--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I started in the business, the…" description: "\"When I started in the business, the minimum wage was $1.25. I've seen an enormous number of wage increases. Basically, it applies evenly to everyone in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b60/fred-deluca-10899_business_when-i-started-in-the-business-the-minim_946032.jpg" --- # When I started in the business, the minimum wage was… ![“When I started in the business, the minimum wage was $1.25. I've seen an enormous number of wage increases. Basically, it applies evenly to everyone in the business.” quote by Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b60/fred-deluca-10899_business_when-i-started-in-the-business-the-minim_946032.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b60/fred-deluca-10899_business_when-i-started-in-the-business-the-minim_946032.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b60/fred-deluca-10899_business_when-i-started-in-the-business-the-minim_946032.jpg) > “When I started in the business, the minimum wage was $1.25. I've seen an enormous number of wage increases. Basically, it applies evenly to everyone in the business.” [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wages have risen uniformly across the company over time. **In simple terms:** Wages increased for everyone. Key Takeaway Expect wage growth with company success. Themes economics fairness growth Mood reflective pragmatic Type observational informative When to use this quote - career planning - salary negotiation - company scaling - employee retention Key Concepts labor economics inflation Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel wage growth matches your contribution? - How does uniformity affect motivation? A Different Perspective Uniform raises may not reflect individual performance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Minimum wage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minimum-wage/) [Wage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wage/) ## Related quotes > [The person earning the federal minimum wage of $7.25 isn't going out to eat at restaurants. They're not taking piano lessons. They're not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hanauer/the-person-earning-the-federal-minimum-wage-of-7-25-isn-t-going-out/) [Nick Hanauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hanauer/) > [Businesses generally deal with minimum wage increases by finding efficiencies in their business practices or slightly increasing prices if they have to, not cutting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rolf/businesses-generally-deal-with-minimum-wage-increases-by-finding/) [David Rolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rolf/) > [“Minimum wage increases. The Nobel Prize economist Milton Friedman has observed that the minimum wage is "one of the most ... anti-black laws on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/minimum-wage-increases-the-nobel-prize-economist-milton-friedman-has/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [We need to do everything possible in order to realize wage increases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fumio-kishida/we-need-to-do-everything-possible-in-order-to-realize-wage-increases/) [Fumio Kishida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fumio-kishida/) > [If I were in charge of the government, I would index the minimum wage to inflation, so that way, everybody knows what they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/if-i-were-in-charge-of-the-government-i-would-index-the-minimum-wage/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) > [While Donald Trump believes in huge tax breaks for billionaires, he believes that states should actually have the right to lower the minimum wage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/while-donald-trump-believes-in-huge-tax-breaks-for-billionaires-he/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [President Trump's record of tax reform and deregulation powered the American economy to the fastest real wage increases in a generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bessent/president-trump-s-record-of-tax-reform-and-deregulation-powered-the/) [Scott Bessent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bessent/) > [In order to encourage the private sector to raise wages, we must create a virtuous cycle of wage increases and corporate growth to enable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fumio-kishida/in-order-to-encourage-the-private-sector-to-raise-wages-we-must/) [Fumio Kishida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fumio-kishida/) > [Although Caterpillar has fought vigorously against writing guaranteed pay increases into its contracts - and won, every time - it does offer market-based wage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mina-kimes/although-caterpillar-has-fought-vigorously-against-writing-guaranteed/) [Mina Kimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mina-kimes/) > [Barack Obama and Kay Hagan think that the minimum wage needs to be the same in the mountains of North Carolina and in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/barack-obama-and-kay-hagan-think-that-the-minimum-wage-needs-to-be/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [“The eugenics roots of minimum wage laws. Excerpt from \*Principles of Economics\*(1911) by Frank Taussig: "We have not reached the stage where we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-taussig/the-eugenics-roots-of-minimum-wage-laws-excerpt-from-principles-of/) Frank Taussig > [“My mother wasn’t much into politics, but I’m sure she would have assumed that fifty years later, the minimum wage would be a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/my-mother-wasn-t-much-into-politics-but-i-m-sure-she-would-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [“Lamar Alexander, the senator from Tennessee and the most senior Republican on the committee, was asking his last questions when a witness interrupted him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/lamar-alexander-the-senator-from-tennessee-and-the-most-senior/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [Obama's gonna play Santa Claus with the minimum wage. He's got no successes to brag about. He cannot talk about a robust job market.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/obama-s-gonna-play-santa-claus-with-the-minimum-wage-he-s-got-no/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [A minimum wage leads to higher levels of unemployment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hanke/a-minimum-wage-leads-to-higher-levels-of-unemployment/) [Steve Hanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hanke/) ## More by Fred DeLuca > [I know a lot of people at some point in their business careers decide they'll just cash in and do something else, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/i-know-a-lot-of-people-at-some-point-in-their-business-careers-decide/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) > [The people who come to work deserve to be paid properly, and there's no excuse. I could understand someone making a small error, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/the-people-who-come-to-work-deserve-to-be-paid-properly-and-there-s/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) > [The franchisees are uniquely in touch at the local level. They see what's going on in their communities in a way we couldn't ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/the-franchisees-are-uniquely-in-touch-at-the-local-level-they-see/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) > [By and large, we're a bread-eating culture. People like sandwiches. We don't really over-think that one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/by-and-large-we-re-a-bread-eating-culture-people-like-sandwiches-we/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) > [When we first started the company, I didn't have any thoughts of franchising. We just had company-owned stores.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/when-we-first-started-the-company-i-didn-t-have-any-thoughts-of/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) > [You start a business, and you really don't have much of a budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/you-start-a-business-and-you-really-don-t-have-much-of-a-budget/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) > [I don't have much of a bucket list. I don't have a lot of needs and desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/i-don-t-have-much-of-a-bucket-list-i-don-t-have-a-lot-of-needs-and/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) > [I went to school because I was supposed to. I did pre-med because my mum thought it was a good idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/i-went-to-school-because-i-was-supposed-to-i-did-pre-med-because-my/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) > [We have always had many more franchisee candidates than available locations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/we-have-always-had-many-more-franchisee-candidates-than-available/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) > [The United States is a huge market, and once you get rolling, you can replicate that model over and over pretty easily. Your supply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/the-united-states-is-a-huge-market-and-once-you-get-rolling-you-can/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) > [I was 17 years old when I built the first store... A very simple, basic store with a basic counter - not very much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/i-was-17-years-old-when-i-built-the-first-store-a-very-simple-basic/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) > [From my point of view, my job is just to work hard for our franchisees, so they can maintain the position they're in, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/from-my-point-of-view-my-job-is-just-to-work-hard-for-our-franchisees/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) > [We give great value for our franchisees: They can build a store for well under $200,000. And we have extremely simple operating systems. 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If we'd taken all the money from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/six-months-after-we-started-in-1964-there-was-a-day-when-we-sold-only/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) [Explore all 62 Fred DeLuca quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. 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