Privacy Notice

Privacy Notice

This privacy notice explains how Kate Barlow: Branching Out Ltd collects, uses, and protects your personal data. We are committed to handling your information responsibly, transparently, and in accordance with UK data protection laws.

Who is managing your data?

Kate Barlow: Branching Out Ltd is a limited company based in the United Kingdom trading as Branchout Digital. We provide digital strategy, AI consultancy, martech audits, analytics, and performance-focused marketing services.

If you have any questions about this notice or how we use your data, please contact: [email protected]

Key Terms We Use

* “Personal data” means any information about an identifiable living person.

* “Process” refers to anything we do with that data: collecting, storing, analysing, sharing, deleting, etc.

* “We”, “us”, “our” refers to Kate Barlow: Branching Out Ltd t/a Branchout Digital.

* “You”, “your” refers to clients, potential clients, website visitors, suppliers, and collaborators.

* What information we collect and why

* We collect and process only the data necessary to run our business effectively and serve our clients. We do not purchase or rent data from third parties.

Types of data we may collect:

* Name, email address, and contact details

* Booking and meeting notes (e.g. via Go High Level)

* Business information shared during consultations

* Analytics data from our website (e.g. session duration, pages viewed)

* Communication preferences (e.g. newsletter opt-ins)

* Payment and invoicing details (when relevant)

Why we collect it:

* To provide consulting and strategy services

* To manage client relationships and communications

* To personalise your experience and improve our content

* To meet contractual and legal obligations

* To deliver relevant updates, insights, and offers with your consent

Use of Analytics and AI Technologies

We use analytics tools (e.g. Google Analytics 4) to understand how visitors use our website, helping us improve user experience and the effectiveness of our communications.

We also use AI tools to support our internal workflows, including:

* Research and content development

* SEO and performance analysis

* Prompt kit development for clients

* Drafting ideas or summaries for strategy materials

* Workflow automations to reduce admin overhead

We do not use AI for profiling or automated decision-making about individuals, and we never feed personal or sensitive client data into public AI systems.

Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, we rely on the following lawful bases:

* Contract: To deliver the services you’ve requested

* Consent: For email marketing and analytics where applicable

* Legal obligation: For accounting, recordkeeping, and regulatory requirements

* Legitimate interests: To manage relationships, improve our services, and protect our systems (balanced against your rights)

Your Rights

You have the following rights under UK data protection law:

* Right of access: Ask us for copies of your personal data

* Right to rectification: Correct any errors or incomplete information

* Right to erasure: Request we delete your data in certain situations

* Right to restrict processing: Limit how we use your data under specific conditions

* Right to object: To certain types of processing (e.g. direct marketing)

* Right to data portability: Ask for your data to be transferred to another organisation

* Right to withdraw consent: At any time, where processing is based on consent

To exercise these rights, contact [email protected]. We aim to respond within one calendar month. In complex cases, we may extend this timeframe and will let you know.

Who we share your data with

We only share your personal data with trusted service providers that help us operate efficiently. These may include:

* GoHighLevel – CRM

* Google Workspace – business operations and communications

* Stripe – payment processing

* Accounting software – financial management

* Analytics tools (e.g. GA4, Plausible) – website performance tracking

* Cloud-based project and documentation tools (e.g. Notion, Canva)

All service providers are selected for their privacy and security practices and are bound by confidentiality obligations. Where possible, we

ensure data is stored in the UK or with appropriate safeguards in place under UK data transfer laws.

We do not sell or trade your personal data.

Transfers outside the UK

Some of our third-party tools store data outside the UK (e.g. in the EEA or US). Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate legal safeguards are in place, such as:

* Adequacy regulations approved by the UK

* Standard contractual clauses (SCCs)

How long we retain your data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary:

* Financial and transaction records: 7 years (for tax and audit purposes)

* Prospect and client contact data: Up to 10 years, unless you request deletion

* Website and analytics data: Typically 14–36 months depending on the tool

You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the link provided.

How to complain

If you have any concerns about how we use your data, please contact us directly via [email protected].

If you remain dissatisfied, you can lodge a complaint with:

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

📞 0303 123 1113

🌐 https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

Updates to this policy

This notice will be reviewed regularly and may be updated from time to time.

Last updated: July 2025