Something I ponder on quite a bit is why do I come across so many business owners who aren’t using the personal information in their businesses to maximum benefit?
There was a lot of fear and hype when the GDPR came into force,and it was perceived as being very restrictive. In reality, it’s a great framework that helps you use one of the most, if not the most, important assets in your business – your customer and contact information. GDPR doesn’t stop you from using that information – it puts expectations and responsibilities around using it. Those rules are complex but not impossible or impassable!
To help business owners who still are unsure about GDPR, I’ve refreshed my services to fit in with the requirements to register for data protection and hope that it makes what I do easier to understand.
Firstly, I must say that not all businesses actually need to register with the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s data protection authority. You may have received a letter from the ICO saying you do need to register – but unless you fit certain criteria, you may not need to! I know it’s only £40 per year, but every penny counts, right??
- You do not need to register for data protection if you only process personal information for your own business purposes, for example, marketing and invoicing.
- You do need to register for data protection if your business operates in one of the following categories:
- Financial services: accounting and book-keeping, credit referencing, debt administration, insolvency, mortgages, pensions
- Insurance and legal services
- Property management
- Membership groups
- Advertising, marketing and PR for others
- Journalism, media and tv/radio
- Recruitment
- Children’s work
- Education and training
- Health administration and patient care
A note of warning – as a business owner, it’s your responsibility to check. And to help you, there’s a very easy set of questions on the ICO website: Registration self-assessment | ICO but if you’d prefer to talk to me – just book a call! You’ll find the link below.
Please remember GDPR isn’t about stopping you from using personal information. As a member of the Data and Marketing Association and the International Association of Privacy Professionals, I want my clients to benefit from using the data protection legislation to grow their businesses. Please get in touch, it won’t be dull, I promise!
You can book a 20-minute free call with me using my booking page: Book A Call For Help With Your GDPR Questions | Business Tamer