Florida's lowest paid workers will soon be making a little bit more, as the state's minimum wage is going up by 14 cents on Jan. 1, which will bring the state's minimum wage to $7.93 an hour.

Some Democratic legislators say that isn't enough, which is why they are introducing a new bill that would increase minimum wage by more than $2, bringing it to $10.10 an hour.



For small business owners like Greg Cohen, who owns an ice cream shop called Lofty Pursuits, a higher minimum wage would mean a higher bottom line, but Cohen said he's all for it.



"Minimum wage has always been a good thing because it keeps people from being marginalized," he said. "I've had employees who can't afford a phone. If you can't afford a phone, how do you get a job? How do you get called in for extra shifts? How do you do this? You need to make enough money to do things like that."



But in the world of business, what might work for one employer could flip another into financial straits. A higher minimum wage could bring a lot of uncertainty, especially for companies that might be thinking about hiring new workers.



Some say they may not have the money to pay more, which is one reason the bill may have a tough time making it past lawmakers.



But then again, with more money in their pockets, minimum wage workers would have more money to spend, and that could mean more business for all kinds of companies.



Supporters of the higher minimum wage say that in Florida's biggest cities, people need to earn upwards of $11.50 an hour just to support themselves.