Small Business Owners Join the Storm of Our Minimum Wage Thunderclap Campaign

On October 10, Small Business Majority successfully executed a Thunderclap campaign called “Small Biz Say Raise The Wage” that received tremendous support from small business owners across the country on efforts to raise the federal minimum wage.

Thunderclap, a crowdspeaking platform that amplifies messages on social media by saying them at the same time, is essentially an online version of a flash mob. It allows a single message to be mass-shared so that it goes beyond your own social following.

Small Business Majority created a Thunderclap campaign with a message around a petition to increase the minimum wage and launched a campaign to get 100 supporters. People sign on to the campaign using their Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr profiles. If a campaign’s goal is reached, that message will disseminate at the exact same time from all of the supporters’ social media profiles.

With our scientific opinion polling which found that 57% of entrepreneurs support an increase in minimum wage, this Thunderclap campaign was a way to mass spread that small business perspective to a much larger social audience.

Take, for example, Kristine Cranton, owner of Catalina by the Sea Gifts and Souvenirs in Avalon, CA, who already pays her employees above minimum wage because of the benefits to her business, like employee retention and much lower training costs.

“As a small business owner, I can say that I am definitely in support of increasing the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. Not only is it the right thing to do for employees, but it also makes business sense,” she said.

Then there’s Peggy Zwerver, owner of Earth – Bread + Brewery in Philadelphia, PA. Her support for an increased wage stems from the thought that all employees should be able to live off of what they earn.

“I am in support of the minimum wage increase. To me, the increase to $10.10 an hour seems like a reasonable amount to pay in order to provide my employees with a livable wage without harming my business.”

With the help and support of small business owners like Kristine and Peggy, the “Small Biz Say Raise The Wage” Thunderclap campaign was a resounding success. With 108 supporters amassing a social reach of 242,000, the message that small businesses truly do say its time to raise the wage was spread like wildfire.

Not only were these business owners able to get the business message across, such as how an increased minimum wage would boost consumer demand and level the playing field for many small businesses, but they were also able to appeal to the cause on a personal level that still held onto the positive outcomes to their business.

“We support raising the minimum wage because paying your employees a respectable wage is the right thing to do,” said Dr. Adalina Kulback and Mitchell Josim, owners of Windy City Eyes in Chicago, IL.

“We believe raising the minimum wage can help foster trust, loyalty and respect in our employees. Paying employees a living wage isn’t a whole lot to ask.”

While the storm rages on over the debate for an increased wage, one thing is for certain. The small business support for such a measure is only growing more thunderous by the day.

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