I know a lot of small business owners who do nothing but whine about this in my hometown. However, I think that their issue really is not offering wages as high as the competition. An old friend of mine is doing pretty well with his recently established restaurant, as he has one of the only dinners at full staff in the area. He is paying about $25 per hour, and it seems to be working quite well, as he not only has a full staff, but people are pretty motivated when paid decently.