Sturgeon Bay is home to many small businesses, and opinions are divided over a proposed minimum wage increase. Some business owners see it as a much-needed change, while others worry it could create new challenges.Before opening Varlet's Treasures, Lori Weir worked for minimum wage.WATCH how local business owners in Sturgeon Bay are responding to the potential minimum wage increase HERE: Door county businesses debate the impact of a proposed minimum wage hikeDoor county businesses debate the impact of a proposed minimum wage hike"I know what it's like to try to survive on seven dollars and 25 cents an hour; it's nigh on impossible," Lori Weir, owner of Varlet's Treasures, said.As a business owner, Weir believes the proposed increase could move wages in the right direction."To be able to pay somebody enough money to survive and maybe thrive a little bit, without having a full-time job and a part-time job, which was me, that's progress," Weir said.Not everyone supports the proposal to increase the minimum wage to $20 per hour."For a small business, I think it's going to hurt," Margaret Magle, owner of Otherworld Books and More, said.Magles Sturgeon Bay shop, Otherworld Books and More, is open daily, but she and her husband handle all the work themselves because hiring extra staff isnt affordable."Right now, we put in 60 to 80 hours a week between the two of us," Magle said.She says small businesses like hers are already operating on a tight budget."Even if the wages go up, unless the sales go up to match, businesses are going to be hurting," Magle said.For a county-wide perspective, I also spoke with Phil Berndt of Destination Door County. He says higher wages benefit more than just workers, and an increase could help boost the local economy."When employees are paid a living wage, they're actually able to put more money into their communities," Phil Berndt said.Across the county, the message remains consistent: workers say they need pay that supports a living, not just survival. ...read more read less