By Deborah L. Cohen

(Reuters) – Philip de Souza, founder and president of data security firm Aurora Enterprises, believes in ghosts.

After trying for weeks to persuade his small team of in-house engineers to blog under the company’s fold, de Souza went looking outside for ghost bloggers who could deliver compelling prose on security and related industry issues for his L.A.-based firm.

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Philip de Souza, founder and president of data security firm Aurora Enterprises, believes in ghosts.

After trying for weeks to persuade his small team of in-house engineers to blog under the company’s fold, de Souza went looking outside for ghost bloggers who could deliver compelling prose on security and related industry issues for his L.A.-based firm.

CHICAGO (Reuters) – If you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em. So said Corey Butcher, a health club entrepreneur who progressively purchased four gyms before deciding he needed some national muscle to stay healthy in the competitive Dallas market. Last year, Butcher brought all of his clubs under the umbrella of Gold’s Gym, a national franchise with some 520 U.S. locations.

“The problem was you’re fighting against the dollars of LA Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness and Bally’s,” said Butcher, 38, who prides himself on turning around underperforming clubs. “We needed some synergy in the corporation. Really the only way of doing that I felt was with a franchise.”

CHICAGO (Reuters) – When the recession took hold, Sally Hodge was forced to make some drastic changes at her small Chicago-based public relations firm, Hodge Schindler Integrated Communications.

She hunkered down, last year shifting to a four-day workweek for the firm’s nine-person staff – four full time – and cutting costs such as postage and unnecessary supplies.

CHICAGO (Reuters) – The irony is that if Steve Mock had his own kids he may never have stumbled upon his creative concept for entertaining them.

The founder of Giftventure www.giftventure.com, an online startup that leads children on treasure hunts using customized letters sent from fictional characters, conceded he likely wouldn’t have had enough free time.