As the deadline for TikTok’s ban in the US looms, millions of users, including small business owners like Brandon Hurst, are scrambling to figure out what to do. For Hurst, TikTok has been a game-changer for his plant delivery business. “It allows me to go live, share who I am, but it also makes it easy for people to buy,” he said. Since he started selling plants on TikTok last year, Hurst’s business has tripled. “In the last year we’ve been able to sell 57,000 (plants),” he said.
TikTok claims to support more than 7 million small businesses in the US and over 224,000 American jobs. However, a new law signed into law by President Biden threatens to ban TikTok in the US due to its Chinese ownership. If this happens, scores of entrepreneurs like Hurst could be forced to look for a new home. Meanwhile, TikTok plans to file a lawsuit against the ban in federal court.
According to analyst Jasmine Enberg of eMarketer, one of the reasons that TikTok has become so popular among small businesses is because of its ability to send products flying off shelves. She believes Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) would be one of the biggest beneficiaries if TikTok were banned. “Instagram Reels is the most natural fit,” she said. “It isn’t exactly the same as TikTok culture.”
If a TikTok ban were enforced, Hurst would have to pivot his social media business quickly. He already has an Instagram account and does business on other platforms but admits there aren’t many places you can live-sell products like plants without TikTok’s reach and user base. So where would he go next? He hasn’t thought about it yet but is open to exploring other options if necessary.
The clock is ticking for Brandon Hurst and other small businesses that rely on TikTok for their livelihoods. They will have to make quick decisions about how they will continue their businesses if they are unable to use the platform anymore.
In conclusion, as a journalist rewriting this article: With President Biden signing a bill that could potentially ban Chinese-owned social media app Tiktok from operating in the United States millions of users including small business owners are left wondering what they should do next? One such user is Brandon Hurst who owns a plant delivery service called “Brandon The Plant Guy” which he runs through his account on tic
