Small business owner thrilled at possible deal to save TikTok
By Logan Hall
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BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — One small business owner in Massachusetts is thrilled about the possibility that a deal could be reached to save TikTok in the United States. President Trump is set to meet with China’s President Xi Jinping on Friday to discuss the deal.
Michelle Silva, owner of Kali Rose Boutique, says that the app transformed her business.
“TikTok came in and overnight a viral video took off, and we went from I would say about 500 orders to about 20,000 orders overnight,” she said. “It was impressive.”
She has made more than $1 million in sales through the app alone.
“The power of TikTok. We post our warehouse sales, and people are driving from all over the place, showing up here and we have thousands of people coming to our warehouse sale from TikTok,” Silva said.
“TikTok has been a complete game changer for us with the growth that we’ve had over the last couple of years,” she said. “We’ve moved into a larger space, and it would definitely be detrimental if it were to go away, but we are very hopeful and positive that won’t be the case.”
Tripled size of operation Kali Rose Boutique has more than tripled the size of its operation. The brand now operates out of a 30,000-square-foot warehouse and employs more than 50 people.
“Of course you would always love that but it’s not even a thought that crossed my mind, until all of a sudden it’s viral video after viral video and gaining traction of thousands and thousands of followers,” she said.
Silva said she is just grateful for all that the app has done to help her business grow.
Why is TikTok banned? TikTok was banned due to national security threats as a Chinese company owns the app. U.S. officials said that it could be used to spy on the U.S. public and used to influence the population.
Trump has extended the app’s deadline several times since taking office. But the Supreme Court has upheld the decision to ban the app and said that it does not violate the First Amendment.
For more information about why TikTok is banned, click here.
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