The social media site has boosted businesses across the country, including some in Minnesota.
MINNEAPOLIS – TikTok announced that the app will be unavailable overnight after the United States government passed a law banning it. The social media app posted a message to its users this evening.
Fuzzy Loon Designs owner Sarah Fitzgerald said the app changed the trajectory of her print business after they joined in 2020.
“We had a Christmas ornament, it was a little rough, it went mega-viral, and we had to hire almost all of our friends and family to help make the products,” Fitzgerald said.
Just one video was enough.
“It gave us the financial leverage to buy more equipment and pursue the business as a business, you know, it wasn’t a hobby anymore,” she said. “If it wasn’t for TikTok, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
She said TikTok took their business out of the basement and into a building where they have a store in Waite Park. They have also hired five employees.
“I want people to understand that this is not just an app for kids. I’ve seen some pretty bad reviews saying “Well now you need to get a real job”. There are businesses that rely on it, we have employees, our employees rely on TikTok,” she said.
Fitzgerald said they don’t post all their content on a single app, but TikTok drove their business forward.
“I really think it’s going to hurt small business, it’s going to hurt content creators, and I don’t even know what the implications are going to be if this stays banned and we don’t see TikTok next week,” she . said.
According to a study by Oxford Economics, 72,000 Minnesota businesses actively use the social media site. In 2023, Minnesota small businesses (SMBs) on TikTok contributed $430 million to the state’s GDP, supported over 4,000 jobs, and generated more than $99 million in federal, state and local tax revenue in the state .
The study also reported that 91% of SMB sales increased after promoting their products and services, including Jen Shaffer’s business.
“I love TikTok. He has absolutely launched my business from just an idea that I had in my head to something that I honestly can’t keep going because it’s going so well,” said Shaffer.
On TikTok, she is Awesome Genealogist and has connected with customers from all over the world.
“I started posting on TikTok in the summer of 2022,” she said. “TikTok allows me to reach people from all over the country and from all over the continent. I’ve had many clients from Canada, all aspects of the US are covered in my client base, and the UK, and even one in Australia.”
She posts on other social media sites, but those sites haven’t given her the same traction as TikTok.
“I’ve been doing the exact same things on all the platforms, and I’ve been posting the exact same videos, and it’s only the TikToks that bring me clients, and now I’m about a year booked into clients for full-time work, and genealogy is usually an industry where people struggle to make a living,” she said.
Shaffer said TikTok has been an integral part of her business for years. She was ready to go back to work full-time and decided to join TikTok on a whim.
“I had these preconceived notions about Tik ok that it was all fun, but I found a wealth of information there and very supportive people who turned into customers,” she said. “I feel like people are realizing what a valuable tool this is for so many people, especially myself who doesn’t seem to be the typical person you’d expect on TikTok.”
One of the things she loves about TikTok is the community it has built. She is connected to other small business owners through meetups that social media has organized for small businesses. The app has helped foster a sense of community and positive feedback. When she posts on other sites, she often receives comments about her appearance.
Fitzgerald said she will also miss the community.
“It’s the community that created TikTok. It’s a completely different feel than Instagram or YouTube reels,” Fitzgerald said. “TikTok gave us that voice that connected us to people and I don’t even know how to feel right now because it’s just a blur of everything coming together. I don’t know what will happen.’
Both Fitzgerald and Shaffer hope that January 19 will not be the end and hope that they will be able to reconnect with their TikTok community.
