MN
There are as many reasons to value TikTok as there are lakes in Minnesota. It’s a crucial commerce hub for millions of people and thousands of businesses across the state.
Savvy small business owners in Minnesota are looking to increase their sales. TikTok is helping them to sell out.
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Northern Ties
Monticello, MN
Northern Ties Minnesota is a clothing brand that specializes in reverse tie-dye apparel. Founder Jackie Rassmussen says TikTok helped to take Northern Ties from a side hustle she founded while furloughed during the pandemic, into a fully-fledged small business generating multiple six-figures in revenue. She credits TikTok for 50% her sales and 100% percent of the foot traffic at local pop up events.
- woman owned
- young entrepreneur
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Brady's Custom Woodcraft
Waterville, MN
Brady's Custom Woodcraft produces custom-made corn hole boards and other wood products. Founded as a side hustle after the birth of his first child, owner Brady Fisher credits the explosive growth he has seen on TikTok with allowing him to run his business full-time. He says the platform has increased his web traffic, grown his sales, and brought his small, one-man operation customers from around the world.
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Mall of America
Bloomington, MN
The Mall of America is an iconic tourist destination, hosting entertainment, attractions, and over 520 retail stores. The mall, which creates nearly $2B in economic impact for MN annually, says TikTok has been a powerful and effective tool in its efforts to promote the many small businesses under its roof. The team behind the mall's channel also credits TikTok with helping it attract visitors from both inside and outside of MN, grow its online community, and even find and hire new employees.
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The Formidable Genealogist
St Paul, MN
Founder Jen Shaffer was tracing her own family tree when she realized her gift for genealogy. This passion is what inspired Jen to create The Formidable Genealogist. This Minnesota-based small business helps clients build family trees, use DNA to find unknown parents for adoptees, and help hobbyist genealogists with difficult research issues. Jen credits the entirety of her success to TikTok and its algorithm. Since posting daily genealogy tips and Q&A videos, she has gained 99% of her clients through the platform, and has quintupled her client cases. TikTok has taken Jen’s small business from a part-time endeavor to a full-time rapidly growing business, where she hopes to expand and hire employees in the future.
- woman owned
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Boss Lady Salon
Maplewood, MN
In 2022, Katie Schoenrock was voted the best hairstylist in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. She attributes much of that success to her ability to be herself on TikTok. Katie opened Boss Lady Salon in 2018, named after her beloved late dog, Bossy. The one-on-one salon suite specializes in healthy hair color sessions, with an emphasis on creating an inclusive, safe space for guests. Katie says TikTok is a platform where she can encourage positivity and self-care, combining her passion for beauty, artistic and creative spirit, and charisma in her daily work. After a video she posted hit over 100,000 views, Katie was flooded with appointment inquiries from potential customers, increased website traffic, and even requests for advice from other stylists. In addition to expanding her business for the products she sells on her website, Katie says being herself on TikTok allows her to attract like-minded people to her chair.
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Midwest Hobby House
Isanti, MN
Julie Robillard loved selling handmade crafts at local markets before she had children. After a career as an educator and now a retired, empty-nester, she has returned to her roots selling everything from handmade badge reels to wood decor from her home in rural Minnesota. Julie uses TikTok to post videos about new products and behind-the-scenes updates of what she’s working on, calling upon her time in education to provide tips to other small businesses. After a nurse from North Carolina found her badge reel on TikTok and bought it for her work ID, Julie has now sold out 3 times over. After an influx of orders, Julie sponsored a fun run at a local elementary school, providing every student a t-shirt to wear during their run. While Julie is still a “solopreneur,” her entire family is now involved in creating products, and she’s eager to expand enough to hire local staff to join her. She is still amazed that TikTok allowed her to restart a business that had been dormant for 20 years.
- family run
- woman owned
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Refill Goods
Plaivew, MN
Refill Goods is a low-waste general store in rural Southeastern Minnesota that aims to increase awareness of sustainability practices while focusing on community, connection, and social good. They highlight local artists and makers and are loud about their support of queer and BIPOC communities. Annie Jurrens and her husband started the business while raising small children and struggling to find childcare, as an alternative to a traditional 9-5 career. She says given their business is in a small town, they can’t sustain themselves without online sales, which is where TikTok comes in. Annie says TikTok helps her reach customers all across the country
- family run
- woman owned
- veteran owned
Oxford Economics surveyed 1,050 small- and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and 7,500 individuals using TikTok to learn how businesses and users interact with the app and leverage it as a tool to grow their business, stay connected, and contribute to their local economies.