The emphasis for these businesses is on taking practical steps to protect personal data, doing the right thing, and being able to have a top-line understanding of the UK GDPR, rather than having to wade through extensive documentation.

Owner-managed businesses may not legally need to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO), unless their core activities involve regular and systematic monitoring of data subjects on a large scale or involve the processing of special category data.

However, they will want access to clear, concise, and easy-to-understand data privacy support that adds value to their organisation.

What data privacy challenges do businesses face?

Organisations face several specific challenges when it comes to complying with the UK GDPR and other relevant data privacy legislation:

• Limited resources: Owner-managed businesses typically have limited financial and personnel resources to dedicate to UK GDPR, making it more challenging to implement comprehensive measures without external assistance.
• Lack of expertise: Owner-managed business owners often lack specialised knowledge regarding data privacy and in particular the UK GDPR, making it difficult to fully understand and be accountable to the data controller responsibilities detailed within Article 30 of the UK GDPR.
• Knowledge gaps surrounding the assessment of risk: Evaluating which types of personal data processing could result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, as required by the UK GDPR, can be very difficult for owner managed businesses without specialised knowledge.
• Privacy documentation: While owner-managed businesses may have simpler documentation needs compared to larger organisations, they still need to maintain records of data processing activities, and these documents are a vital part of any information governance framework, as they shape how personal data will ultimately be processed and managed within the organisation.
• Personal Data Breach and Security Incident Response: Developing and maintaining effective incident management and personal data breach response procedures can be challenging for owner-managed businesses with limited resources, against the backdrop of a ticking timeclock set by the industry regulator and the data privacy legislation.
• Subject Access Request (SAR) management: Handling SARs and ensuring compliance with the eight data subject rights detailed within the UK GDPR, can be complex and time-consuming for owner-managed businesses against the backdrop of a ticking timeclock and strict guidelines for response by the industry regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
• Ongoing compliance: Compliance with data privacy legislation and the UK GDPR is not a one-off task, instead it requires continuous monitoring and updating, which can be difficult for owner-managed businesses to maintain alongside their core day-to-day business operations.

How can we help with GDPR support for owner managed businesses?

We will manage all aspects of data protection and UK GDPR compliance for you through our bespoke retained UK GDPR support packages. 

Whitestar will alleviate stress and uncertainty, give you access to a dedicated certified Data Protection Officer (DPO), who will be armed with all the expertise and knowledge to ensure UK GDPR compliance, no matter what market sector or industry you are in. 

We will be available for advice whenever you need it, be an independent sounding board for any data privacy queries you may have, we will write all the policies and procedures you need, provide access to online security support, and deliver bespoke, tailored data privacy training. 

We deliver all this GDPR support for owner managed businesses remotely and your maximum time investment each month is an average of just thirty minutes! 

Ultimately, we offer you peace of mind, allowing you to concentrate on managing the core functions of your organisation, namely organisational growth.

All of this certified, independent, and expert knowledge is available on a retained UK GDPR support plan.