Privacy Notice

2. Information we collect

We may collect information such as:

• your name
• email address
• telephone number
• business name
• website address
• information you provide when discussing a project, requesting an audit or asking for a quotation
• information contained in communications between you and Ridley North.

We do not ask you to provide sensitive personal information through our website enquiry routes. Please do not send sensitive personal information unless we have specifically asked for it and explained why it is needed.

3. How we collect information

We may receive personal information when you:

• contact us by email
• contact us by telephone
• send us a message through a social media platform
• request a website audit or quotation
• become a client
• otherwise communicate with us in connection with our services.

Our website may include links to social media profiles and other third-party services. These are provided as links rather than embedded social feeds.

4. How we use your information

We may use personal information to:

• respond to enquiries
• discuss your website requirements
• prepare quotations
• provide website design, development and support services
• communicate with you about an existing project
• manage invoices and payments
• maintain appropriate business records
• protect the security of our systems and services
• improve and maintain our website and services
• contact existing business clients about relevant Ridley North services where this is permitted by law.

We do not sell personal information to other companies.

5. Our lawful bases

UK data protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for using personal information. Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on:

• Contract: where information is needed to provide services or take steps requested before entering into a contract.
• Legitimate interests: where processing is reasonably necessary to operate and develop our business, communicate with business contacts, maintain records or protect our services, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Legal obligation: where we need to use information to comply with a legal or regulatory requirement.
• Consent: where the law requires consent or where we choose to rely on it.

The lawful basis we use depends on the purpose and circumstances of the processing.

6. Direct marketing

We do not currently operate a general marketing mailing list.

We may contact existing business clients in the future about relevant Ridley North services where we have a lawful basis to do so and where applicable electronic-marketing rules are met.

You can ask us to stop using your information for direct marketing at any time by contacting hello@ridleynorth.co.uk.

We will not sell or provide your contact details to another company for that company to use for its own marketing.

7. AI-assisted and other software tools

We may use carefully selected software tools, including AI-assisted tools to help with website development, content organisation and other business services.

We aim to avoid putting unnecessary personal or sensitive information into these tools. Where client or contact information is not needed for the task, we will avoid using it.

Some third-party software providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where this occurs, we will take reasonable steps to use services with appropriate privacy and security arrangements and any safeguards required by applicable data protection law.

We do not use AI tools as a reason to collect additional personal information from you.

8. Who we share information with

We may share personal information with trusted service providers where this is necessary to operate our business or provide agreed services.

These may include:

• our business email provider
• website and hosting providers
• Stripe, where payments or invoices are processed through Stripe
• software providers used to deliver or support our services
• professional advisers or authorities where disclosure is required by law or reasonably necessary to protect our legal rights.

We do not sell personal information or provide it to other businesses for their own marketing.

9. Stripe and payments

Ridley North may use Stripe to issue invoices and process payments.

Payment information entered into Stripe is processed by Stripe under its own privacy notice and terms. Ridley North does not need to store your full payment-card details.

Our use of Stripe may involve processing by Stripe or its service providers outside the United Kingdom. Stripe's own terms and privacy information will apply to its processing.

10. Website analytics and cookies

We do not currently use Google Analytics or other non-essential visitor analytics on the Ridley North website.

We aim to keep cookies and similar technologies to those that are necessary for the website to operate securely and provide the service you request.

If we introduce non-essential analytics, advertising, tracking or similar technologies in the future, we will review the privacy and cookie requirements and update this notice where appropriate.

11. How we store and protect information

Enquiry and client information may be stored in our business email system and in business records such as spreadsheets.

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure. Business records stored on our devices are protected by appropriate device and account security.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

12. Who has access to information

Ridley North is operated primarily by one person. Where reasonably necessary for the operation of the business, my partner may also have access to relevant business or client information while helping with Ridley North.

Access will be limited to information reasonably needed for the task and handled with appropriate confidentiality.

13. How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and for appropriate business, legal, accounting or record-keeping requirements.

Different information may be kept for different periods. We review information periodically and securely delete or anonymise information when it is no longer needed, where appropriate.

14. Client websites and portfolio work

We may use completed client work in our portfolio, including screenshots, website links, business names or other publicly available business material, but we will seek your permission before using your project as a portfolio case study.

We will not knowingly publish confidential information about your business as part of portfolio use.

15. Your rights

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis for processing, you may have rights under UK data protection law, including rights to:

• ask for access to your personal information
• ask for inaccurate information to be corrected
• ask for information to be erased in certain circumstances
• ask for processing to be restricted in certain circumstances
• object to certain processing, including direct marketing
• withdraw consent where we rely on consent.

Not every right applies in every circumstance.

To exercise a relevant right or ask a privacy question, contact hello@ridleynorth.co.uk.

16. International transfers

Some of the third-party services we use may process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where applicable, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers in accordance with data protection law.

Third-party providers may have their own international transfer arrangements and privacy terms.

17. Complaints

If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us first so that we can try to resolve it.

Email: hello@ridleynorth.co.uk

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection regulator, if you believe your information rights have not been respected.

18. Changes to this notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes to our services, software, data processing or legal requirements.

The latest version will be published on this page with its updated date.

19. Contact us