TikTok has formed a new SME Council to give Britain’s small businesses a bigger say in the evolving digital economy, bringing together entrepreneurs, founders, and content creators who have used the platform to fuel growth.
The inaugural gathering of the council, held at Stoke-on-Trent town hall, saw 20 small and medium-sized business owners from across the UK convene to share experiences and shape a manifesto for government, due to be published this autumn.
TikTok says the initiative is designed to help shape the future of small business by giving entrepreneurs a forum to exchange insights, influence policy, and better understand how to harness digital tools to reach new audiences. With more than 1.5 million UK SMEs now active on TikTok, the platform has emerged as an unlikely but powerful force in Britain’s business ecosystem.
The council includes a diverse mix of industries — “a butcher, a baker, and a candlestick maker,” according to Ali Law, director of public policy and government affairs for TikTok UK and Ireland. That includes Rachel Spence, founder of Bear Burners in South Shields, who joined the council to campaign for clearer, more practical government guidance for first-time founders. “Small businesses make up an incredible amount of the UK’s economy,” she said. “But a lot of the time you have to figure it all out on your own.”
For others, the TikTok-hosted event stood in contrast to more traditional business organisations. Louise Rogerson, chief clinical officer of Manchester-based sleep-tech firm Levitex, said: “It felt modern and welcoming. Sometimes Chambers of Commerce can feel a bit intimidating for early-stage founders who don’t fit the usual mould.”
Dominique Bogle Khan, who runs Hair Anatomy, a Birmingham-based synthetic wigs brand, echoed the value of solidarity the group offered. “Being an entrepreneur is a very lonely place sometimes. It was comforting to realise others had gone through the same things.”
The formation of the SME Council comes amid rising interest in “social commerce” — shopping directly via social media. According to Retail Economics, more than 25 per cent of UK shoppers made a purchase through a social platform in 2024, with TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping leading the charge.
TikTok hopes the SME Council will act both as a policy sounding board and a support network, amplifying the digital voices of small business owners often overlooked in formal trade groups. The company plans to use the group’s feedback to help shape its own platform development and provide government with a clearer picture of the challenges and opportunities facing UK entrepreneurs in the social-first economy.
While TikTok may not be the most conventional voice in British business policymaking, its impact on the modern retail and small business landscape is increasingly hard to ignore. As more firms turn to video-first platforms for growth, its SME Council could offer a new kind of influence — less boardroom, more back bedroom — but no less effective.
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TikTok launches SME council to elevate small business voices and boost digital growth