Community business proprietor struggles with concept of $15 minimum wage

MACON, Ga. — On Thursday night although President-elect Biden released his $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Strategy,” he shared his strategies to urge Congress to improve the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.

A lot more: Biden’s $1.9 trillion financial rescue program could facial area uphill struggle in Congress

A compact small business proprietor in Macon sees the proposed wage boost as each very good and terrible.

Felicia Howard owns Felicia’s Cake Factory, a downtown bakery.  She pays her workforce above the existing minimal wage. 

Right now the minimal wage is $7.25 and has been that considering the fact that 2009.

Howard has just two workforce a bakery assistant and an assistant baker. She calls them crucial to her functions, indicating with no them tasks would not get finished with no each working day getting extremely extensive.

The positions at the bakery are part-time and Howard ordinarily hires superior school or college pupils to fill them. The baker thinks what she pays her personnel is a good wage.

And still, she factors out that the cost of dwelling has increased up above the last decade, “All over the place you go, shop or what have you, rates are consistently heading up,” she stated,  though wages continue being the similar. 

Howard spelled out that as a citizen, she thinks that the federal bare minimum wage really should be higher, declaring the if individuals have far more money in their pockets they would commit extra and enable improve the financial state. 

But on the other hand, as a small business operator, a nearly $8 an hour maximize would be tricky to control. 

“As a compact company, we’re likely to take a hit.”

Howard attempts to price her cupcakes, brownies, and cake pops at a competitive amount. If she had to hand out a lot more money for staff members, she thoughts whether or not or not that would call for her to elevate prices. 

While not sure about her very own retail outlet, the baker is confident that her suppliers would up their charges. “Far more than most likely, our costs would have to modify accordingly or we might have to downgrade goods.” 

A merchandise transform could considerably impact the bakery, who other regional organization owners say has the greatest pastries in city. 

Howard thinks the President-elect could not have regarded smaller enterprises in this proposed boost. She says a strategy like this would probably be a lot more fitting for a much larger company like Walmart or McDonalds, in particular given that modest company are already battling to keep afloat since of COVID-19. 

“There requirements to be some style of assistance for companies to be able to nonetheless maintain and be ready to spend individuals wages.”

A capture-22, is what Howard phone calls the achievable boost. “If you raise it and price ranges go up, is it definitely helping any?”

In the conclusion the baker hopes the program would reward every person but notes if you make far more, you may have to invest more.