantage for you? Maybe your location makes your windows a prime advertising opportunity, your after-hours parking lot is a desirable spot for a new nearby business, or even el sol on your rooftop can be rented out to sun-worshipers. We all have environments and circumstances that are givens. Look at them with a new perspective and see what opportunity lies within. Olé!
