Business Leaders Cautiously Expect G.O.P. Win to Open Some Doors

By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ and CLIFFORD KRAUSS

John Moore/Getty Images

A boy from Honduras watches TV at a Border Patrol detention facility in McAllen, Tex. An overhaul of immigration laws is a tough issue within the Republican Party.

Issues expected to get a new look include a corporate tax overhaul, environmental and financial regulation, trade deals and the Keystone oil pipeline.

Arkansas was among the states that had minimum wage increases on the ballot; they passed by margins of 10 to 38 points.

State Wage Initiatives Fare Better Than Democrats

By SHAILA DEWAN

If the ballot measures on Tuesday were any measure, the issue has become unmoored from partisan politics, drawing support from both sides.

Conversations

Richard Thomas, standing, who owns a health food restaurant in Atlanta, said customer service was a priority.

How an Entrepreneur Learned to Sell Quinoa in the Land of Grits

By STACY PERMAN

Richard Thomas opened a health food restaurant after a nutritional consultant told him that fried food was bad for his customers.

Reaching businesses like Bagel Grove in Utica, N.Y., is a priority for the new health care law.

Providing Health Insurance Still a Struggle for Small Business

By REED ABELSON

A year after the insurance marketplaces were introduced as part of the Affordable Care Act, provisions meant to help small businesses offer benefits to employees have yet to fulfill their promise.

November 6, 2014

Today in Small Business: Veteran-Owned Businesses

By GENE MARKS

More business-related election returns. After 20 years, the banner ad is finally in decline. And there’s a Bitcoin-only cafe in Prague.

November 6, 2014

Discouraged in School, Melody McCloskey Thrives as a Tech Entrepreneur

By COLLEEN DEBAISE

“I was the only woman in the class,” said Ms. McCloskey, who stands out as a rare woman in the land of start-ups, “All the guys either wanted to talk to me or didn’t want me to be there.”

November 6, 2014

A Baby Food Company Grows Up

By ADRIANA GARDELLA

Fran Free faced a classic start-up dilemma: She needed to ramp up production to realize economies of scale and reduce her costs, but she lacked the large contracts that would allow her to raise the capital to do so.

Go to Blog »

Two employees of the Dedegumo workshop in the Gion district of Kyoto, Japan.

Boutique Brands in Japan Keep Independent Watchmaking Alive

By LIZA FOREMAN

In a market dominated by industrial-scale brands such as Seiko, Citizen and Casio, niche businesses are fighting to keep artisan trades alive.

Small-Business Guide

Scott McGohan, chief of McGohan Brabender, has dealt with a destructive hero — a persona that once described him.

The Long Odds of Reforming an Employee Who Is a ‘Destructive Hero’

By JOHN GROSSMANN

A business will want the revenue they haul in, their crackling insights and bursting energy. But the hit to company morale just isn’t worth it, managers say.

The Valley Stream Flea Market is swarmed on sunny weekends by thousands of shoppers and hundreds of vendors.

The End of a Bargain Paradise in a Parking Lot

By COREY KILGANNON

The Valley Stream Flea Market in Nassau County closes on Oct. 26, another large flea market shut down to make way for developers.

“When you sell your company you go through an identity shift,” said Jonathan Carson, who started a second company.

Entrepreneurs Who Cash Out Look for Meaningful Second Acts

By DARREN DAHL

Successful business owners who sell their companies but consider themselves too young to retire are redeploying their skills in social or environmental projects.

The Upshot

Do Workplace Wellness Programs Work? Usually Not

By AUSTIN FRAKT and AARON E. CARROLL

Programs to keep employees healthy are popular with their employers, but the evidence of their effectiveness is very thin.

The Upshot

Latest Good News in Health Spending: Employer Premiums

By MARGOT SANGER-KATZ

The growth in employee plan premiums was only 3 percent in the last year, tied for the lowest rate of increase in 16 years of the Kaiser survey.

Case Study

Matthew Bellows, chief executive of Yesware, on the roof of his Boston-based software company. His sales team foundered when trying to convert the product’s free users into paying customers.

A Leader Struggles to Sell Software Meant to Aid Sales

By JOHN GROSSMANN

The chief executive of Yesware has come up with three solutions to address weak software sales. Outside experts offer advice on which path to pursue.

Conversations

Alan Martin, the founder and chief executive of Sidewalk, in the company’s warehouse in Ogden, Utah.

Surviving Battle With Amazon, Entrepreneur Picks New Fight

By IAN MOUNT

A textbook rental service changed course after Amazon, a supplier, cut it off. The service found a lucrative niche working with campus bookstores.

Small Business

Josiah Humphrey, left, and Mark McDonald are, happily, co-chief executives of Appster.

Finding a Balance When the Buck Stops Here. And Also Here.

By SARAH MAX

Two heads can be better than one in a start-up, but sometimes one needs to take charge to have a clear chain of command.

Kelly Landers, center, checking on lunch customers at the cafe she owns in Steamboat Springs, Colo.

A Whole Town in Colorado Pushes to Improve Its Customer Service

By IAN MOUNT

A Colorado resort executive helps prepare a training program for workers to help improve relations with consumers.

Case Study

Matt Hemeyer and Eric Salenski, the founders and only employees of Addition, a company that sells handcrafted liquid spices for cocktails and beer.

A Small, Spicy Start-Up Prepares for the Demands of Eggnog Season

By JULIE WEED

Addition, a two-person company that makes liquid spices for cocktails and beers, considers how to increase production from 750 bottles a month to 7,500.