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Monday, December 4, 1989 / University Daily Kansan
Entrepreneur learned from losing
By Steve Buckner
Kansan staff writer
By learning about losing, local entrepreneur David Fonseca said he could better compete in a business climate that decrees winning to be the only thing.
Fonseca worked for the Xerox Corporation for eight years, rising from saleman to national sales manager. He said one of the most important lessons he learned was told to him by one of his supervisors.
"He told me, 'When things start to get rough, pick your place to lose.' " Fonseca said. "We know we're not going to win them all, and a lot of people try to win them all."
Although Fonseca may not succeed at all of his endeavors, he has built a successful track record with Solutions Group Inc., 111 Riverfront Road, a holding company he started and now operates with partner Paul Gray. The first company in the Solutions Group, Remote Solutions Inc., was started by Fonseca in 1981. Remote Solutions uses har-code technology to identify inventory items for companies such as McDonnell-Douglas and Procter & Gamble.
Fonseca said he had drawn his motivation from his work at Xerox. He said he had constantly heard his co-workers mention ideas, but none of them did
anything with their ideas, Fonseca resolved to take action on his ideals.
"The key for entrepreneurs is that while everybody says somebody ought to do something, entrepreneurse do it," he said. "We create something out of nothing."
Gray joined Fonseca in 1987 after he developed an idea to take advantage of telephone dregulation. Gray's idea was to use computers to handle the billings of credit card calls made by hotel guests and hospital patients. This idea led to the creation of Telephone Solutions Inc. The company, now in its second year, has 600 clients and grossed $6 million last year.
Gray, also a jazz musician, came from an entrepreneurial background. He ran a chain of music stores and opened Paul Gray's Jazz Place, now known as The Jazzhouses, 926 1/2 Massa-ria, where he needed the new ideas to succeed because his music schedule was hectic to the point of burnout.
"I had made music to be my God," Gray said. "Fortunately, my wife had faith in me."
With two successful companies to their credit, they said their efforts were now spent maintaining their existing businesses and looking for new opportunities.
"We're fortunate now that we have more than one company doing well," Gray said. "Our goal is
To meet that goal, the two men launched Room Service last month, an errand-running company that relies on their computerized data base for efficient operations.
to start one successful new company every year."
In handling their mature companies, Fonseca said the greatest challenge was that there wasn't enough money. He quickly explained that he did not mean his statement to be misunderstood as a problem or an attitude of greed.
Gray was quick to elaborate on his partner's observation.
"The more successful we are, the more we have to pay in commissions, for hardware, on phone bill"
Another challenge for them is how their success may affect their families. Fonseca said he had put a ceiling on the amount of money he takes home as not to alter his family's lifestyle. Both men said they are devoted to their families and tried to spend as much time with them as possible.
Ray Poteet, a financial partner with Alpha & Omega Financial Services, 3110 Mesa Way, has helped Fomeca and Gray as an adviser and he in his capacity has been very impressed by their integrity and acumen.
"They always did what was right, even when it was not financially advantageous to them," he said.
KU drama enthusiasts could be acting abroad
By Anita Meyer
Kansan staff writer
University of Kansas drama and classics students literally could have the chance to walk in the footsteps of Euripides this summer when they perform "Hippopotus" in a theater used in 4 B.C.
Faculty and 20 students from colleges throughout the world will stay June 8-July 24 in Katochi, on the southwest coast of Greece.
Glenn Pierce, professor of theater and film, said he had been considering the idea for at least a year.
"Greece is the cradle of Western Civilization as we know it," he said. "It's where theater came into existence."
Pierce is accepting applications from drama and classics students throughout the world.
"They have to have a certain
grade point average and interest," he said. "If they're in drama, I will also have to know their work."
He said he had received applications from as far away as London.
"We circulated filters throughout the United States and in other countries as well," he said.
Story idea? 864-4810
Pierced said the cost of the trip would be $3,712 per student. The price includes round-trip air fare, meals, room and food and six hour credit.
Pamela Gordon, professor of classes, will be one of the faculty to go to Greece. She will teach a class in Greek drama next semester." "Hippolytus" will be one of the plays taught.
"It's always important to remember 'Hippolytes' was a play that was meant to be performed," she said. "I would hope students would get a taste of what it was like when it was originally performed."
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