TGIF! We found the following interesting articles to help you run your business better.

Guest post by Ashli Norton creator of HappyOfficePranks.com, the site that helps you email funny workpranks to your boss, coworkers, and employees.

Even though April Fools’ Day is on a Sunday this year, the time is just about right when everyone begins to think of funny office prank ideas. Beat them to the punch with clever work pranks that won’t put your job at risk.

Guest post provided on behalf of the faculty and staff of the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business Executive Online Education.  Notre Dame Online provides professional courses and masters certificates in the areas of Negotiations, Business Administration, Leadership & Management and Advanced Intercultural Management for the current and aspiring business professional.

A major concern for new small business owners is the overhead that they are required to pay before they can clear their first dollar of profit.  Most prospective business owners suffer with the doubt of opening their own businesses because of the initial investments and the business development period that is inevitable in every new venture.  Fortunately, with a few intelligent guidelines and some effective negotiation training, you can leave your doubts behind and get creative. Below you will find the first five ways to get your negotiating skills flowing to help tame the beast of excessive operating costs.

Last month we held a contest for you to name our eNewsletter.  We have a winner and it’s Taniedra M. for her entry: Small Business Connections.  Congratulations, Taniedra!

It is safe to say that whether you own a business or work for a company, you will find yourself engrossed in the business app world.  This phenomena all started with companies touting they have hundreds of thousands of consumer related apps, and then it quickly moved on to business apps which now boasts apps in many verticals across all business functionalities.

As a small business owner time is a limited resource and managing that time with the core business and finding the right tools can be a challenge.  One question many Small Businesses ask is how do you find the appropriate app to meet their specific business needs?  At Verizon Wireless, we recommend that you initially develop a business app strategy. 

Once you have developed your Business App strategy, the next step is to find the apps.  Recently, Verizon Wireless launched the Small Business Advisor.  This is an easy to use self serve web tool designed to locate mobile business apps that fit your specific business needs.  In three steps, this interactive wizard format will recommend the right apps for your business, saving you the time from sifting through hundreds – maybe even thousands – of apps

Small Business Solutions Made Easy.

Verizon’s fifth annual Data Breach Investigations Report reviewed 855 confirmed security breaches accounting for a combined 174 million compromised records. Verizon’s Research Investigations Solutions Knowledge (RISK) team analyzed the data and attempt to explain what happened, who did it and who was affected.  The 2012 DBIR again includes data provided by  the United States Secret Service and the Dutch National High Tech Crime Unit.

Many hacking attacks are directed against small companies and most can be prevented with a few small and relatively easy steps.

Did you miss our weekly roundup?  It’s back and we found some interesting articles and hope they will provide some insights to help you run your business better.  Happy reading!

Guest post from Phil Santoro, Verizon’s media relations guy in MA. 

In case you have not heard about the MassChallenge, it is the largest-ever startup program/competition that offers high-impact, early-stage entrepreneurs the opportunity to accelerate their business.  Once an entrepreneur is selected into this challenge, s/he will have access to key resources, mentorship, and office space during the accelerator program and the opportunity to win part of the $1.1 million.

Continue reading to learn how one of the world’s largest companies with one of the most recognized brands is looking to team up with the next “two guys in a garage,” hoping to put another dent in the universe.

It started in July 2010 when Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine Program launched an innovative program to provide Domestic Violence Entrepreneurship Grants to domestic violence survivors to help them start or expand a small or home-based business. 

One of the first to receive a grant is Ebony Fletcher who almost lost her life to an abusive ex-boyfriend after he sat on her back and shot her in the head. The $5,000 grant she received from the Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine Program in 2011, allowed Ebony to grow her business by purchasing new equipment and expand her line of hair products.

Over the years the program expanded and even more survivors were offered a grant to start-up or expand a business. 

Last week Verizon launched entrepreneur training programs in New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany to continue to support domestic violence survivors and help them rebuild their lives.

Verizon’s $500,000 in grants to five workforce development organizations across New York State will fund the development of training programs to help survivors start or expand their own small or home-based businesses, which can lead to greater financial stability and independence, crucial factors in breaking the cycle of violence.