New Guide Helps Illinois Entrepreneurs Understand How Raising the State's Minimum Wage Would Impact their Business, Local Economy

Chicago, IL̢??‰??Small Business Majority released an online guide today to help Illinois small employers understand how efforts to raise the state̢??‰?s minimum wage would impact their businesses, and the state̢??‰?s economy on the whole. Businesses will be able to use the website to send comments directly to lawmakers to show them how real entrepreneurs feel about this issue.

Illinois voters will be asked on this year̢??‰?s November ballot whether they support raising the minimum wage. If passed, the measure would not increase the minimum wage in Illinois, but could have an important impact on efforts to help Illinois workers and small employers in the future. The Illinois Senate and House of Representatives are expected to continue with efforts to increase the minimum wage, after failing to pass legislation that would have gradually increased the state̢??‰?s minimum wage to $10.65 per hour by July 2016.

̢???Many of the customers we serve are minimum wage or low-income employees,̢???? said Mitchell Josim, co-owner for Windy City Eyes in Chicago. ̢???Raising the minimum wage would put more money in their pockets to spend on products at our store and at other local businesses in the community.̢????

Research shows a majority of small business owners support raising the minimum wage. Small Business Majority̢??‰?s scientific opinion poll shows 57 percent of small business owners support increasing the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour and adjusting it annually to the cost of living. And more than half believe increasing minimum wage will boost consumer demand for small business, helping them grow and hire. Small business support has been picking up steam ̢??‰?? more recent polls show results ranging from????61 percent to two-thirds of small business owners support increasing the minimum wage, and even a poll of all employer sizes, including small businesses, found growing support within the business community for raising the minimum wage.

Small business owners support raising the minimum wage because they believe paying employees a livable wage is an integral step in boosting the earnings of working families, creating new jobs and spurring economic growth. According to the Public Affairs Council, 68 percent of Americans say they prefer to shop at local small businesses. Raising the minimum wage would not only be good for workers, but it would give hard-working Americans more money to spend at local small businesses, which helps them create jobs and strengthen their local economies.

̢???A vast majority of small businesses already pay their workers more than the minimum wage. Many small employers feel it̢??‰?s the right thing to do,̢???? said Jesse Greenberg, Director of Midwest & West for Small Business Majority. ̢???We also know small business owners' number one concern is consumer demand. This directly tackles the problem by giving consumers the resources they need to shop at local small businesses in the community. It̢??‰?s a win-win for business.̢????

For more information about how minimum wage affects small business, please visit: www.wagefacts-IL.com.