Built on TikTok: Celebrating the Thriving Small Business Community

TikTok is where people turn ideas into successful businesses by tapping into a highly engaged community of more than 1 billion users globally. For many small businesses, the platform creates an opportunity to build loyal customers, grow their brands, and transform their futures through the success they find on TikTok.

In celebration of Small Business Month this May, we hosted Built on TikTok: Small Business Showcase, to spotlight incredible brands and creators who are building successful businesses through TikTok. From early experimentation to breakout momentum, TikTok gives small businesses the opportunity to scale by reaching millions of people across the U.S. In fact, searches for "small business" increased 479% during Q1 2026. And 89% of SMBs say their sales increased after promoting their businesses on TikTok. These entrepreneurs represent a new generation of business owners using creativity, authenticity, and community-driven storytelling to grow their brands, and we're proud to celebrate their success on TikTok.

Small Business Spotlights

Some of the creators and small business owners highlighted during the event included entrepreneurs from across the country using TikTok to grow their brands, connect with customers, and turn creative ideas into thriving businesses.

Jessica Simon, Founder of Mississippi Candle Co. | @mississippi.candle.co
"Because of TikTok Shop and our Black Friday sales, we were able to donate money to a daycare and pay for an entire daycare's expenses for the month of December."

Kelly Bozigian, Founder of Club Coastal | @shopclubcoastal
"I credit TikTok for us even having a business. Alix Earle saw the video and wanted the necklace. She shared a video of the necklace a couple of days later. By week 3, we had done over $100,000 in sales, and by month 6 we had done over a million dollars."

Rashad Jones, Owner of Big Lee's BBQ | @rashadjonesbbq
"A hundred thousand people saw inside our restaurant. They saw my personality, how I interact with customers, and that completely changed our business. It really connected with our audience, and our engagement has been through the roof. Our sales increased by 50% last year, and right now we are at 150% over last year. That's the power of the platform."

Local Businesses, Global Reach

The showcase event also featured a panel with New York City small business owners, including remarks from City Council Speaker Julie Menin and moderated by Council Member Kevin Riley, focused on how TikTok is helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses and strengthen local communities across New York.

According to a report by Oxford Economics, in New York, small businesses' use of TikTok contributed $1.8 billion to the state's GDP and supported creating 330,000 jobs. For small businesses, the impact of the platform is significant: 91% of SMBs in New York say their business's sales increased after promoting their products and services on TikTok, and 77% say they sold out. On TikTok, "boutique small business" is an emerging search, with a 758% search spike in the second half of 2025.

Abbey Kowalec, Founder of Angel Baked NYC | @angelbakednyc
"I went from 100 followers to 50,000 in just three days after posting a day-in-the-life video of being a cookie artist. That one TikTok completely changed the trajectory of my business. TikTok rewards businesses that show personality. People connect with the person behind the business just as much as the product itself."

Melissa Johnson, Founder of Yummy Tummy's Kitchen | @yummytummyskitchen
"I propped up my camera and started sharing my truth. TikTok gave me exposure to people ten feet away from me and thousands of miles away who never knew my business existed."

Amaurys Grullon, Founder of The Bronx Native | @thebronxnative
"Our brick-and-mortar shop was only supposed to be open for two weeks. Thanks to TikTok, it's now been open for nine years."

Brittany Ashley, Founder of Pursuit by Brittany Ashley | @pursuitbybrittanyashley
"What started as a [skincare] solution for myself has now helped thousands of other people, and TikTok Shop helped make that possible. TikTok Shop is the business. The expansion and growth we've seen happened because of TikTok Shop. Going LIVE on TikTok Shop feels like having a digital brick-and-mortar. It allows me to connect with customers in real time and give personalized consultations."

TikTok for Business: Tools that Empower

TikTok is where people discover SMBs. Interest-based discovery connects businesses with the right audiences, and we make getting started simple. TikTok provides tools, education, and resources to help SMBs grow.

When brands show up to advertise and genuinely engage, they become part of the cultural conversation that drives purchase decisions: in fact, 73% of users said they feel a deeper connection to brands they engage with on TikTok, and 81% said the platform helps them discover new topics and trends they didn't know they liked. That discovery creates a compounding effect: 45% of users continue searching on TikTok after finding something new, extending the window of engagement well beyond a single interaction. From creating content to optimizing campaigns, tools like Smart+ and Symphony help small businesses test ideas quickly and reach the right audiences, allowing them to build and scale.

The Power of Discovery on TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop commissioned new research with GlobalData that uncovers the power of discovery, defined as when consumers became aware of a brand that they had not previously come across or knew existed. The research found that two-thirds of US TikTok Shop users have discovered a new brand on the platform. In addition, small businesses with annual revenues under $15 million were found to benefit the most from this rate of discovery: 72% of brands newly discovered by TikTok Shop users in the past year are small businesses. And, 8 out of 10 TikTok Shop said they discovered more small brands since they started using the platform.

Following this initial discovery, consumers take multiple follow-up actions to stay connected with a new brand, including nearly half of all users searching for the brand through a search engine, as well as following the brand on TikTok, and discussing the brand with their friends and family. And beyond those actions, purchases are being made. The data shows that over 57% of users bought something from the new brand within days of discovery. And within a month, almost 90% of all users that discovered a new brand made a purchase, with 21% purchasing something the very same day.

All of this shows the power of discovery and how it can lead to greater engagement and growth for brands, especially small businesses, on TikTok Shop.

From turning passions into products to communities into customers, these businesses are evolving from local favorites into nationally recognized brands all on TikTok.