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As a business owner if I am required to pay my workers at minimum 15$ an hour I will need to off set the impact to my bottom line. This can be done by: Automat

As a business owner if I am required to pay my workers at minimum 15$ an hour I will need to off set the impact to my bottom line. This can be done by: Automate whatever can be https://www.forbes.com/sites/edrensi/2018/07/11/mcdonalds-says-goodbye-cashiers-hello-kiosks/#2eb695366f14 https://www.forbes.com/sites/edrensi/2018/07/11/mcdonalds-sa... Raise the price of goods and services Outsource to other countries (if cost is cheaper) For those that aren't aware typical rent in NYC on a corner lot for a restaurant is about 18k per month.

maxerickson 7y ago
You may also accept the change to your bottom line or close.
- Vaslo 7y ago
  But that should be my choice, not the government’s.
  - maxerickson 7y ago
    That's what I said about the flaming pond of gasoline in my front yard. (My point being, it'd be a lot more interesting if you listed some specific reasons you think minimum wage is bad regulation, rather than just protesting it in general terms)
- RHSeeger 7y ago
  There are a lot of businesses that barely make enough for the owner to make a living. For those, "lower bottom line" isn't an option.
  - maxerickson 7y ago
    I did not edit my comment to add the "or close" after this comment was made, it was there from the start.
  - lightbyte 7y ago
    Those sound like failed businesses that should close down if they cant function without exploiting their workers.
jimktrains2 7y ago
> As a business owner if I am required to pay my workers at minimum 15$ an hour I will need to off set the impact to my bottom line. Honest question, if you're still profitable (and I read this as implying you are), why do you need to offset it, or offset it aggressively? Sure, if it becomes extremely tight to not-profitable, that isn't good and would need rectified, but again, your comment doesn't come off like that.
- UserIsUnused 7y ago
  Because if it doesn't bring the profit he's used to, or if he can't have the same quality of life, he might as well fire everybody and close rather than putting more hours in a restaurant, which by experience I can tell you is one of the most stressful business. In fact, there are studies that confirm my personal experience anecdote. Being profitable is not the same as leading a decent business, and decent quality of life.
  - dangerface 7y ago
    This happens and some one else who is willing to put in the work will take their place, thats the reality of capitalism. Why should we protect employers from this reality while their employees are left to struggle?
    - UserIsUnused 7y ago
      I was not arguing pro or against the raise, I was explaining why an owner of a business that is still profitable might close.
- squeaky-clean 7y ago
  I'm not a business owner but wouldn't anyone feel that way? If the government put out a web developer tax that took 30% of my salary, yeah it'd still be fairly high but I would move to embedded development or something else that pays more after the tax.
  - 7y ago
bryanlarsen 7y ago
> Raise the price of goods and services Given that your competitors are facing the same cost increase you should be able to take this option without losing business.
- SkyBelow 7y ago
  A larger competitor may have more ability to opt for automation than a small shop.
linuxftw 7y ago
> For those that aren't aware typical rent in NYC on a corner lot for a restaurant is about 18k per month The reason the rent is so high is because market conditions are allowing money that should be going towards labor to go towards rent. If there aren't 1000k small restaurants paying minimum wage, demand for space goes down, rent goes down, possibly to the point that being a landlord is no longer profitable.
thatfrenchguy 7y ago
If no one can pay 18k a month, then rent will go down right ?

maxerickson 7y ago

You may also accept the change to your bottom line or close.

Vaslo 7y ago
But that should be my choice, not the government’s.
- maxerickson 7y ago
  That's what I said about the flaming pond of gasoline in my front yard. (My point being, it'd be a lot more interesting if you listed some specific reasons you think minimum wage is bad regulation, rather than just protesting it in general terms)
RHSeeger 7y ago
There are a lot of businesses that barely make enough for the owner to make a living. For those, "lower bottom line" isn't an option.
- maxerickson 7y ago
  I did not edit my comment to add the "or close" after this comment was made, it was there from the start.
- lightbyte 7y ago
  Those sound like failed businesses that should close down if they cant function without exploiting their workers.

jimktrains2 7y ago

> As a business owner if I am required to pay my workers at minimum 15$ an hour I will need to off set the impact to my bottom line. Honest question, if you're still profitable (and I read this as implying you are), why do you need to offset it, or offset it aggressively? Sure, if it becomes extremely tight to not-profitable, that isn't good and would need rectified, but again, your comment doesn't come off like that.

UserIsUnused 7y ago
Because if it doesn't bring the profit he's used to, or if he can't have the same quality of life, he might as well fire everybody and close rather than putting more hours in a restaurant, which by experience I can tell you is one of the most stressful business. In fact, there are studies that confirm my personal experience anecdote. Being profitable is not the same as leading a decent business, and decent quality of life.
- dangerface 7y ago
  This happens and some one else who is willing to put in the work will take their place, thats the reality of capitalism. Why should we protect employers from this reality while their employees are left to struggle?
  - UserIsUnused 7y ago
    I was not arguing pro or against the raise, I was explaining why an owner of a business that is still profitable might close.
squeaky-clean 7y ago
I'm not a business owner but wouldn't anyone feel that way? If the government put out a web developer tax that took 30% of my salary, yeah it'd still be fairly high but I would move to embedded development or something else that pays more after the tax.
- 7y ago

bryanlarsen 7y ago

> Raise the price of goods and services Given that your competitors are facing the same cost increase you should be able to take this option without losing business.

SkyBelow 7y ago
A larger competitor may have more ability to opt for automation than a small shop.

linuxftw 7y ago

> For those that aren't aware typical rent in NYC on a corner lot for a restaurant is about 18k per month The reason the rent is so high is because market conditions are allowing money that should be going towards labor to go towards rent. If there aren't 1000k small restaurants paying minimum wage, demand for space goes down, rent goes down, possibly to the point that being a landlord is no longer profitable.

thatfrenchguy 7y ago

If no one can pay 18k a month, then rent will go down right ?