With the impending ban on TikTok in the U.S., millions of users, including small business owners like Brandon Hurst, are facing uncertainty about the future of their businesses. Hurst, also known as “Brandon the Plant Guy,” credits TikTok for tripling his plant delivery business over the past year. He has been able to sell 57,000 plants and employs eight people to help package and ship orders. If TikTok is banned, Hurst and other entrepreneurs would need to find a new platform to connect with customers and drive sales.
The ban on TikTok was signed into law by President Biden as part of a foreign aid package, giving ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese-based owner, nine to 12 months to sell the platform to an American owner or face being banned in the U.S. This decision could have a significant economic impact, as TikTok claims to support more than 224,000 American jobs, including those employed by small businesses. Despite TikTok planning to file a lawsuit, the uncertainty surrounding the platform has left many users and business owners like Hurst unsure of their next steps.
TikTok has become popular among small businesses due to its unique ability to drive product sales and connect with customers in a way that other platforms cannot replicate. Jasmine Enberg, an analyst for the data firm eMarketer, believes that Meta would benefit the most from a TikTok ban, with Instagram Reels being a likely replacement. Enberg notes that while Instagram Reels could replicate the technology, it would not be able to replicate the TikTok culture that has drawn in millions of users, including small businesses like Hurst’s plant delivery service.
Hurst acknowledges that while he is active on Instagram and other platforms, there are few options that provide the same live selling capabilities as TikTok. He has not yet considered what his next steps would be in the event of a TikTok ban, highlighting the challenges that many small business owners are facing as they navigate the uncertainty surrounding the platform. Hurst’s story reflects the broader impact that the TikTok ban could have on small businesses and their ability to connect with customers and drive sales in an increasingly digital marketplace.
As the clock ticks on TikTok in the U.S., small business owners like Brandon Hurst are left scrambling to find alternative platforms to reach customers and sustain their businesses. Hurst’s success with TikTok has transformed his plant delivery business, but the uncertainty surrounding the platform’s future has cast a shadow over his and other entrepreneurs’ livelihoods. As they prepare for potential changes, the outcome of the TikTok ban will have a ripple effect on the millions of users and businesses that have come to rely on the platform for growth and success.
