If your business can’t afford to pay a living wage, perhaps hiring isn’t for you at the moment.
I am self employed in ceramics. To hire another technician, the average wage in my art field is at least $18-25/H. Heck as the “Boss” I make way lesser than that, supplemented by my own food garden to get by along with other side hustles and pet projects.
I can’t afford that 2nd hand so I do everything myself.
Bigger businesses aren’t bigger nor should they be if they can’t afford a living wage. Let real capitalism run at all levels and not only for working class people.