--- title: 'Physician Changes Focus: Renting Camera Gear' description: Through his photography hobby, physician Roger Cicala happened upon a business idea that really clicked for him. authors: - name: Cara S. Trager url: https://money.com/author/cara-s-trager/ former_staff: true published: '2013-07-16T01:43:44.000Z' modified: '2013-07-16T01:43:44.000Z' section: Business tags: - camera rental - Careers - LensRentals.com - photography - Second Act - Second Career - Small Business word_count: 497 canonical: https://money.com/physician-changes-focus-renting-camera-gear/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Physician Changes Focus: Renting Camera Gear](https://money.com/img/logo-social.png) Back in 2006, photography buff Roger Cicala spent $5,500 on a telephoto lens he intended to use only once, to snap wildlife on a trip to Montana. He figured he'd sell the lens afterward -- until he had a flash. Why not rent it out online? So that September, Cicala set up a free web domain, LensRentals.com. To make it "look like a real business," the Cordova, Tenn., resident -- then an anesthesiologist in a Memphis practice -- included a camera and 15 other lenses he owned. He promoted the site in online photography forums. Within a week of launching in January 2007, Cicala's entire stock was rented. Emboldened, he spent $30,000 on more gear and generated $13,000 in revenue the first month. He wrote a business plan for targeting pros and serious hobbyists, and continued to invest his savings, cashing in his 401(k) along the way. In six months he met his three-year goals. "We were filling a vacuum," Cicala says. "There was only one other company renting gear, and it was smaller." Still, he viewed the venture as a sideline business: "I didn't know whether it could replace my salary." [Related: Banker finds sweeter career: Making ice cream](http://money.cnn.com/2013/06/01/smallbusiness/ice-cream-maker.moneymag/index.html) That changed in 2009, when the company took in $3 million. Cicala then decided to go part-time in medicine; two years later, with his wife's support, he quit. Drawing a salary of $175,000 from LensRentals.com, he was able to sustain their lifestyle. By that time the business had become a family affair: His daughter and son-in-law joined in 2008 and 2009 respectively; his son signed on in 2010. Today LensRentals.com is a 42-employee firm with $13 million in annual revenue. This month Cicala spun off a repair and sales operation called the Lens Authority. As CEO of both, he earns $220,000 a year, about what he pulled down as a doctor after insurance and license fees. "I love what I do every day," he says. Best of all, unlike medicine, "I'm not on call every third night!" HOW HE DID IT **Amount it took to start up: $800,000** About $550,000 of the money -- which was used primarily for inventory -- came from Cicala's now-liquidated 401(k) and personal savings. The rest was financed by a personal bank loan and credit cards; they have since been paid off. **When he sold part of the business: 2012** Cicala's kids will make 20 annual six-figure payments, which Cicala says takes care of his and his wife's retirement needs. In the next five years he anticipates selling his remaining 37% stake to his family, so he can "travel the world and take pictures." **Projected annual revenue growth for the next three years: 40%** To realize that goal, Cicala will expand his professional inventory to include video and audio gear, which can rent for as much as $1,500 a week. Even as revenues grow, however, he has no desire to increase his salary. 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