Privacy Policy

Start Up Club is run by Anton Caines, based in Nottinghamshire, UK. We help local businesses with websites, smart tools, card payments and growth. For anything to do with your data, email support@thestartupclub.co.

We are the controller of the personal information described here, under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

• Details you give us when you book a call or send an enquiry: your name, email, phone number, business name and address, website or socials, and what you tell us about your business (for example takings, how you take payments and your goals).
• Your email address if you sign up for launch updates.
• Messages you type to Aura, our website assistant.
• Information needed to deliver work you buy from us, such as content for your website, and records of quotes, invoices and payments.
• Basic technical information our hosting needs to run and protect the site, such as your browser type and IP address in server logs.

• To reply to you, arrange and hold calls, and prepare quotes. We do this to take steps you've asked for before a contract, or because we have a legitimate interest in responding to enquiries.
• To deliver and support the services you buy, and to take payment. This is needed to perform our contract with you.
• To send launch updates you've signed up for. This is based on your consent, and every email lets you unsubscribe.
• To answer your questions through Aura. Your messages are processed to generate a reply and aren't used to make decisions about you.
• To keep records we're legally required to keep, such as accounts and invoices.

We don't sell your information, and we don't use it for automated decisions that affect you.

We only share information with services that help us run the business, and only what they need:

• Our website and database hosting provider (Base44), which also provides the AI service behind Aura.
• Email providers we use to send booking confirmations, enquiry notifications and updates.
• Google Calendar, to schedule calls you book.
• Card payment providers, such as Dojo, if you ask us to help you switch your card payments. We'll only pass on your details with your agreement.
• Professional advisers, or authorities where the law requires it.

Some of these providers may store data outside the UK. Where they do, we rely on safeguards recognised under UK law, such as adequacy regulations or standard contractual clauses.

Enquiries that don't go anywhere are deleted within 24 months. Client records are kept for as long as we work together and then for up to 6 years, to meet tax and accounting rules. Launch-update sign-ups are kept until you unsubscribe.

We use a small number of essential cookies and similar browser storage to make the site work. For example, to remember whether you prefer light or dark mode and that you've seen our cookie notice. Our hosting provider may also set cookies needed to run and secure the site.

We don't use advertising cookies. If we ever add analytics or marketing cookies, we'll ask for your permission first. You can clear or block cookies in your browser settings at any time, though parts of the site may not work as expected.

You can ask us to:

• give you a copy of the information we hold about you
• correct anything that's wrong
• delete your information
• restrict or object to how we use it
• send your information to you or another business in a usable format
• stop sending you updates, or withdraw any consent you've given

Email support@thestartupclub.co and we'll respond within one month. If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.

We use reputable providers, limit who can access your information, and only keep what we need. No system is completely secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your data.

We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be on this page. See also our Terms and Conditions.