The SME Hub
Advice and guidance for small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), small businesses, sole traders, entrepreneurs, groups and clubs, and start-ups. Actually, there's helpful information for all business types. and models!
Start here to learn more about privacy and data protection best practices.
This is a short introduction to information privacy and protection, and why we have data privacy and protection laws has been created to help sole traders, small business owners, and small organizations understand more about data privacy & protection best practices, and why it’s relevant to their entity.
In today's data-driven world, sharing information can make our lives easier, more convenient & even more connected for us all, at home, at play, and at work. Data privacy and protection laws set standards of what should be done to make sure everyone’s information is used properly and fairly.
SMEs likely have personal information about staff, customers and clients i.e., names, addresses, contact details. You might even collect, use, and store sensitive personal information such as medical data, criminal history, or ethnic details.
You may need personal information to deliver goods or services and that's fine, but remember that you shouldn’t use it in ways that people wouldn’t expect. Ultimately, it is your duty and responsibility to protect it!
Why? Because if personal information falls into the wrong hands, people may be harmed. Depending on the situation, they could become victims of identity theft, discrimination, or even physical harm.
Generally, information privacy & protection law applies to all workplaces, business ventures, societies, groups, clubs and enterprises of any type. If you’re a sole trader or self-employed, if you work for yourself or if you’re an owner or director, that includes you. This still applies if you only have a small team of employees or if you don’t have any staff at all.
The rules are the same whether you operate a one-person startup or a global enterprise because if personal information falls into the wrong hands, it makes no difference where the error came from. The only thing that matters is that people could be harmed. You will have to build a strong defense for your organisation should a data breach occur, so click each button below to learn more about data privacy to protect your interests.
