New Hampshire Business Review - January 2 2009

GT Solar knew for months that it was selling defective equipment that could explode and that it was in danger of losing its biggest customer, but covered up the information from investors in launching a half-billion dollar initial public offering…

Claire, president of the ABC Company, asks Tom, manager of the human resources department, what steps the company needs to take to help protect itself against sexual harassment lawsuits. Tom reports a recent case where the court dismissed a sexual…

Many high-tech companies, particularly smaller ones, borrowed money to fuel their growth during the recent boom. They borrowed money from banks, venture capitalists, friends and family members and used their intellectual property — patents, copyrights and trademarks — as collateral…

Most of us are grateful that 2008 is over. A few observations and thoughts about the year just ended: First, near the end of the year, two centenarian attorneys passed away. Charles Griffin of Portsmouth died earlier in the fall,…

Our school committee wants to buy laptops for all the students in the high school that’s being built. It’s probably a good way to ensure the students will never be able to do much on their own. The rationale goes…

Business owners often put their insurance program on autopilot, automatically renewing their policies without comparison-shopping or closely examining what has changed in their business. That might have been OK in boom times, but today, when most businesses can’t afford to…

In metro markets like Boston, it is said that a venture investor looks at 100 deals, spends time on 10 and commits capital to one — pretty bleak odds if you’re an entrepreneur looking for capital. In part, it’s a…

You aren’t sleeping well. You have maxed out your line of credit, sales are down and the economy is going south. You’ve cut every cost you could — and some you probably shouldn’t have. You don’t know what else to…

Much as we like to celebrate our individuality, we are all products of our generation. In the workplace, people who grew up during World War II and the Great Depression tend to value tradition, formal communications and loyalty. Baby boomers…

You know you’re a member of the “Sandwich Generation” if: •You collapse into bed every night feeling mentally and physically exhausted •Your day has been about everyone else - taking care of your aging parents, taking care of your children…