Privacy Policy

Effective date: [date] Last updated: [date]

Who this policy is about

This website and newsletter are operated by [your legal or business name] ("I," "me," or "my"), a foresight and futures consultancy based in [city, state, country]. This policy explains what personal information I collect when you visit my website or subscribe to my newsletter, why I collect it, how I use it, and the choices and rights you have. If you have any questions after reading it, you are welcome to contact me using the details at the end.

The information I collect

I collect two kinds of information: information you give me directly, and information that is gathered automatically when you use the site.

Information you provide directly includes the following. When you fill in a contact or enquiry form, I receive your name, your email address, and anything you choose to write in your message. When you subscribe to my newsletter, I receive your email address and, if you provide it, your name. If you book a call or a session through a scheduling tool, I receive the details you enter, which may include your name, email address, time zone, and any notes you add.

Information gathered automatically includes the following. When you visit the site, my website platform records standard technical data such as your IP address, your browser type, your device type, the pages you view, the date and time of your visit, and the website that referred you. This information is collected through cookies and similar technologies, which I describe further below.

Why I collect it and how I use it

I use your information for a small number of clear purposes. I use it to respond to your messages and enquiries. I use it to send you my newsletter, which goes out on the third Wednesday of each month, and to let you manage or cancel that subscription whenever you wish. I use it to arrange and prepare for any calls or sessions you book. I use it to understand how visitors find and use the site so that I can improve it. I use it to protect the security of the site and to meet any legal obligations that apply to me.

I do not sell your personal information, and I do not share it for anyone else's advertising.

Cookies and analytics

Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your device. My site uses cookies that are necessary for it to function, and it uses analytics cookies that help me see which pages are visited and how the site performs. [If applicable: I use Squarespace Analytics, the built-in measurement provided by my website platform.] [If applicable: I also use Google Analytics, a service provided by Google, to understand site traffic.] You can set your browser to refuse some or all cookies, or to alert you when a site sets one, although some parts of the site may not work as well if you do. Where the law requires it, I ask for your consent before setting non-essential cookies.

The tools and services I rely on

I keep the number of third parties involved as small as I reasonably can. My website and newsletter run on Squarespace, which stores the information described above on my behalf and acts as my service provider. [If applicable: name any other tools, for example a scheduling service, an email service, or an analytics provider.] These providers are permitted to use your information only to deliver their service to me, and not for their own purposes.

Where your information is stored

I am based in [country], and my service providers may store and process your information in the United States and in other countries. If you are located in the United Kingdom, the European Economic Area, or Canada, please be aware that the laws of the country where your information is processed may differ from the laws of your own country. Where I transfer information internationally, I rely on the safeguards offered by my service providers, such as standard contractual clauses, to keep your information protected.

How long I keep your information

I keep your information only for as long as I need it for the purposes described in this policy. I keep newsletter subscription data until you unsubscribe, after which I remove your email address from my active list within a reasonable period. I keep enquiry and contact form messages for as long as I need them to manage our correspondence and any resulting work, and I delete them when they are no longer needed. Where the law requires me to keep certain records for a set period, I keep them for that period and no longer.

How I protect your information

I take reasonable measures to protect your information against loss, misuse, and unauthorized access. My website platform provides encryption in transit and other security controls. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, however, so I cannot promise absolute security, and you share information with any website at your own discretion.

Your rights and choices

You can unsubscribe from my newsletter at any time by using the link at the bottom of every issue, or by contacting me directly. You can ask me what personal information I hold about you, ask me to correct it if it is wrong, and ask me to delete it. You can object to certain uses of your information and ask me to restrict how I use it.

If you are in the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, the General Data Protection Regulation gives you these rights, and it also gives you the right to receive a copy of your information in a portable format and the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. The legal bases I rely on are your consent, where you have given it, and my legitimate interest in running and improving a small consultancy and in corresponding with people who contact me.

If you are in Canada, you have the right under federal and provincial privacy law, including Quebec's Law 25 where it applies, to access the personal information I hold about you, to ask for corrections, and to withdraw your consent.

If you are a resident of California or another United States state with a privacy law, you have the right to know what personal information I collect, to request its deletion, and not to be discriminated against for exercising your rights. I do not sell personal information.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact me using the details below. I will respond within the time the relevant law allows.

Children

My website and services are intended for adults and for a professional audience. I do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided me with personal information, please contact me and I will remove it.

Links to other websites

My site may contain links to other websites, for example when I cite a source or refer to someone's work. I am not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites, and I encourage you to read their own privacy policies.

Changes to this policy

I may update this policy from time to time, for example when I add a new tool or when the law changes. When I do, I will revise the date at the top of the page, and any significant changes will be noted clearly.

How to contact me

If you have any questions about this policy or about how I handle your information, you can reach me at [email address]. You can also write to me at [postal address, if you wish to provide one].