Privacy Policy

This website belongs to Stellar Marketing Studio, run by Sarah Hetherington. If you have any questions about anything on this page, email me at sarah@stellarmarketingstudio.co.uk.

1. Who is responsible for your information

Stellar Marketing Studio (Sarah Hetherington) is the data controller for the information collected through this website. That means I'm responsible for looking after it and using it properly.

You can reach me at sarah@stellarmarketingstudio.co.uk.

2. What information I collect

When you fill in a form or message me through this website, I collect:

• Your name
• Your email address
• Information about your business, such as the type of business you run
• The platform you'd like me to look at, if you've told me
• Anything else you choose to write in a message to me

If you contact me by WhatsApp using the buttons on this site, I'll also have your name and WhatsApp number, along with whatever you choose to tell me in that conversation.

This website loads fonts from Google Fonts, which means your device's IP address is shared with Google when a page loads. This is common across the web, but I want you to know it happens.

3. Cookies and analytics

When you first visit, I ask whether you're happy for me to switch on analytics. Nothing is tracked until you say yes. If you say no thanks, or ignore the banner, no analytics cookie is set and nothing is tracked.

If you agree, I use a tool called PostHog to understand how people use the site, like which pages they look at, where they click, and how they move around. This helps me see what's working and what to improve. It's set up to collect this anonymously, and I don't use it to identify you personally.

To do this, PostHog stores a cookie on your device. You can change your mind at any time by clearing your browser cookies for this site, which brings the choice back so you can pick again. PostHog handles this information on my behalf, and you can read their privacy information at posthog.com/privacy.

4. Why I collect it, and my lawful basis

I collect this information so I can:

• Reply to your enquiry and answer your questions
• Arrange a call or a piece of work with you
• Provide the services you've asked about

Under UK data protection law I need a lawful basis to use your information. I rely on taking steps at your request before entering into a contract when you get in touch about working together, and legitimate interests to respond to general enquiries and run my business.

For analytics, my lawful basis is your consent, which you give through the cookie banner. You can withdraw it at any time, as explained above.

I will not add you to a marketing list or send you marketing emails unless you have clearly agreed to that separately.

5. How long I keep it

I only keep your information for as long as I need it. If we don't end up working together, I delete your enquiry within 12 months. If we do work together, I keep relevant records for six years for tax and accounting reasons.

6. Who I share it with

I never sell your information to anyone.

I do use a small number of trusted services to run my business, and your information may pass through them:

• My email provider, Google Workspace, so I can send and receive emails
• WhatsApp (owned by Meta), if you choose to message me there
• PostHog, for website analytics, but only if you've agreed to analytics through the cookie banner

These providers handle your information on my behalf, only to help me run my business.

7. Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

• Ask for a copy of the information I hold about you
• Ask me to correct anything that's wrong
• Ask me to delete your information
• Ask me to restrict or stop using your information
• Object to me using your information
• Ask for your information in a portable format

To do any of these, just email me at sarah@stellarmarketingstudio.co.uk and I'll sort it out.

8. Complaints

If you're unhappy with how I've handled your information, I'd really like the chance to put it right, so please get in touch first.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK regulator for data protection. You can find them at ico.org.uk.

9. Changes to this policy

If I change how I handle your information, I'll update this page. The date at the top tells you when it last changed.