Southwest Michigan small business owners are voicing their concerns about not being able to hire staff as their busy summer tourism season fast approaches. And it’s not just hospitality workers.
We went to a roundtable hosted by a business development group to help local leaders in several industries. From manufacturing, to restaurants to retail, this panel of southwest Michigan small business owners all have one thing in common.
“We are having problems trying to find people who want to work,” said David Thompson with Gaishin Manufacturing.
Thompson is offering $2,000 hiring bonuses and they’ve had no takers. Now they’re seeing the effects of short staffing.
“We are losing customer confidence, our on time delivery has depreciated,” he said.
While their products are too specialized to do by machine, other manufacturers say that’s where they’re headed with a shrinking labor force.
“As an organization, automation is something we are forced to think about,” said Luke Barber with Barber Packaging.
It’s not just the bosses who are stressed.
“We are working with such a small staff that I’m worried the employees that we do have are going to burn out,” said Mazi Heppler with Lana’s Boutique.”
That’s true at both Mazi Heppler’s downtown St. Joseph boutique and almost every restaurant. The Inn at Harbor shores is spending hundreds of dollars on Indeed ads to hire enough staff for fast, efficient service so they can keep attracting upscale clientele from Indianapolis and Chicago.
“They are not going to come back to St Joe or southwest Michigan if they don’t have a good experience,” said Brady Cohen with Inn at Harbor Shores.
Business owners place a lot of blame on the extra $300 a week in federal unemployment benefits for keeping workers at home. That ends in September, right when southwest Michigan tourism starts winding down.
As for younger hospitality workers who may not get those benefits.
“They were treated like dirt being told off by customers at least once a day, and now they’re not wanting to come back to the workforce,” said Taylor Prestige with Soulards Restaurant.”
This year Taylor Prestige has seen more customers lash out over mask wearing or slower service from small staffs, then vent online not realizing it’s out of their server’s control.
“One bad review on Facebook can destroy a small business,” said Prestige.
Cameron’s Restaurant reduced their hours, which means they’re ordering less food. The owner, Cameron Downey, now has to go pick up himself.
“If you don’t have, say, a $500 order from a supplier, they won’t deliver it, they don’t want to waste their time.”
That, on top of working the kitchen until they hire more cooks and being the manager.
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