Listen, I'm the one who recommended flower chat - queennbm and I follow each other on Twitter and she called my shop yesterday out of the blue with a problem that I was sure she'd be able to find the answer to on Flower Chat. Silly me for suggesting help here. I didn't pre-screen her, I just know she shares lots of good info via Twitter.
If Flower Chat wants to weed out illegal home based businesses, then it needs to do a better job with the member application questions at the outset. The questions posed are very short and clear and lend themselves to similar responses, which obviously are not sufficient for everyone.
If you want to know if someone's business is located in a home with the proper zoning variances and permits, then you need to ask that. Same thing for business licenses and paying of sales tax. I know a lot of professional bakers, photographers, accountants, lawyers, who work out of their homes legally and I don't think it should be assumed that if a florist does the same, that they are automatically operating in the underground economy.
If having a cooler is required, you need to say so (and say goodbye to most UK shops).
If you need a degree or formal training, you should say so, and say sayonara to those who learned at the feet of their parents.
If membership is based on artistic talent, well, I'm thinking that would eliminate a lot of members.
If membership is based on quality of workmanship, then I want to vote out all the florists who are too lazy to change the water in their glass vase arrangements - I'm embarrassed to be associated with them.
And if there's some deadline you need all your questions answered by, then I think you need to spell that out as well before you jump all over someone for not hanging out here 24/7.
Have all the rules you want, but be clear and up front with them right from the get go.
Thanks for your red dots in advance.
