ICO highlights data privacy to new startups

January can often be the time of year when entrepreneurs start to make plans for a new business.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published some guidance to help entrepreneurs think about data protection when setting up their business, so they get it right from the start.

The ICO has an e-learning site that provides videos and advice for small organisations. This can be found here and is well worth a look.

The ICO also provides a couple of helpful online tools that can take a lot of the guesswork out of what you need to do.

Privacy notice

The ICO highlights that every organisation that holds people’s information needs to explain why it holds it and what it does with it. This is usually provided through a privacy notice, which can be placed on the business’ website or included in other communications.

Helpfully, the ICO have a privacy notice generator that can help you create bespoke privacy notices for your organisation. It takes 10 to 15 minutes and can help you create privacy notices for your customer and supplier information and for your staff/volunteers.

Direct marketing advice generator

If you advertise or communicate marketing messages to particular people or organisations, you are involved in direct marketing. If so, you will need to comply with the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations (PECR) and the UK GDPR.

The ICO’s direct marketing advice generator can provide you with reliable compliance advice that is tailored to your direct marketing activities. This makes it easier to know what you need to do to stay compliant with the law and stick to contacting people who are happy to hear from you.

The idea of tackling data protection can seem overwhelming when starting a new business. However, these new tools can be very helpful in reducing this stress.

See: https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2025/01/new-year-new-start-ups-get-data-privacy-right-from-the-start/

Looking for advice? Check out our full range of services. From payroll help to taxation advice, our expert team is available to lend a hand.