ICO launches campaign for microbusinesses
March 15, 2018How long are we allowed to keep past client information under GDPR?
March 30, 2018
Finding the positives in GDPR
While we are hopefully all getting stuck in to the steps and paperwork needed to demonstrate GDPR compliance we thought it would be a good time to remind you of the positives of the new General Data Protection Regulation.
Championing your rights as individuals
According to a 2016 Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) survey ‘Whose data is it anyway’’:
- Only 8% of customers understand where and how organisations use their personal data
- 70% of consumers don’t see the benefit of sharing their data
- 57% of consumers don’t trust brands to use their data responsibly
"45% of consumers said that they would stop using an organisation altogether if they found out they were using their personal data in a way they didn’t feel comfort able with"
So it’s not difficult to see that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a positive piece of legislation for individuals. It means that all data related to you as a person is yours. You have control over what it’s used for and the way in which it’s used.
Think of the positives for your business
From an individual’s perspective, it’s reasonable to expect an organisation to take good care of his or her personal data – whether that individual is operating as a consumer or in a professional capacity. The same CIM survey mentioned above found that only 36% of marketers say their organisation is transparent about how it collects data. 81% of marketers say that their company shares data across departments without express permission from customers. These figures suggest that there is currently a fairly lax approach to how personal data is collected and disclosed which is no doubt also reflected in how that data is stored and used.
"72% of consumers are actively put off sharing more information with businesses due to media stories of data breaches"
Customer trust and brand reputation are evidently being risked, and also laws broken. GDPR gives you as a business a great opportunity to strengthen your customer relationships and trust, whilst protecting your professional reputation. You can focus your customer engagement on building long term and rewarding relationships with those who are receptive to your message and value your brand.
On a final note, 45% of consumers told CIM that they would stop using an organisation altogether if they found out they were using their personal data in a way they didn’t feel comfortable with and 72% are actively put off sharing more information with businesses due to media stories of data breaches.
If you can clearly show customers, employees and everyone else you work with how you protect their data, it’s a great way to showcase your company’s professional working manner and practices, and differentiate yourself from competitors who can’t keep up.
Keep your chin up!
So while GDPR might create loads of hard work for you as a small business, especially if you aren’t quite up to speed with the current Data Protection Act 1998, think of the positives for you both as an individual and a business!
If you require assistance in meeting the requirements of GDPR, our secure online platform is developed with small businesses in mind. We show you what you need to do, and give you the tools and information you need - all broken down into practical, manageable steps, to remove the fear factor of GDPR. Find out more about
our services.
Protect your business - become and remain GDPR compliant with Astrid