I’ve heard this so many times.
I admit it – I’ve been frustrated by the red tape that comes with running a business.
All the rules and regulations that say you have to do this and don’t do that.
Some of these can seem totally unnecessary – and for some of you, it seems privacy policies are a useless drain on time and money.
But written sensibly, they are a vital tool to build trust with your customers – and stay within the law.
The BBC website featured a story about a company updating their privacy policy. Tax Policy Associates (TPA) did this, including a promise to send a bottle of wine to the first person to contact them.
It took 3 months for someone to claim it.
TPA’s Head, Dan Neidle, described this as “my childish protest that all businesses have to have a privacy policy and no-one reads it”.
“Every tiny coffee shop has to have a privacy policy on their website, it’s crazy. It’s money that’s being wasted.”
Privacy policies can be frustrating. Any business that deals with personal data must have a privacy policy, even that small coffee shop down the road.
But a privacy policy is just an explanation of what you do with the personal data you collect.
And when you want to use data for direct marketing, it becomes important you explain what you’re doing.
Using someone’s name and address, an email address or telephone number to promote your business is a privilege, so it’s only right that your customers are aware of this and are happy to hear from you.
And a privacy policy doesn’t have to be War and Peace, nor should it have big words that only makes sense to a lawyer!
If you need help making your privacy policy more human and less gobbledegook, you know where to find me.