Banking On Experience Ex-banker blends his talents with photography franchise.
By Alex Purugganan •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Be Your Own Boss, Fall 2000
Life has gotten a lot flashier for Ted Downing since he made the leap from running a bank to organizing picture days for kids. The Sports Section, a youth and sports photography franchise in Evanston, Illinois, Downing integrates his business insight with his passion for taking pictures.
After succeeding in the banking industry for 20-plus years, Downing, 55, felt it was the right time to venture into his own personal field of dreams. "I asked myself, 'How can I combine my enthusiasm [for photography] with my experience in the business world in order to be my own boss?' A blending of those [qualifications] was a perfect marriage"
Downing's broad background in banking has given him " the business acumen needed to develop a new business, the understanding of what a business needs to do to [thrive] and the courage to take that initial leap of faith." And, having been an avid amateur photographer for over 15 years, his artistic nature has also proved beneficial. "A picture has to express and give some meaning to the experience you had," he explains. "Our mission is to create memories." That mission certainly sounds more intriguing than creating home equity and IRA accounts.
Contact Source
The Sports Section, http://www.sports-section.com/northshore.
