TikTok has established its first Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Council in the UK, bringing together 20 diverse businesses to advocate for policies that support growth and provide insights for the platform’s inaugural SME Manifesto.

Council Structure and Objectives

According to TikTok’s announcement, the SME Council aims to amplify small business voices to policymakers and help shape growth-focused policies. Council members represent various industries across the UK, including an affordable wig brand from Birmingham (Hair Anatomy), a Manchester-based sleep company (Levitex), and an artisan candle maker from Sunderland (Bear Burners).

The Council held its first meeting on April 4 in Stoke-on-Trent, where members discussed their experiences running UK businesses and using TikTok for growth. The group will contribute to TikTok’s first SME Manifesto, presenting policy recommendations to the government to accelerate SME growth, skills development, and entrepreneurship.

Platform Growth and Economic Impact

Since 2018, TikTok claims it has become an increasingly significant platform for UK small businesses. The platform now hosts more than 1.5 million UK firms, ranging from family ventures and side hustles to growing scale-ups.

According to Nielsen IQ research cited in the announcement, TikTok Shop was the fastest-growing online retailer in 2024, with a 131% annual increase in shoppers and 180% year-on-year revenue growth at the end of last year. The platform currently facilitates over 6,000 TikTok Shop LIVE broadcasts in the UK daily.

Member Success Stories

Council members report business transformation through their TikTok presence:

• Dominique Bogle Khan, founder of Hair Anatomy, now generates 70% of revenue directly from TikTok Shop, enabling office expansion and full-time focus on scaling the business.
• Rachel Spence of Bear Burners turned her business around from near-liquidation through TikTok LIVE selling, allowing her to reopen her physical shop and build a sustainable business.
• James Leinhardt, founder of Levitex, reports over 500 million views of the company’s sleep posture content, with two-hour LIVE sessions consistently generating approximately £3,000 in revenue.
• Sumayah Saadi’s modest clothing line has built a community of hundreds of thousands and has achieved £4 million in sales since joining the platform.

Retail Innovation Through Social Commerce

TikTok’s Council launch highlights how user-generated content and LIVE Shopping are transforming retail. Members leverage the platform to engage with customers beyond traditional transactions through LIVE Shopping on TikTok Shop, shoppable advertisements, and organic content storytelling.

Ali Law, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs at TikTok UK, stated: “TikTok gives small businesses the opportunity to be discovered by new communities, the creative tools to engage authentically and, ultimately, the chance to put their products in the hands of an ever-growing number of UK consumers. By launching our new SME Council, we’re taking our support of these businesses beyond the TikTok app, giving them a platform to call for policies that will unlock the next phase of their growth.”

Other notable Council members include Ooh and Aah Cookies, a Northern Irish business specializing in personalized giant cookies; E.V. Slack & Sons, a fifth-generation family butcher from Doncaster; and SoSweet, a Devon-based confectionery business that has expanded to nine physical shops with 70 employees.