Frequently Asked Questions

Bee Local is the UK's premier platform for discovering and connecting with independent local businesses. We specialize in three main categories:

• Local Produce: Farm shops, artisan food producers, organic suppliers, honey farms, butchers, and more
• Local Services: Tradespeople, consultants, professionals, repair services, and skilled craftspeople
• Pre-Loved: Vintage shops, antiques dealers, second-hand stores, and refurbished goods specialists

Our mission is to help you discover authentic, independent businesses in your local area while supporting the UK's small business community.

There are several ways to find businesses on Bee Local:

1. Search Bar: Use the main search bar on our homepage. Type what you're looking for (e.g., "handyman in Manchester", "organic vegetables")
2. Category Browsing: Click on Local Produce, Local Services, or Pre-Loved categories
3. Location Search: Enter your postcode or city to find nearby businesses
4. Voice Search: Press the 'V' key or click the microphone icon to search by voice
5. Advanced Filters: Use price, rating, and service filters to narrow your results

No, you don't need an account to search and view business listings. However, creating a free account gives you additional benefits:

• Save favorite businesses for easy access
• Leave reviews and ratings for businesses
• Track your search history
• Receive notifications about new businesses in your area
• Access to marketplace shopping features

Registration is completely free and takes less than 2 minutes.

Basic listings are completely FREE forever! You can list your business, add photos, and include all essential information at no cost.

For businesses wanting more features, we offer premium upgrades:

• Premium Listing (£150/year): AI-generated website, boosted search ranking, advanced analytics, up to 10 photos
• Marketplace Vendor (additional £150/year): Sell products online, manage inventory, process payments

Most businesses find the free basic listing meets all their needs. Upgrading is optional and can be done anytime.

If your business already appears on Bee Local, you can claim it:

1. Go to "Find My Business" in the main navigation
2. Search for your business name and postcode
3. Click "Claim This Business" on your listing
4. Verify your ownership by providing business email or phone
5. Complete the verification process

Once verified, you'll have full control to edit your listing, add photos, and manage your business information.

Premium business owners get access to our AI website generator, which creates:

• Custom Headlines: Compelling titles that capture your business essence
• Business Taglines: Memorable slogans that communicate your value
• About Sections: Professional descriptions tailored to your target audience
• Service Descriptions: Enhanced explanations of your products and services
• SEO Content: Content optimized for search engines and local discovery

You can customize the tone (Professional, Friendly, Premium, Local, Innovative) and style to match your brand. The AI uses your existing business information to create relevant, high-quality content.

Our marketplace connects customers with local vendors selling authentic products:

For Shoppers:

• Browse products from verified local vendors
• Filter by category, location, and delivery options
• Add items to your cart and checkout securely
• Products are delivered directly from the vendor
• Minimum order value is £50 per vendor

For Vendors:

• Requires premium business listing (£150/year) plus marketplace subscription (£150/year)
• List up to 50 products per vendor account
• Manage inventory, pricing, and delivery zones
• Process payments through secure Stripe integration

We accept all major payment methods through our secure Stripe integration:

• Credit Cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express
• Debit Cards: UK debit cards including contactless
• Digital Wallets: Apple Pay, Google Pay
• Bank Transfers: For larger orders (contact vendor directly)

All transactions are encrypted and processed securely. We never store your payment information.

Each vendor sets their own delivery zones based on postcodes they serve:

• Local Delivery: Most vendors deliver within 10-15 miles of their location
• Postcode Coverage: Vendors specify which postcodes they deliver to
• Delivery Days: Many vendors offer scheduled delivery days (e.g., Wednesdays and Saturdays)
• Collection Available: Some vendors offer collection from their premises

You'll see delivery information clearly displayed on each product page and during checkout.

Yes, you can cancel anytime with no cancellation fees or penalties.

How to cancel:

1. Log into your business dashboard
2. Go to "Account Settings" → "Subscription"
3. Click "Cancel Subscription"
4. Confirm your cancellation

What happens after cancellation:

• Your premium features remain active until the end of your billing period
• Your listing automatically converts to a free basic listing
• All your business information and photos are preserved
• You can re-upgrade anytime in the future

Yes, we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on all premium subscriptions.

Refund policy:

• Full refund available within 30 days of purchase
• No questions asked - if you're not satisfied, we'll refund you
• Refunds typically processed within 5-7 business days
• Refunds go back to your original payment method

To request a refund:

1. Contact our support team at support@beelocal.uk
2. Include your business name and reason for refund
3. We'll process your refund immediately

You can update your payment details anytime through your business dashboard:

1. Log into your business account
2. Navigate to "Account Settings" → "Billing"
3. Click "Update Payment Method"
4. Enter your new card details securely
5. Save changes - your next payment will use the new method

Security note: All payment information is encrypted and securely stored by Stripe. We never see or store your full card details.

There are several reasons why your business might not appear in search results:

Common causes:

• New Listing: Recently added businesses may take 24-48 hours to appear in search
• Incomplete Information: Missing business category, location, or description
• Location Mismatch: Your business location doesn't match the customer's search area
• Category Mismatch: Your business category doesn't match what customers are searching for

How to improve visibility:

1. Complete all business information fields
2. Add clear, descriptive business description
3. Upload high-quality photos
4. Choose the most accurate business category
5. Include relevant keywords in your description
6. Consider upgrading to premium for boosted search ranking

Photo requirements:

• Format: JPG, PNG, or WebP files only
• Size: Maximum 5MB per image
• Dimensions: Minimum 800x800 pixels recommended
• Quality: High resolution for best results

Troubleshooting steps:

1. Check your image meets the requirements above
2. Try resizing the image if it's too large
3. Clear your browser cache and cookies
4. Try using a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
5. Ensure you have a stable internet connection

If problems persist, contact our support team with details about your browser and the specific error message you're seeing.

We're here to help! Contact us through any of these methods:

Email Support:

• General Inquiries: hello@beelocal.uk
• Technical Support: support@beelocal.uk
• Business Services: business@beelocal.uk

Response Times:

• General inquiries: Within 24 hours
• Technical issues: Within 12 hours
• Urgent business matters: Within 4 hours

Other Resources:

• Knowledge Base - Detailed guides and tutorials
• Contact Form - Submit detailed support requests
• Live chat feature coming soon!