Found an amazing job opportunity. Current job does not want me to leave. Advice?

[Adies]

I'm currently working for a local business. A boutique to be exact. I'm ALWAYS down to support local businesses. The shop has been open for about 6 months now, but unfortunately there hasn't been much growth in the business. We're spending way more money than we're making.
It started out as a temp job for me. I had a friend who knew this woman, the founder. She needed help getting ready for opening. All I was going to do was tag and label clothes for about 3 months for $20hr. At the time, I desperately needed a job, so I agreed to help while I looked for another, more permanent job.

The 3 months are up, and I was offered a position as an employee. I hadn't heard from any of the places I applied, so again, I felt inclined to accept. I was told that my pay would be brought down to $14(great). Then It changes to $12(still great). Finally, it ended up being $9hr. Not bad, except my position in the shop changed as well. I'm an assistant manager, a stock/inventory personnel, the cleaning gal, an admin, and I fill in for whatever else is needed, or fill in if we're short staffed. But for someone who has more responsibility than anyone at the store now, it's kind of discouraging when you know you're getting paid $9hr to run a shop, a website, keep track of stock and inventory, budget, clean up the store, make sure orders are correct and match the invoices, and other side work. While the sales reps get paid $14 greet customers, check customers out, and Facebook or make personal calls. It just didn't seem fair to me. And I understand that I'm a "full-time" employee here (40hrs a week), so maybe they pay me less to match up the paychecks of the other employees (They each work about 4-5 days a week, 9hr shifts, so It's very unlikely). But The only reason I'm full time is because of all the responsibility they've piled up on me. I NEED to work full time to get it all done. And I always get my work done. Not only that, But I feel they don't SEE me as a PART of the team. Everyone has a personal business card, a key to the shop, alarm code, know when staff events take place, and get first say in vacation opportunities... except for me. I even had to convince them to give me my own personal work email (I was forced to use my managers email, and my personal email for 4 months). Not only did I feel the business was going to fail, but I was stuck here to be treated unfairly.

And then, I finally get calls from the employers I applied at. More importantly, the Library administrative job I had been looking at for as long as I've been in the job market. It's a part time job, but a city job no less, so that means benefits, vacation/sick time and good pay. PLUS i'm working on getting my degree, so a $20hr part time job where even if I worked half the time I do now I still get paid well, and more than I do now? And it's 10 minutes away from my house as opposed to an hour long drive? And I actually WANT to work here? You bet I'm going for the library job. So I informed my employers.

They're talking about matching the city's offer, giving me my own "assistant", and my only big responsibility will be to run the web-store. They straight out told me they don't want me to leave because they "like the way [I] work".As good as it felt, I think it's really lame that they only see my value when I've found a much more appealing opportunity. And as much as i want to give them two big'ol birds, I really can't, because they've been so lenient and supportive of me in the form of "Oh, you need a job? Ok, you have one" and they're attempting to go out of their way to make me not want to leave. I tried to convince them to let me work from home and I'd come in the shop about 3 times a week, but they refuse to even give me part time hours. So it's either I stay or I go. I t doesn't matter that I want to help them, or that I am willing to drive an extra 30 miles a day just to make sure the shop is running appropriately. They want me to forget about the Library job, and just keep doing what I'm doing for them, but with more pay. And honestly, my decision is based off so much more than how much I'm getting paid. So I guess that's where I'm stuck. Right now, I AM the store. Who knows what will happen if I leave. Will they find someone else? I sure hope so. But the thought of just leaving them really makes me feel like a dak, because I DO know my value. And of course, I love supporting local businesses. But at the same time, I don't want to pass up the other job opportunity. So I guess I'm just asking for others thoughts, opinions, some advice.

[M]

Its not your responsibility to ensure that the store thrives. You are an employee, not the owner, and a poorly paid and overworked one at that. You need to do what is in your best interest and it sounds like the library position is where you want to go. Give the proper two week notice and offer to train whoever they choose to replace you and you have more than done your professional duty.

[Mark]

The city job would be far better. Don't worry about the botique. People leave jobs all the time.