Small Businesses Scramble to Find Alternatives as TikTok’s Future in US Uncertain

The clock is ticking for TikTok in the United States, and millions of users, including small business owners, are scrambling to find a new platform. Brandon Hurst, who runs a plant delivery business, has tripled his business since he started selling plants on TikTok last year. He credits the platform with allowing him to go live, share his personality and make it easy for people to make purchases.

Hurst’s company has sold over 57,000 plants in the past year and is one of seven million small businesses that use TikTok. The platform claims to support over 224,000 American jobs, including Hurst’s team of eight other people who would lose their jobs if the platform is banned. President Biden signed a law giving ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese-based owner, nine months to sell the platform to an American owner. If not, TikTok could face a ban in the United States.

Small businesses like Hurst’s have thrived on TikTok due to its ability to drive sales rapidly. Analysts believe that Meta, which owns Instagram, could benefit greatly from a TikTok ban. While Instagram Reels is an alternative, it may not replicate the same culture as TikTok. Hurst is already present on Instagram and other platforms but acknowledges that TikTok’s live selling feature is unique and may be challenging to replicate elsewhere.

In conclusion, small business owners like Brandon Hurst have benefited greatly from using TikTok to promote their products and connect with customers. However, the future of the platform remains uncertain as ByteDance has been given nine months to sell it to an American owner or face a ban in the U.S.

Meta’s Instagram Reels could potentially benefit from a TikTok ban as it offers similar features like short videos and music but may not have the same culture as TikTok.

As Hurst acknowledges that there are no other platforms like Tiktok’s live selling feature; he needs to figure out an alternative plan if his favorite platform gets banned.

The fate of millions of small businesses like Hurst’s hangs in the balance as they wait anxiously for what happens next with Tiktok in the U.S.