Marie’s Marketing That Matters

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 5 November 2026

1. Who I am

I’m Marie Hanby, a sole trader trading as Marie’s Marketing That Matters, a freelance marketing consultancy based in Doncaster, United Kingdom.

For enquiries and my own business administration, I am the data controller. This means I decide why and how personal information is used for those purposes.

If you have questions about this policy or want to exercise your data-protection rights, contact me at hello@mariesmarketingthatmatters.co.uk.

My website is mariesmarketingthatmatters.co.uk.

2. What this policy covers

This policy explains how I handle personal information when you visit my website, contact me, discuss or use my services, or work with me as a supplier or specialist freelancer.

Where I handle information on a client’s behalf, the client’s privacy information and our agreed data-processing arrangements may also apply, as explained in section 9.

3. Information I collect

Depending on our contact and the work involved, I may handle:

  • Contact and enquiry details: your name, company, email address, phone number and the information you include in a message.
  • Project and relationship information: briefs, proposals, correspondence, meeting notes, approvals and material needed to deliver the agreed work.
  • Business administration information: business addresses, contracts, invoices and payment records.
  • Website and technical information: IP address, browser or device details, pages viewed, referral information and interactions recorded by the website services described below.

The enquiry form requires your name and email address. Company and phone number are optional. You can describe what you need in the message field. Please avoid including sensitive personal information that is not needed for your enquiry.

You do not have to provide information, but I may be unable to respond or carry out work without the details necessary for that purpose.

4. Where information comes from

Most information comes directly from you, through the enquiry form, email, calls, meetings or project correspondence. Relevant information may also come from a client, a colleague or another business contact who introduces us or involves you in a project. Where relevant to a business enquiry or appropriate business marketing, I may also use professional contact information from publicly available sources, such as business websites or LinkedIn.

Website information is collected through the services described in sections 6 and 7. Information handled for client research or campaign work is subject to the arrangements described in section 9.

5. Why I use information and the lawful bases

I use personal information only where there is an applicable lawful basis under UK data-protection law.

  • Responding to an enquiry, preparing a proposal and arranging work with you personally: Taking steps at your request before entering a contract, or performing that contract where applicable. For general enquiries, my legitimate interest in responding and running the consultancy.
  • Communicating with people who represent a client, supplier or partner organisation: My legitimate interests in managing business relationships and delivering or arranging services.
  • Delivering and administering agreed services: Contract where you are personally a party to it; otherwise my legitimate interests in providing and managing the work. Client-controlled information is addressed separately in section 9.
  • Keeping tax and accounting records: Compliance with legal obligations.
  • Maintaining records needed to resolve a dispute, protect the business or establish or defend a legal claim: My legitimate interests in managing those matters, or legal obligations where applicable.
  • Operating the website, protecting it and filtering spam: My legitimate interests in keeping the website and enquiry service secure and usable.
  • Understanding website use: Consent where required for the relevant tracking. Where an applicable exemption permits use without consent, legitimate interests in understanding and improving the website, subject to the relevant conditions and your rights.
  • Sending relevant information about my services: Consent where required. Where electronic marketing rules permit contact without consent, legitimate interests in promoting relevant business services, balanced against your rights and expectations.

Where I rely on legitimate interests, I consider whether the use is necessary and proportionate and balance those interests against your rights and reasonable expectations.

6. Enquiry forms and spam protection

My website uses WordPress.com and Jetpack Forms. Enquiries are stored through the website’s form service and sent to my business email address so I can respond.

Form processing can also involve technical information such as your IP address, browser information and the submission time. Spam filtering may process the submission and technical details to identify unwanted messages. A genuine enquiry can occasionally be marked as spam; you can email me directly if you are concerned your message has not reached me.

Automattic provides WordPress.com, Jetpack and Akismet services. You can read more in Automattic’s privacy information and Jetpack’s form privacy information.

7. Cookies, analytics and website tools

Cookies are small files stored on your device. Websites can also use tags and similar technologies to support their operation, remember choices and understand how pages are used.

My website uses WordPress.com and associated services for hosting, operation, security and spam protection. It also uses Google Analytics, connected through Site Kit by Google, and Jetpack/WordPress.com statistics to help understand visits and website activity. Site Kit brings information from connected Google services into the WordPress dashboard.

Depending on the service and settings, information may include pages visited, referral sources, interactions, visit times, device or browser details and technical identifiers. I use this information to understand how the website is used and identify improvements.

Different technologies have different rules. Some support essential website functions; others are used for analytics or other purposes. Where consent is required, that use needs your consent. An exemption from consent applies only where its conditions are met. This policy does not treat all analytics as essential or exempt.

You can use your browser settings to manage, block or delete cookies, although restricting some cookies may affect website functions. Browser controls do not necessarily stop every form of tracking. Contact hello@mariesmarketingthatmatters.co.uk if you would like more information about the website’s tools or to raise a privacy question.

Further information is available in Google’s privacy policy, Google’s information about partner sites and Automattic’s cookie policy. The technologies used and their retention settings can change when website services or settings change.

8. Marketing communications

I may contact you with information about my services where I reasonably believe it is relevant to your business or interests, and where the law permits that contact.

Where consent is required for marketing emails or other electronic marketing, I will obtain it before sending those messages, unless a valid legal exception applies. This is particularly relevant to individuals, sole traders and some partnerships. Where consent is not required, I may rely on legitimate interests after considering relevance, necessity and your rights and expectations.

You can unsubscribe or ask me to stop direct marketing at any time by replying to the message, using any unsubscribe option provided, or emailing hello@mariesmarketingthatmatters.co.uk. You do not need to give a reason.

If you opt out, I may keep a limited record of your contact details and preference so I can respect your request. Messages needed to respond to an enquiry or manage agreed work are separate from direct marketing.

9. Client information and specialist freelancers

Some services involve working with information controlled by a client, such as contact lists, campaign records or information held in the client’s systems. Where I act as a data processor, I handle that information under the client’s documented instructions and the applicable data-processing agreement. The client remains responsible for its purposes and lawful basis.

Where necessary for an agreed project, I may work with specialist freelancers or suppliers. Access to personal information must be limited to what the work requires, with suitable confidentiality and data-protection arrangements. Where a client’s information is involved, any required authorisation and processor arrangements must be in place before access is provided.

If your information was collected by one of my clients and you want to exercise your rights, contact that client first. I will assist the client in handling requests where required by our arrangements and the law.

10. Who information is shared with and overseas processing

Where needed for the purposes in this policy, information may be shared with:

  • Website hosting, form, analytics, email, storage and business software providers.
  • Specialist freelancers and suppliers involved in agreed work.
  • Accountants, insurers, professional advisers and others supporting business administration.
  • Authorities or other recipients where disclosure is legally required or necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

My business tools include:

  • Microsoft 365 and Outlook: for business email and correspondence. Emails can contain contact details, enquiries and project information.
  • Microsoft 365 and OneDrive: for storing and working with client files and project documents. Files may contain personal information relevant to the agreed work.
  • Sage Sole Trader: for invoicing and related financial administration. Records can include client contact and billing details, invoice information and payment status.
  • WordPress.com, Jetpack and associated Automattic services: for the website, enquiry form, spam protection and website statistics, as described above.
  • Google Analytics and Site Kit by Google: for the website analytics arrangements described in section 7.

You can read more in the Microsoft Privacy Statement, Sage Privacy Notice, Automattic Privacy Policy and Google Privacy Policy. These notices provide information about the providers; they do not replace my responsibilities for information I handle through their services.

Some of these providers operate internationally and may process information outside the United Kingdom, including in the European Economic Area and the United States. The destinations and arrangements depend on the service and account used.

Where UK international transfer rules apply, the relevant transfer must be covered by a lawful mechanism, such as applicable UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards with any required additional measures. The providers’ privacy information and data-processing terms explain their international arrangements. You can contact me at hello@mariesmarketingthatmatters.co.uk to ask about the safeguards relevant to your information and how to obtain a copy where applicable.

11. How long information is kept

I keep information for as long as it is needed for the purpose for which it was collected, including any applicable legal obligations. The relevant criteria are:

  • Enquiries that do not lead to work: whether the enquiry remains active, whether further contact has been agreed and whether there is a continuing reason to retain the correspondence. I delete or anonymise information when there is no continuing reason to keep it.
  • Client and supplier records: the duration of the relationship and any necessary period afterwards for completing work, answering questions, meeting contractual obligations or dealing with potential claims.
  • Accounting and tax records: the applicable statutory period. For sole trader business records this is normally at least five years after the 31 January submission deadline for the relevant tax year, with longer periods where required.
  • Client-controlled information: the client’s instructions and the terms of the applicable processing agreement, including return or deletion arrangements at the end of the work.
  • Website and analytics data: the retention settings of the relevant service and the time needed for the stated purposes, taking account of legal requirements.

12. Keeping information secure

I use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss or misuse. Access is limited to the people who need it for the relevant work or service.

No online service or transmission method is completely secure. If you need to share sensitive material for a project, please discuss a suitable method with me first.

13. Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

  • Ask for access to your personal information.
  • Have inaccurate information corrected.
  • Ask for information to be deleted or its use restricted.
  • Object to processing based on legitimate interests, and object to direct marketing.
  • Receive certain information you provided in a portable format.
  • Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent, without affecting the lawfulness of earlier processing.

These rights are not absolute and depend on the information, purpose and lawful basis. To make a request, email hello@mariesmarketingthatmatters.co.uk. I may need to verify your identity. Requests are normally handled within one month, subject to the rules on clarification, extensions and applicable exceptions.

14. Complaints

If you have a concern about how I handle your information, please contact me so I can look into it. You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and you do not have to contact me first.

Contact the ICO or make a complaint.

15. Other websites and changes to this policy

My website contains links to other websites, including LinkedIn. Their own privacy information applies when you use those services.

I will review this policy when my services, providers or data-handling practices change. The date at the top will show when it was last updated.