How a potential TikTok ban could hurt a Wichita business

WICHITA, Kans. (KSNW) — For manager Sonja Davis, TikTok is a daily part of the business. She says six months after she and her father opened their small business Creative Styles, a TikTok she posted changed everything.

“I was doing a fun TikTok, doing the Tomahawk Chop. I had a person that had a huge following duet it. It just blew up,” Davis said.

She says thanks to that one TikTok being shared, revenue for that month was $10,000 above average.

“It showed me that utilizing TikTok is a huge part of what I need to be doing for my business,” Davis said.

However, with growing concerns a nationwide TikTok ban will be implemented, Davis says she’s bracing for the worst.

“It’s amazing how one person on that platform can change anything for a small business,” Davis said. “It’s a good way for small businesses to get their brand out, to get their name out, to showcase their products, and [a ban] could potentially hurt a lot of small businesses.”

WSU Marketing Chair Duane Nagel says business owners should consider diversifying followers across multiple social media platforms, strengthening email campaigns, and maintaining a solid website.

“You know, it’s kind of that old mantra: you just, you don’t build on rented land. You know, when you’re dealing with platforms like Facebook or TikTok, at any minute, they can vanish, and your entire business model can go away with them,” Nagel said.

However, Davis says since TikTok has no remotely popular competition, she fears she will still lose out on reaching a larger audience.

“I get customers in all the time that are like, ‘I love your TikToks, I love watching your videos, you’re so much fun,’ and I don’t know of anything that can match what I can do with TikTok,” Davis said.

This week, TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew will be on Capitol Hill for a hearing. Lawmakers will get the chance to grill him as they weigh legislation to ban the app altogether.