House of Pain

When revenues slipped at least 40% at IT consulting firm TechHouse, founder Kathy Durfee easily could have blamed the recession.

But the truth was more complicated, and more painful.

Durfee's father, William Edward Flaherty, spent two years in deteriorating health at the onset of the recession, first from Parkinson's disease and later from an aortic dissection. “I really lost focus on the business, big time,” says Durfee. “I'd like to say it was the economy, but it was also my family. I was completely distracted.”