Small Business Owners Scramble to Find Alternatives as TikTok Ban Looms: The Story of ‘Brandon the Plant Guy’ and the Potential Impact on Entrepreneurs

As the deadline for TikTok’s ban in the U.S. draws near, millions of users, including small business owners like Brandon Hurst, are scrambling to find an alternative platform. Hurst, who runs a plant delivery business and has gained fame on TikTok as “Brandon the Plant Guy,” has seen his business triple since he started selling plants on the platform last year. With seven million small businesses on TikTok and more than 224,000 American jobs at stake, a ban would force countless entrepreneurs to look for new opportunities.

TikTok has become a popular destination for small businesses due to its ability to send products flying off the shelves. Jasmine Enberg, an analyst with eMarketer, believes Meta (formerly Facebook) would be one of the biggest beneficiaries of a TikTok ban. Instagram Reels is seen as the most natural fit to replace TikTok, but it doesn’t quite replicate the same culture. Enberg suggests that entrepreneurs like Hurst may pivot their social media business to Instagram if TikTok is banned.

Hurst has already started exploring other platforms and is open to new opportunities. He has been selling plants on Instagram and other platforms and plans to continue doing so if TikTok is banned. However, he hasn’t given much thought to what he would do next. With so much uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future in the U.S., many small business owners like Hurst are left wondering what their next move should be.