That's not quite true. VF does training and research as well as selling stuff through the shop, and it does pay staff. (Or, did at least when I was there).It seems the staff pop up and then disappear depending on whether she needs to pose as a girl boss or if she wants more limelight then suddenly VF is just her. I don't see as she has any real need for staff as most of the work is vanity type stuff.
There have been a lot of staff leave, sure, but for a while there were plenty of staff who were employed, paid via PAYE for actual jobs. (Not well paid mind, but we were paid).
I'm not going to go into any detail about the contracts, but VF had plenty of work on the books (or did, at least, I don't know about now).
One of the absolute tragedies of all this is that Jess really had built up an organisation capable of making change, with some decent contracts and potential. But, she wrecked it (and is likely looking for others to blame as she can never accept she's in the wrong).
Had the owner of VF been an ethical, decent person with good business sense, VF could have been a force for good. It's a real shame.