Small businesses in Lincoln are concerned over how they would implement a pay increase proposed by David Cameron.
The Prime Minister, speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce conference last week, called on business leaders in Britain to give workers a pay rise, saying that economic conditions have “not been this good for a long time”.
In Lincolnshire, the average hourly rate for a Retail Sales Assistant is £6.54, according to statistics from research website PayScale.
David Hencke, who runs Yak on The Strait, expressed concerns over the proposed increase, explaining how businesses like his could be placed under threat.
He said: “I think you need to be careful because small businesses are already getting hit quite hard with lots of hidden taxes. For us it’s hard to reclaim these taxes as we’re selling second-hand vintage stock, and so often we’re buying from places that you can’t claim VAT back from, for example.”
Mr Cameron also announced plans to boost financial access for fast-growing firms, known as Help to Grow, if the Conservatives were to win the General Election.