GDPR - do we really need to worry about it?

Yes – you do need to worry about GDPR ! And if you haven’t already sorted it out and made sure that you are really compliant then you need to act quickly!!

On 25 May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)  was enforced across Europe, including the UK. The law aims to give citizens more control over their data and to create a uniformity of rules to enforce across the continent. 

As you are just starting your brand then it is recommended that you ensure you are GDPR compliant from the beginning. GDPR is a necessity whether you are a registered company or a sole trader – it is for everyone who holds someone else’s data. 

As you start to gather data for potential and current customers, staff, press and buyers, you need to set up the systems to protect the data and gain consent from the individual that you can hold their data in the first place. A failure to do so could result in heavy fines, such as €10 million (£7.9 million) or 2% of your global turnover– whichever is greater, or for more severe breaches, €20 million or 4% of your turnover – whichever is greater.

This means that if you have ANYONE’s contact details – such as customer email addresses, addresses for orders, email addresses for the press, buyers etc. and you email them, send them mailing lists, keep a mailing list then you need to be work on your GDPR!

If you need further advice on your GDPR, then book a mentoring session and we can help you set up your systems