Small Businesses Deserve a Seat at the Creator Economy Table

And We’re Here to Pull Up the Chair

By Stephen Squeri, CEO of American Express

In today’s economic landscape, influence sells. We’ve watched social platforms like TikTok transform everyday creators into full-fledged entrepreneurs, making million-dollar businesses out of the link-in-bio tool and trending audios.

But as this digital gold rush unfolds, there’s a risk we must name: small businesses are being left behind.

This isn’t due to a lack of creativity, grit, or great products. It’s because the modern marketing economy—fueled by creators, algorithms, and short-form content—isn’t designed with small business owners in mind. The tools are often confusing. The entry points feel inaccessible. And the time it takes to learn the game? Time that most small business owners, who wear 12 hats before lunch, simply don’t have.

At American Express, we’ve always believed in the power of small business. But today, supporting them means more than handing out a loan or issuing a card. It means helping them stay visible—and competitive—on the platforms where consumers are already spending their time and money.

That’s why we created the #ShopSmall Accelerator in partnership with TikTok. Through this program, small business owners receive a $100 ad credit and creator-led tutorials that demystify TikTok marketing. More than 150 million people use TikTok in the U.S. (Statista, 2024), and nearly 60% of users discover new products there (TikTok Newsroom, 2022). If we want small businesses to succeed, they must be seen—right in the scroll.

Already, we’re seeing results. In 2023, small and mid-sized businesses on TikTok contributed over $24.2 billion to the U.S. economy (TikTok Newsroom, 2024). That’s not a trend. That’s a new economic engine.

But visibility alone isn’t enough. We must ensure that access to digital growth is equitable. That means uplifting immigrant-owned businesses, women-owned storefronts, and entrepreneurs in historically marginalized communities. When we talk about closing the wealth gap, this is how we start—by closing the visibility gap.

The impact is exponential. For every dollar spent at a small business, $0.68 stays in the local community (American Express, 2022). When a small brand grows online, it doesn’t just drive revenue—it sustains neighborhoods, funds local jobs, and keeps culture alive on the corner block.

If we care about the economy, we must care about who gets to grow in it.

At American Express, we’re not interested in chasing what’s trendy. We’re interested in building what’s transformational.

And in the creator economy, transformation starts by making sure no small business gets left on the sidelines of the scroll.

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