Today in Small Business: ‘The Yelp of Business Software’

What’s affecting me, my clients and other small-business owners today.

The Economy

• The construction industry is about to take off.
• Americans are expected to spend a record $89 billion on gifts this year — a 13 percent jump over last year.
• Paul Krugman says people who run businesses don’t necessarily understand the economy.
• Businesses were much less likely to increase pay in the third quarter than in previous months despite strong hiring.

Technology

• A Virginia company is building what it calls “the Yelp of business software.”
• Another company helps start-ups and small teams with internal communications.
• Podcasts are experiencing a renaissance, and an online tech giant introduces a print magazine.
• Google, Microsoft, and Facebook have all introduced new takes on old apps.
• Microsoft’s revamped Outlook for Mac is a teaser for a new Office for Mac expected in 2015.

Entrepreneurship

• This is how an Indian immigrant went from being a temporary FedEx driver in 2004 at age 43 to owning a trucking company.

Health Care

• The small-business health care exchange has defects that need to be fixed before the website goes live Nov. 15.

Cash Flow

• A Score consultant explains how even a profitable company can run out of cash — and what to do about it.

Finance

• Here is how small companies can cope with debt.

Start-Up

• In one slide, the chief executive of Box, Aaron Levie, explains why now is the best time to start an enterprise software company.
• Here is how a subway-building binge could affect the tech culture in Los Angeles.

Employees

• Binding referendums in several red states Tuesday would raise the state minimum wage above the $7.25 an hour mandated by the federal government.
• For some, going into retirement brings grief.
• Amazon’s new diversity report shows that the company is mostly white and mostly male.

Management

• Michael Dell says he’s glad to be through with Wall Street and explains what he has planned for his company.
• This is the untold story behind General Electric’s most lucrative business.
• Virgin Atlantic is rattled but undeterred by its crash.
• Mark Zuckerberg will take questions this week.
• A department store decides it can’t be all things to all people and invests $400 million in a redesign.

Social Media

• A writer at the Harvard Business Review says the market has ruined Twitter.

Taxes

• Thanks to an Internal Revenue Service ruling, employees can move after-tax contributions directly from a retirement plan to a Roth account.

Online

• A “hybrid” net neutrality plan is drawing criticism.
• Business is thriving on the “dark Internet,” despite the efforts of law enforcers.

Opportunities

• Mark Perry explains how Uber “is transforming the way people travel, live, and socialize.”
• Building a better version of capitalism could be a massive start-up opportunity.

Around the Country

• The rush is on for a new breed of marijuana entrepreneur in New York.
• The planned redo of Boston’s Quincy Market is drawing concern from small businesses.
• In Detroit, new signage atop downtown skyscrapers is sparking debate.

Around the World

• China’s national civil aviation authority says the country will need to train about half a million civilian pilots by 2035.

Ideas

• This app rewards those who don’t touch their phone while driving.

Marketing

• Here are three holiday marketing campaigns that can drive sales.
• These five questions can save your business from an online disaster.

Gene Marks owns the Marks Group, a Bala Cynwyd, Pa., consulting firm that helps clients with customer relationship management. You can follow him on Twitter.